How to Soothe Mosquito Bites

Mosquitoes thrive in wet areas and feed on the blood of those they bite. When a mosquito inserts its stinger-like mouth part into your skin, it injects enzyme-filled saliva as it draws out blood. This causes the itching that's known to accompany mosquito bites. To effectively find relief from mosquito bites, you can soothe them with a combination of home and commercial remedies. Treat mosquito bites as soon as possible to prevent itching that results in red, irritated and broken skin.

Things You'll Need

• Soap
• Hand towel
• Washcloth
• Ice cubes
• Antihistamine cream
• Baking soda

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Instructions

• 1

  Washing the skin helps to remove itch-causing saliva.

  Wash the skin with mosquito bites using soap and warm water. Clean the skin gently to avoid further irritation. Pat dry the skin with a clean, soft towel.

• 2

  Ice helps relieve swelling and itchiness.

  Place three or four ice cubes in the center of a clean washcloth. Hold the cloth on the affected skin for 10 minutes at a time to relieve itching. Remove the ice cubes from the skin for several minutes then reapply the ice pack, as needed, to continue soothing the skin.

• 3

  Dab antihistamine cream into the mosquito bites to provide relief from itching and swelling. As an alternative method to over-the-counter anti-itch creams, you can apply a paste made of equal parts baking soda and water to the mosquito bites. Allow the paste to dry on your skin to reduce itching and soothe the skin.