Tea Time with Jo | Bug Bite Paste

Ingredients:

-5 low dose aspirin tablets

-1 teaspoon of baking soda

-Just enough water to make a paste (1/2-3/4 tsp)

Materials:

-Small cup, dish or bowl 

-Pestle or study glass bottomed cup or bottle 

Steps:

-Crush the aspirin tablets until they are powdered. I use a pestle and crush it right in the cup that the paste will be stored in. You can use the bottom of a glass cup or sturdy glass bottle and transfer the powder to the dish/bowl. 

-Add the baking soda and give it a good mix to incorporate well with the aspirin. 

-Add the water, mixing everything together until it turns into a paste. It may bubble and fizz a little. If you add too much water, just add a little bit of baking soda to get it to a paste consistency. If your mixture is too dry, add a drop of water at a time until you get a paste. 

Use:

-Apply a pea sized amount, or as much as you need, directly over the insect bite so that the bite is covered. 

-Allow to dry on the skin and stay on for at least an hour. You can brush off the dry paste after this point. 

-Reapply as needed.

-You can store the paste, uncovered, in your cupboard or cabinet. It will dry out but all you need is to dip a wet finger into the dry paste to rehydrate enough to apply. You can also add a few drops to the dish and remix as needed. 

-Apply as needed until the bite heals. 

If you would like a visual, check out my IG post on this paste here. 

Notes: This is my go-to bug bite paste that I swear by! It is the only home remedy that I make that involves an actual pharmaceutical…but this stuff works! 

I don’t know about you but if I get a mosquito bite, it gets so itchy that it can keep me up at night. The scratching can be so intense that I may give myself scabs or bruises (which is awful because scratching is how a lot of bites get infected). This paste helps to calm the itching within 15min of applying it. Even if it gets a little itchy after, when I reach over to scratch and feel the dry paste on my skin, it is an automatic reminder not to touch it. If it is still itchy after an hour, I brush off the dry paste and reapply or reapply at night, before bed (allowing enough time for it to dry before going to sleep). 

The reason this works is because aspirin contains a type of salicylic acid (acetylsalicylic acid). This acid is anti-inflammatory and pain relieving. Baking soda is an anti-septic and is alkaline in nature which can help balance the acidity of the aspirin. Paired together, they help to reduce the heat and redness of the bite as well as relieve the pain and itching. 

There are plenty of resources online that say making a baking soda paste is sufficient for bug bites. For me personally, baking soda alone does nothing. I have tried making the paste with essential oils and different types of clay. They all help but none have worked as well as just simply using aspirin and baking soda. I have not found a natural source of salicylic acid that is concentrated enough to provide the same relief. I also have not tried acetaminophen or ibuprofen because I don’t see the point, aspirin works great! 

With mosquito season starting as we approach the warmer days, this paste is a must have in my home. Usually, I make it once and it is enough to last the whole season. Then I make a fresh batch the following year. Obviously, don’t use this paste if you are allergic to any of the ingredients or if your bite is coupled with a burn. Otherwise, if you need soothing relief from a bug bite, give this a try and let me know what you think.