My cat has a yet to be diagnosed skin problem that has reoccurred for several years causing her to get rashes and bumps that she itches until she hurts herself scratching. After trying every kind of expensive itchy skin product I could find including those recommended by the vet, I finally researched natural ingredients good for humans and pets and came up with these formulas for a salve and a spray. THEY WORK!
I didn't have to buy anything except the drinkable aloe and little brown spray bottles. These formulas can be made for pennies, when some creams, sprays and salves with similar ingredients were between twenty and fifty dollars!
Salve
*If you have bees wax you can melt it and add a little to this to make it more like a cream. For me the salve works fine and after it is stored for a few days it gets a little thicker with time anyway.
1 Part Drinkable Aloe Vera Gel. *Not the bottled kind that might have other ingredients or colors added but the kind you can drink if bottled or gel straight out of the plant.
1 Part Coconut Oil
1/4 part Honey *Manuka is best
1/4 part strong chamomile tea *Boil two bags with very little water or add another bag and more water if you are also making the spray
Vitamin A & Vitamin E *Depending on how much you are making, add at least one vitamin A and vitamin E capsule cut open and squeezed into the mixture. I had a small left over make up cream jar I filled and this was all I added for that size but more could be better and I will probably double it for the next batch.
If you want it thicker you can also finely grind up a little oatmeal and baking soda in a blender and add it to the mixture but remember it will thicken some with time stored.
After reading about the anti-inflammatory properties of comfrey, I may buy and add this oil in the future.
I blended this formula for only a few seconds.
I apply it with a cotton ball to my cat's itchy skin spots twice a day. Her red spots and sores began to heal quickly and many are gone after one week of application. Her itching went from obsessive to rarely occasional.
Spray
This I spray on her as a spot response to itching in-between the applications of the salve. I recently got bites on my ankles and it worked well to stop the itching there too.
Boil two chamomile tea bags and one bag of green tea. Fill your spray bottle with 2 parts tea, 1 part drinkable aloe vera juice or gel, colloidal silver *The amount depends on how much you are making. I used about forty drops in a small brown glass spray bottle. Then add at least one vitamin A and a vitamin E pill squeezed into the mixture. Shake well. I store mine in the refrigerator so it is also cooling on the skin.
Because this is a spray I didn't want to add anything that might clog up the sprayer over time so I kept the vitamin oils to a minimum and didn't use every ingredient that I found might help. I am adding a helpful ingredients list below so that you might experiment with your own formulas for different uses.
Please research these ingredients before using even if following my formula. While they are normally safe and natural, you or your pet may have allergies to consider and it's good to have an idea how the items work in general before applying to skin.
Borox, for example, is not consumable although it is on the list and is best for specific causes of itching. Besides direct application to the skin, adding it to the laundry may be helpful if itching is caused by tiny critters. Borox hydrogen peroxide dips worked good for my cat because it is suspect that she gets demodex mite problems but in general Borox is poisonus to her. So, please let this be an example of a caution of why you should do your own research before formulating the use of any of these items.
It is also worth noting that drinking chamomile tea is calming and very soothing to the nerves and may help humans reduce itching from within as well. Come to think of it, I didn't find any reason why cats can't drink it too. Maybe next time I make it I will save some to add a little to her water.
I have also started floating chamomile tea bags in her rinse water after a bath. Then, I take the bags and press them on her skin where she still has sores and she actually seems to really like how it feels. I may also start adding finely ground oatmeal to her rinse as well as many shampoos and soaps contain it for the conditioning of skin.
Since all of the ingredients except for Borox are consumable for humans and pets, applying to a pet shouldn't harm them if they lick it off after application. But, for humans consuming these ingredients have been noted to help the skin while working from the inside out so adding them to a diet is also beneficial.
Most notable topical ingredients for natural skin products found for helping to stop itching.
Honey
Baking soda
Aloe The layer that exists between the skin of aloe and the gel is poisonous to cats. If including in formulas for cats be sure only the gel is in the ingredients.
Apple cider vinegar
Coconut oil
Chamomile
Green Tea
Vitamins E and A
Oatmeal
Lemon juice
Alcohol
Borox *Is not consumable and research should be done before using this on skin to determine the best and safest method.
Comfrey
Colloidal silver
Yogurt
As far as including these additives in the diet which is also recommended for itchy skin problems, I also add collagen powder. I put it in my smoothies as it as it is really good for boosting, renewing and restoring skin and hair. Otherwise basically almost every part of your body needs it anyway. I have been using this brand of multi collagen hydrolyzed protein powder and I add it to my kitty's home made food.
Finally, when it comes to itchy skin, I think it is important to use products loaded with these ingredients for bathing, whether humans or pets. These are the shampoos I use on my kitty. The first, Curaseb is medicated with 4% chlorhexidine for some of the suspect issues with her skin which stays on her for ten minutes. I rinse her and apply a the second shampoo, Organic 5 in 1 Oatmeal Soap which stays on for five minutes. Both of these are very long lasting shampoos and are excellent in every way making them worth the money.
For humans, here is where my long time knowledge really kicks in. I LOVE soap and started collecting soap years ago when I traveled. I research soap on a regular basis. So if you can find soaps with any of the ingredients above, especially milled and cold pressed, then those will help every time you use them. If I had an itchy skin problem, based on my research of ingredients I've listed here and others I am familiar with, these are the ones I would try: Natural Itch Relief Calamine Soap Bar, Marie Originals Itch Relief Soap, Battleskin Tea Tree Soap, Oatmeal Honey and Goatsmilk Soap, Calamine Bar with Organic Aloe and Oats, and Codex Beauty Balancing Soap.
If you or your pet have itchy skin, I hope this helps!
Copyright 2022 Wanda Hope Carter all rights reserved and other copyrights may apply.
*Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional nor scientist and recommend any undiagnosed skin problem that causes itching be discussed with a doctor before trying these or any other products that might relieve itchyness. There are conditions that might be better treated without any of the ingredients mentioned here being applied. My formula is meant to replace over the counter products one might purchase to relieve the sensation of itchy skin but it isn't a cure for any cause of such itchyness except maybe the simple condition of dry skin.
Links may include items that go back to my Amazon marketer account where if you click and purchase from them I may receive a small commission. If you enjoyed or got help from this article I hope you will support me with those clicks!
