Question:
My 10 year old daughter has a terrible problem with bug bites.
Seems that the bugs are really attracted to her and just go
at her everytime she is outside. Once she gets a bite, it takes
quite a long time for it to heal. Her legs are a disater area!
Besides using sometype of external repellant, is there anything
she could change in her diet to help with this problem (not only
the biting but the healing part as well)?
Any ideas/suggestions much appreciated!
Answer:
i use lavender essential oil (topically only of course) on my son's
insect bites.
mosquito bites on him used to swell and redden pretty badly. and the
marks would last a week or more.
i read about using lavender EO on bites and tried it one summer when i
first noticed some bites on his leg. the bites that i dabbed a drop of
this stuff on did not swell and went away within two days or so. the
other ones (in the same area) did the usual swell, reddening, week-long
healing thing.
as for a type of repellant, i mix about 6-8 drops each of citronella,
lavender and cedar EOs in a 4oz water spray bottle. some lemongrass is a
nice addition too.
i was just thinking about this yesterday. i had noticed that i seem to
have an affinity for growing lemon scented plants (lemongrass, lemon
basil, lemon-rose geraniums, lemon verbena) and was commenting on how
these non-citrus plants must have made this lemony evolution as a form
of self-protection from insects. i suppose there is documented science
in tomes of botany to back my musings, but i havent researched it.
if you arent 'into' making your own concoctions, there are plenty of
reputable companies who manufacture non-DEET sprays. just make sure to
check labels and compare ingredients/prices.
