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Living Well Mom

I help moms with simple, natural ways to look after their families. Find recipes, fun stuff for kids, and simple DIY ideas. Plus natural solutions made easy peasy!

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Homemade “Itch Stick”: Natural Bug Bite Stick Made With Essential Oils

By Maura in Natural Homemade Ideas

lavender essential oil peppermint essential oil summerThis post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Homemade Itch Stick Recipe Natural Bug Bite Relief with Essential Oils
Homemade Itch Stick Natural Bug Bite Relief with Essential Oils

We all love when the warmer weather comes back to us each spring – but with that warmer weather often comes more bug bites. If you are a fellow bug magnet I have an easy recipe for you today showing you how to use essential oils for itchy skin plus a few other supplies to create a DIY bug bite stick!

I do have another bug bite relief recipe here at Living Well Mom – a DIY essential oil roller blend for mosquito bites. This one works very well for our families and many others.

But many folks prefer using an itch stick for relief. And that’s exactly what I’ll show you how to make in this post in just minutes.

This easy homemade bug itch stick contains coconut oil and beeswax along with select essential oils for itchy skin. The result can be soothing, calming, and itch-relieving!

You’ll only need 6 ingredients for this homemade “itch stick” recipe. It also makes several sticks, enough to probably last you the whole summer!

diy itch sticks for bug bites this idea now...

**Please note that these homemade “itch sticks” are not for severe allergic reactions or rashes.  This is for topical use only for itch relief for minor bug bites.  Please see your doctor immediately if you or your child are having a severe allergic reaction or rash.**

Essential Oils for Itching

The magic of these sticks are all in the essential oils! By choosing the bet essential oils for itchy skin, you can alleviate the discomfort of bug bites. Here are my top recommendations:

Firstly, I chose lavender oil because it’s excellent for skin ailments. I’ve used it many times to relieve itchy bug bites, poison ivy, even burns.  It’s helped ease my children’s mosquito bite itchiness many evenings. Lavender essential oil may also help reduce inflammation from bug bites and speed up the healing process. This kid-friendly oil is also perfect for sensitive skin!

Peppermint is cooling, again relieving the itchiness on the skin.  It also acts as an inflammatory and should help soothe itchy irritated skin.

Basil is another great essential oil that can work very effectively to bring relief from insect bites. (I forgot to include Basil in our photos, oops!)

This is the perfect trio of essential oils to quickly bring relief from those pesky bugs that put a damper on lovely, warmer weather. I use these three for my own bug bite itch stick, and would recommend you do the same!

If you are looking for other options or are not a fan of the scent of the above oils, here are some more essential oils for itching:

  • tea tree oil
  • geranium oil
  • chamomile oil
  • eucalyptus oil
  • frankincense oil
  • patchouli oil
  • bergamot oil
  • myrrh oil
  • lemongrass oil

Homemade “Itch Stick” Supplies

  • 1 oz of beeswax – I ordered this kind and used one of the 1 oz bars (it comes with 5)
  • 2 heaping Tbsp coconut oil – this is the perfect carrier oil thanks to anti-inflammatory properties and its ability to retain a solid mass
  • 10 drops each of lavender and peppermint essential oils. You can also add a few drops of basil essential oil.
  • Slow cooker and one Slow Cooker Liner – optional, I’ll also show you how to make this bug bite itch stick in the microwave too!
  • Containers to hold your itch relief cream – I used these lip balm tubes
  • Decorative Washi Tape (optional)
bug bite relief stick ingredients

Step by Step Directions for Making a Bug Bite Stick

There are two methods you can use to make this bug bite stick. First, you can make it in a crock pot, which is how I typically do it. However, if you are in a hurry or don’t own a slow cooker, I’ve included instructions for making this in the microwave as well!

Slow Cooker

The easiest way I’ve found to make these homemade “itch sticks” is by using your slow cooker and a slow cooker liner. This makes clean up a breeze!

beeswax and coconut oil in a lined slow cooker

To start making your itch relief sticks with essential oils, add one ounce (one bar) of bee’s wax, 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, 10 drops of lavender…

lavender essential oil for itching

…and 10 drops of peppermint oil to your slow cooker. You can also add a few drops of Basil essential oil if you choose.

peppermint essential oil for itching

Turn your slow cooker on to the warm setting and let it warm up until it all melts (usually 30-60 minutes.)

