Quick Relief from Bites and Stings Formulas

Summertime — don’t you love just about everything it has to offer? Everything, that is, except the crawling, buzzing, flying nuisance insects that can inject misery into an almost perfect day. When an insect stings or bites, its venom enters the skin, causing the familiar sensations of burning and itching accompanied by inflammation, heat, and localized swelling. What you need is an herbal remedy that delivers cooling plant energy with astringent and antiinflammatory properties to calm the itch. The following formulas offer rapid and effective relief from bites and stings that are driving you mad with the need to scratch.

Not My Grandma’s Remedy

I have to share this tidbit with you regarding my great-grandmother Ashe. She had this nasty habit of chewing tobacco — complete with the requisite brass spittoons scattered about the house, their edges spattered with brown slime. She grew a personal tobacco patch in her backyard, as many rural folks did in the southeastern United States. My grandfather told me that she used to apply chewed-tobacco “spit paste” to the occasional bee stings that he and his many siblings would get, to help relieve the pain. It does work, but at the time I heard this story I was about 8 years old, and the thought of someone putting their slimy tobacco “chaw” on my skin grossed me out.

Nowadays, when I get a burning ant bite or bee sting, I find a common plantain leaf growing nearby, chew it to a pulp, and apply my own “spit paste” to the affliction. Yes, it works as well as tobacco. Plantain’s inherent astringency and bitterness cool the red heat or inflammation of the bite or sting, allowing its tissue-healing properties to work. Pretty neat, isn’t it? A potent remedy from a simple, common weed — and no need for spittoons!

GREAT GREEN GOOP

The final product looks like a very dark green tar — rather icky, but I promise that it will deliver loads of relief for many minor skin ailments. It acts as a fabulous anti-inflammatory, astringent, vulnerary, and antiseptic, plus the German chamomile essential oil delivers antihistamine benefits. This recipe calls for a small amount of the oil from Sitz Salve. If you’ve made that salve and have leftover infused oil, great! If not, then make the infused oil for that recipe (not the entire recipe, just the infused oil!).

7 tablespoons Sitz Salve infused oil
1–2 tablespoons beeswax (depending on how firm you want the salve to be)
20 drops German chamomile or Moroccan blue chamomile essential oil

EQUIPMENT: Small saucepan or double boiler, stirring utensil, plastic or glass jar or tin
PREP TIME: 20 minutes to make the salve, plus 30 minutes to thicken
YIELD: Approximately ½ cup
 STORAGE: Store at room temperature, away from heat and light; use within 1 year

APPLICATION: As desired Combine the infused oil and the beeswax in a small saucepan or double boiler, and warm over low heat until the beeswax is just melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the chamomile essential oil and stir again to thoroughly blend. Slowly pour the liquid salve into the storage container, then cap and label. Set aside for 30 minutes to thicken.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: Apply a tiny dab to insect bites and stings, as desired. Quick and “Neat” Insect Bite and Sting Relief Lavender and tea tree are two of only a handful of essential oils that can be safely applied to the skin “neat” or undiluted. To gain quick relief from the itch, pain, and swelling of bites and stings, apply a drop of either essential oil directly to the affected area up to three times per day until the discomfort has subsided. Always keep a small bottle of both essential oils in your medicine cabinet. Between the two, they can cure and comfort almost any malady!

CALENDULA JUICE

A simple recipe made from freshpicked, sticky, resinous calendula flowers, this diluted juice is a potent anti-inflammatory, astringent, antiseptic, and vulnerary that will deliver relief to the irritation of insect bites and stings. If your mishaps with insects have a tendency to get infected, perhaps because you pick at them or scratch too much, this brownish-orange flower juice is for you, as it really helps fight infection and speeds skin cell regeneration.

Note: This brownish-orange juice will stain light-colored clothing and slightly sting raw skin.

2 cups freshly picked calendula flowers
½ cup unflavored vodka
½ cup purified water
½ teaspoon vegetable glycerin

EQUIPMENT: Blender, spatula, finemesh strainer, fine filter, funnel, glass or plastic bottle
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
YIELD: Approximately 1¼ cup
STORAGE: Refrigerate; use within 2 weeks

APPLICATION: 3 or 4 times per day First, cut or tear the calendula flowers into smaller pieces so that they blend more easily. Place the flowers in the blender along with the vodka, water, and glycerin. Blend at low or medium speed for about 10 seconds. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender and free the blades, if they’re clogged with plant matter. Add a bit more water if necessary. Repeat, until the mixture becomes a frothy, pale yellow-orange slurry. Strain the thick liquid through a finemesh strainer or strainer lined with a fine filter such as muslin or, preferably, a paper coffee filter. Press or squeeze the herb to release all the valuable liquid. Discard the marc. Pour the liquid into a storage container. Label and refrigerate. You will notice that after 2 days of storage, a dark brownish-orange liquid will separate out from the otherwise murky liquid. That’s normal, so no worries.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: Shake well before each use. Soak a small cotton pad or square of cotton flannel with the juice and gently dab onto bites or stings. Allow to air-dry. Repeat this procedure three or four times per day. Bonus This herbal juice make a great spot treatment for drying up blemishes, when applied up to three times per day with a cotton swab.