DIY Bug Bite Balm Recipe How To Make Anti-Itch Relief Salve

We live in the midwest, where there are bugs and itchy plants galore. Making this DIY bug bite balm recipe a natural remedy staple in our household. This is the first salve recipe I ever made as a newly aspiring herbalist. I have tweaked some things over the last few years to create a formula that I love. This recipe is a must-try for anyone who loves spending time outdoors.

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I am not exaggerating when I say, all of my kids use this bug bite balm constantly! It works that well! We are outside all of the time during the summer. Which means my children inevitably get into stinging nettle, mosquitos, roll in the grass, stroll through the garden, and basically anything else you could do outside that would cause someone to get itchy. Thank goodness for a simple to make, inexpensive, nontoxic, herbal salve that works! It is the best thing for mosquito bite relief, any other itchy bites, nettle stings, and a bunch of other irritated skin issues. 

Stinging Nettle, (Urtica dioica) :

Nettle has bright green leaves with a jagged edge. The leaves and stems have tiny hairs that are sticky to the touch and can cause an itchy/burning sensation. 

Growing up, I considered stinging nettles to be one of the worst “weeds” we had around. Stinging nettle is a common plant in the US and you may also consider it a pest until you learn about the benefits. 

The stinging nettle plant contains antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties which aid in the treatment of multiple skin issues. Nettle contains fatty acids, polysaccharides, isolectins, sterols, terpenes, protein, vitamins, and minerals, flavonoids, and tannins.

Stinging Nettle is edible, the leaves are often steeped in tea. I personally use nettle tea for prenatal and postpartum health. 

Topically, nettle is considered useful for:

• Burns
• Insect bites
• Wounds
• Bee stings
• Sunburn
• Hives / histamine reactions / allergic reaction

Plantain, (Plantago lanceolata L):

Plantain is a very common plant in the United States. It grows very low to the ground with smooth, broad, green leaves that have a distinct ribbed pattern. 

Due to plantain containing iridoid glycosides, it has very soothing, anti-inflammatory properties for the skin when used topically. Plantain also contains the bioactive compounds, aucubin and acteoside which have been documented to promote antimicrobial and anti fungal activity. 

Plantain is also edible. It is common for plantain leaves to be used for tea. 

Topically, Plantain is considered useful for: 

• Poison ivy/poison oak/sumac 
• Eczema
• Burns
• Diaper rash
• Bee and wasp stings
• Mosquito and other bug bites
• Sunburn
• Itchy bug bites

Calendula, (Calendula officinalis L.):

This flower can vary in color from whitish, light yellow, bright orange, to darker orange. The petals can be full color, or streaked. Calendula very closely resembles a daisy. 

Calendula is a must-have plant for any herb garden. It is very easy to grow, beautiful, and has a multitude of healing properties. If I could summarize calendula in one word, that word would be HEALING. 

The calendula plant contains: triterpenoids, glycosides, carotenoids, volatile oil, amino acids, steroids, sterols, quinines, flavonoids, and saponins.

The chemical make-up of this plant promotes multiple biological effects such as anti-inflammatory, wound healing, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant activities. Additionally, calendula can be used in cases of burns and other skin conditions.

Calendula is edible, the leaves can be steeped in tea, added to broth, or to add a pop of color to cakes or salads.

Topically, Calendula is considered useful for: 

• Burn & wound healing
• Sunburns
• Bug bites & stings (mosquito bites, spider bites, flea bites etc.)
• Diaper rash cream
• Eczema
• Fungal infections
• Skin moisturizers 
• Lip Balms
• Irritated skin
• Dry Skin
• Skin Rashes

Where to get Herbs from?

As far as getting the plants for this recipe, nettle and plantain are often easy to find out in your backyard or local park. Be sure to use plants that have not been sprayed with chemicals. Calendula you can plant in your garden, or buy online. I like to get my dried herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs. (I am not a sponsor of Mountain Rose Herbs I simply like their products.)

FAQ: Salve color may vary:

Why is my salve dark green, light green, yellow or almost white?

The carrier oil you use will impact the color of your salve. Some oils are very yellow like olive oil, very green like avocado oil or grape-seed oil, or very white like coconut oil. 

Additionally, the color can also be effected by your herbal oil infusion method. If you use the slow method of dried herbs in oil, the color will be much lighter. If you use the quick method of heat extraction, the color can vary from light to dark green based on the heat, temperature and whether the plants were fresh or dried. 

Beeswax can also affect the color of the salve. If you use more or less wax, the color will be lighter or darker. 

The color of the salve should not impact how effective the herbal infusion is on the skin. 

Why use beeswax? 

Beeswax provides multiple benefits to salve. It is a moisturizer, antibacterial, and it contains antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

In addition to adding skin benefits, beeswax also helps solidify the oils so that they are less messy when applied to the skin and easier to store.

In order to make a vegan product, you can substitute candelilla wax (derived from leaves) for beeswax. Use half the amount you would beeswax in the recipe. 

How To Infuse oils: 

You need to infuse the herbs in oil for this recipe. I have a comprehensive blog post all about infusing herbs in oil here. For you to check out before making this recipe. 

