Itchy skin sometimes is a sign of a serious skin condition, but most of the time it's not hard to treat with simple, inexpensive interventions. You just have to know where to start. Here are seven simple solutions for finding your personal remedies for itchy skin.
1. Don't scratch!
Try not to scratch or rub itchy skin. The action of scratching or rubbing the skin sends extra information to the brain in a way that "overloads the circuits" that transmit the sensation of itching. But scratching and rubbing also break down the skin in ways that lead to more itching, or worse. It may be hard to avoid scratching until you find the right remedy, but you will get better faster.
2. Stop using skin care products that make your skin itch.
A product that is just fine for one person may cause unbearable itching in another, but you can identify the culprit in you skin care routine by considering both your skin type and the ingredients in your skin product. Careful reading of product labels may help you stop itching fast. Aluminum crystals for microdermabrasion of acne scars, by the way, are a major source of itch for users.
- Calamine relieves itch by causing a burning sensation. It works for a few hours, but eventually your brain will figure out both signals.
- Cortisone creams to stop itch have the paradoxical long-term side effect of causing itch, by breaking down collagen in the skin. As long as you only use them for a day or two, they will help.
- Ivory soap, and generally any foaming soap, can wash away lipids that maintain the integrity of your skin, causing itch. Switch to Dove soap or any other non-foaming gentle body wash.
- If you have oily skin with freckles or age spots, be careful about cosmetics and sun blocks. The products that are designed to "stick" to your skin for once-a-day application may cause itch and irritation.
- Avobenzone, benzophenone, and methoxycinammate in sunscreen sometimes cause itchy skin.
- If your skin care product contains acetic acid, Balsam Tolu, benzoic acid, cinnamic acid, lactic acid, menthol, parabens, Quaternium-15, or ylang-ylang, it may cause itching, especially if you have sensitive or allergy-prone skin. Calming Itch Treatment contains menthol, which soothes while you use it but makes you itch even worse when you stop. Great marketing!
- If you use benzoyl peroxide for pimples and your skin is dry, they will itch. Switch to tea tree oil (but try a little dab first and wait 24 hours to make sure you are not allergic).
- For people of color, harsh hair products can cause itching of the scalp, face, and any other part of the body where the pomade has run.
3. Avoid hot water.
Hot water dries out the skin. Flakes of skin later irritate surrounding healthy skin, and become food for fungus. Limit your time in the tub or shower to 5 minutes, and use a diffuser to reduce the amount of hot water spraying on your skin in the shower. This is especially important if you wear a hairpiece or brace that you don't take off to shower or bathe that can trap hot water against skin in places where you can't scratch.
4. If you live in a dry climate, or if you use forced air to heat your home, consider buying a vaporizer.
Adding humidity to the air adds moisture to your skin. There will be less flaking and less itching.
5. If you use aromatherapy, be careful about ultrasound diffusers.
The traditional way of using aromatherapy is to put a few drops of essential oil into a bowl of warm water and then quickly drape a towel over your head, nose over bowl, to inhale the vapors. Ultrasound diffusers provide a steady stream of aromatherapy throughout a room for hours or days at a time. The problem is that essential oils can be drying.
6. Treat patches of gray, dry, itchy skin with vinegar and water.
Vinegar for skin infections works by interrupting the reproduction of yeasts and fungi. Mix one tablespoon (15 ml) of apple cider vinegar in 1/2 cup (120 ml) of warm water and soak a clean washcloth. Lay the washcloth on affected skin for 15 minutes, and then rinse with warm water and pat skin dry. Don't forget the rinsing step if you don't want to smell like a pickle factory! Do not apply vinegar to broken skin, and don't use this treatment if you are allergic to vinegar or apples.
7. When healing skin becomes itchy skin, try a honey treatment.
There are prepared antiseptic dressings soaked in honey at the factory that can be applied to broken skin. Over 1,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies find that honey is useful in fighting infections with staph and enterococcus bacteria. Honey keeps the bacteria from migrating and forming colonies in the skin, and the bacteria quickly die.
Spoon a tablespoon (15 g) of honey into a small dish, and apply to affected skin with clean fingertips in a very fine layer, not enough to drip. Allow to dry, and rinse away 30 minutes later. Alternatively, make a vinegar and honey treatment by adding the honey to the vinegar and water solution described above. Again, do not use honey if you have a known allergy to honey. Honey and lemon juice (without water) is another treatment for itchy skin, the fresher the lemon juice, the better.
And the most basic way of dealing with itchy skin? Moisturize! You don't necessarily need anything expensive. Any product that contains ceramides will help replace the moisture in your skin. Aloe may relieve the inflammation that causes itchy skin, but don't buy expensive combinations of aloe and cortisone. Applying the two products separately, and just using them for 1 or 2 days at a time (see above) works just as well.
Reader Questions
Q. Help! I have incredibly itchy skin when I get out of the shower. What can I do?
A. First make sure the problem isn't soap. Try showering without using any soap at all. If that doesn't result in itching or doesn't result in itching that you can't stand, then maybe the soap is the problem.
Sodium laurel sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate cause problems in about 40% of people who have chronically itchy skin. Preservatives and scents are problems for others. Many people find that Aveeno products don't cause skin irritation or itching, but be sure to test any new soap on just a tiny patch of skin first before you slather it all over.
Then try turning down the temperature. The lower the temperature, the less the skin irritation. It takes some getting used to but it's a lot more comfortable than a severe itch, and you can always warm up when you get out of the shower.
Q. Is Morgellon's disease real?
A. Yes. I have seen the worm-like fiber removed by a doctor from two people I know personally, one of whom caught the infection from the other. If the entire fiber is not removed, the condition persists. This is a very visible fiber, about as thick as a pencil lead.
Q. What can I do about itchy scalp?
A. Rinse your hair in lukewarm or cool water. If you use a conditioner, Free and Clear might be a good option.
Q. I like the look when I use Murad exfoliants, but they make me itch. What to do?
A. Try using them in a thinner layer, or try an exfoliant that isn't made with glycolic acid, like Neutragena.
Q. What do you think about colloidal oatmeat?
A. I think you mean colloidal oatmeal. It's good for sensitive skin, especially if you have rosacea—assuming you aren't one of those rare people who is allergic to oats!
Q. What can I do about dry patches around the eyes. I don't have money for any skin care products!
A. Try moistening a clean washcloth in warm water. Apply to skin around your eyes for 60 seconds, and pat dry. Do this two or three times a day, and as long as you are not using hot water, just warm, it should help.
Q. I love Chap-Stix but I know it makes my lips itch. Is there a 12-step group for Chap-Stix users?
A. Maybe there should be. Here's a suggestion. Cinnamon, peppermint, and Dr. Pepper may dry out your lips more than other flavors. Switch flavors and see if that helps.
Q. I'm going to China next month. Is there any supplement I can take that can help my skin stand up to air pollution?
A. Try N-acetyl-cysteine, but don't use it for more than one month at a time. Also, do NOT use any lighteners or age spot removers while you are in proximity to industrial air pollution. Some of the toughest projects I have ever done have been tracking down the air pollutants that interacted with skin lighteners in China.
2 comments:
This is very helpful. Thank you!
This is very helpful. Thank you!
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