Next, pull out the melted beeswax and oils mixture and twist the liner so that you will kind of use it like a frosting bag.

bug bite itching stick with essential oils mixture

You will snip a tiny hole in the corner of the slow cooker liner and use that as a “spout” to fill each plastic lip balm container with your melted oils.

This process can be a bit messy as you have to quickly aim and get the liquid oils into the small tube.  You will want a piece of newspaper under the tubes while you fill them. You may want to wear gloves as the plastic bag is pretty hot from the slow cooker. 

Additionally, you will probably need to wipe the outside of the tubes when they are cool, as some of the oil may have dripped while filling them.

empty chapstick tubes filled with DIY bug bite relief stick

When you are done filling the tubes, simply throw out the slow cooker liner, making clean up as easy as possible!

Microwave

Alternatively, you can easily make this in the microwave.

Rather than heating the ingredients in the slow cooker, heat them together in a microwave-safe container (like a glass measuring cup) in the microwave at 30 second increments, stirring in between.

Do not heat the essential oils at the beginning; they should be added after everything else is melted so the properties are retained.

Then pour the liquid carefully into the lip balm containers. As you can imagine, this is easiest when done with the spouted glass measuring cup I recommend!

How to Use the Bug Bite Sticks

I love the convenience of these itch relief tubes for bug bite relief. I let my kids have one by their beds in case an itchy bug bite wakes them up in the middle of the night. This is way easier than having them come to me asking me to put essential oils on their bites.

These homemade itch sticks are also great to carry in your purse or hiking backpack! They work with all kinds of itchy bites and stings from bees, wasps, hornets, chiggers, fire ants, sand fleas, horseflies, mosquitos, deerflies, and more!

To get effective relief, just apply to the affected area and let the bug bite stick work its magic!

PDFs for mosquito bite relief guide featured on blue and white background

Caution: do not leave your homemade “itch stick” in a hot car or out in the sun. The coconut oil will melt, leaving you with a liquefied mess. 

homemade bug bite relief sticks with essential oil for itching

Bug Repelling Essential ↓

essential oils for repelling bugs ebook offer

I finished my homemade “itch stick” with decorative washi tape for a pretty finish.

You can also use a label maker, stickers, or even a permanent marker to label your itch sticks.

homemade insect bite itch sticks with essential oils

I hope your homemade “itch stick” will bring you and your family all natural relief from bug bites thanks to the essential oils and other ingredients.

More Ways to Use Essential Oils for Bugs

  • Bug Repellent Lotion Bars
  • Essential Oil Mosquito Repellent Recipe
  • Essential Oil Roll on For Mosquito Bites
bug bite itch sticks

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    Filed Under: Natural Homemade Ideas, Natural Living, Seasonal, Summer Tagged With: lavender essential oil, peppermint essential oil, summerPublished on April 5, 2022

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    About Maura

    Maura, her husband and 2 daughters live in upstate NY. She is a former high school biology teacher turned into a work at home mom. She loves to have fun and find a great deal. As well as writing for Living Well Mom, she shares her frugal tips and DIY projects on happydealhappyday.com.

    Comments

    1. Moriah says

      June 16, 2018 at 9:39 am

      I am allergic to Lavender (smell and topically). What could k replace the Lavender with?

      Reply
      • Erika says

        June 19, 2018 at 10:28 am

        Basil essential oil is also soothing for bug bites.

        Reply
    2. Molly Brose says

      May 2, 2019 at 9:07 pm

      About how many sticks would you say your recipe makes?

      Reply
      • Erika says

        May 8, 2019 at 2:29 pm

        It makes about a dozen sticks, possibly more.

        Reply
    3. Stacey Carlson says

      September 22, 2019 at 3:34 pm

      I just made this and it’s filled 2 1oz sticks, 2 small metal tins, and half a small jar. I did not have enough for 12 tubes. I used beeswax beads rather than a brick so I am wondering if that has to do with it.

      Reply
    4. Angela says

      June 4, 2022 at 2:26 pm

      Making this for the family.

      Reply
    5. Stephanie says

      July 18, 2022 at 4:14 pm

      I NEED this for the kids!

      Reply
    6. Angela says

      April 18, 2023 at 10:49 pm

      I need to make this for the kids for camping.

      Reply
    7. Keira says

      August 8, 2023 at 10:12 pm

      We have so many bugs at the camper. i need a homemade recipe we go through so much anti itch.

      Reply

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