For this recipe, use 1/2 cup dried calendula petals, 1/2 cup dried nettle leaves, 1/2 cup dried plantain leaves and 2 cups carrier oil (I use olive oil)

LONG METHOD-HOW TO HERBALLY-INFUSE OIL: 

Place dried herbs or spices into a clean, dry quart jar. Leave at least 1 to 3 inches of headspace over your herbs to completely submerge with oil 

Fill jar with your base oil of choice, making sure to cover the plant material by at least 1 inch. Herbs naturally float to the top, if there is space add more oil. If they still are at the top periodically shake the jar to keep all herbs submerged. 

place the lid on the jar tightly and shake well 

Place the jar in an area where it will be in direct sunlight like a windowsill at warm to room temperature. 

Shake once a day, or more if you think of it. 

After 4-6 weeks, (or longer if you desire) strain the herbs out of the oil using a tea towel or cheesecloth. Make sure to squeeze the plants at the end to get as much oil as possible. 

QUICK METHOD HOW TO INFUSE OIL: 

Place dried herbs or spices into a clean, dry quart jar. Leave 1 inch of headspace over your herbs to completely submerge with oil

Fill jar with your oil of choice, making sure to cover the plant material by at least 1 inch. Herbs naturally float to the top.

Place a few cups of water into the bottom of the saucepan or crockpot (you want there to be a few inches off water around the sides of the jar). Submerge a small towel or some canning lid rings into the pot or crockpot. 

Place your jar full of herbs into the pot or crockpot on the towel or canning rings and make sure the glass isn’t touching the bottom of the saucepan or crockpot directly. 

Cook on the lowest setting preferably between preferably between 100° and 140° F for 1 to 8 hours, until the oil takes on the color and scent of the herb.

Remove from heat and cool oil

Once oil has cooled, strain the herbs out of the oil using a tea towel or cheesecloth. Make sure to squeeze the plants at the end to get as much oil as possible. 

Materials needed to make DIY Bug Bite Balm Salve:

Ingredients: 

Nettle infused olive oil 

Plantain infused olive oil

Calendula infused olive oil

Beeswax pellets

Water (for double broiler)

Tools: 

Jars for storing salve 

Saucepan 

Glass bowl 

Spatula 

Glass measuring cup 

Measuring spoons

Kitchen scale

How to make DIY Bug Bite Balm Anti Itch Salve: 

Place saucepan on stove, fill with water. 

Put glass bowl on top of saucepan to create double boiler. 

Heat water to boiling, then lower to med/med high 

Measure your herbal oils and beeswax into the glass bowl

Stir mixture until beeswax pellets are completely dissolved. 

Pour hot salve directly into containers for storage. Or, pour hot mixture into liquid measuring cup then into containers for storage 

Allow salve to cool before putting lid on it. 

This salve is ready to use right away. 

Storage: store in a cool try place, salve can melt in warm temperatures and be messy. 

How to use DIY bug bite balm? 

You can use this bug bite balm for itchy bug bites, allergic reactions to plants, nettle stings, any itchy skin reaction or burn. Apply this homemade bug bite salve directly to affected area. Reapply as desired, adding a band-aid on top sometimes helps.

How long does this salve last? 

This bug bite balm has a shelf life of one year minimum. Possibly 2 or more if stored correctly. Check for any off smell or discoloration before use. Storage: store in a cool try place, salve can melt in warm temperatures and be messy so keep away from any direct heat source.

How to scent your balm:

Add a few drops of your favorite pure essential oils to the carrier oils in your recipe if you would like to scent this salve. Lavender essential oil, lavender tea tree oil, peppermint oil, and eucalyptus oil are common to use for soothing bug bites. 

Container Options:

I store my bug bite balm to sell in 1oz. and 2.oz amber glass jars. For our personal use, you can store it simply in a mason jar. 

Bug Bite Balm sticks: you can order plastic lip balm tubes or deodorant containers to make this salve into readily available anti-itch sticks for on-the-go. I like to have some available in lip balm tubes for during hikes in the great outdoors. 

References:

Stinging Nettle – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9253158/#:~:text=1.9.&text=Antihistamine%2C%20anti%2Dinflammatory%2C%20and,shop%20(Khan%2C%202018).

Plantain How it Works iridoid – https://www.peacehealth.org/medical-topics/id/hn-2148003#hn-2148003-how-it-works

Plantain How it Works aglycone and aucubigenin https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0377840116308331

Tea (plantain leaf) – https://www.peacehealth.org/medical-topics/id/hn-2148003#hn-2148003-how-it-works

Calendula – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10142266/

How to make herbal infused oil – https://donveyfarms.com/how-to-make-infused-oil-with-herbs-and-spices/

Donveyfarms.com offers no guarantee for the accuracy and completeness of the information. Disclaimer: I am not a medical expert. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Do not disregard professional medical advice because of something you have read on this Website Donveyfarms.com. Any application of the material provided is at the reader’s discretion and is his or her sole responsibility. Effective as of 12/10/2024

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This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please read my full disclosure policy here