10 ways to ease mosquito bite itch

1. Wash your bite with soap and water as soon as you realize that a mosquito has bitten you. 

After soap and water, dab a little bit of rubbing alcohol on the mosquito bites, drying them out and helping the itch to subside.
2. Apply calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream to the bite. Both of these treatments can reduce itching. Calamine lotion is an anti-pruritic with zinc oxide and ferric oxide that is used the world over to treat itching. OTC hydrocortisone has small amounts of steroids (1% of the entire solution) that helps relieve itching. It is also widely used.

3. Milk And Water

For a soothing compress, Schultz recommends soaking equal parts milk and water into a handkerchief and applying it to the skin. "It's very soothing and helpful at relieving itching, swelling and inflammation," he says, "plus it's also a great technique for relieving sunburn." Skim works the best, he adds, as it's the protein and not the fat in milk that soothes the skin. 

4. Aloe

While it's primarily thought of as sunburn relief, aloe shouldn't be ignored in treating bites, says Schultz. "It's very good for itching and swelling and really is very soothing." 

Aloe vera

5. Use clear nail polish. Place some clear nail polish on the mosquito bite and let dry for five minutes. Peel the nail polish off, reapplying if needed.

6. Banana Peel

While some people swear by this home remedy, there (perhaps unsurprisingly) isn't a whole lot of credible research to back it up. Schultz hypothesizes that the sugars in the chemical makeup of the skin of a banana could be soothing and draw fluid out from a bite. 

7. Honey

Since this natural sweetener is known for a wide range of health benefits, including its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, it's not surprising that honey can also ease itchy bites. It's included in a number of natural lotions and balms for this exact reason, Everyday Health explains. 

8. Tea bags

Cooled tea bags can reduce under-eye puffiness, they can ease swelling on bites too. The tannins in tea act as an astringent, he says, drawing extra fluid out of the bite. 

Tea bags

9. Baking Soda

"Sodium bicarbonate is a mild alkaline compound that can help neutralize the pH balance of your skin," Dr. Linda K. Franks told Prevention. "This 'buffering effect' may help quell the inflammation that occurs at the skin's surface, easing your soreness." 

10. Vitamin B-1 

Try a daily dose of Vitamin B-1. Research suggests that this vitamin may change your scent, which will make you less attractive to mosquitoes.