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Oak leaf itch mites.
I’d never heard of them before last year, when I noticed a small white pimple-looking dot on my arm with a red circle surrounding it. One person (a doctor) who looked at it thought it was cellulitis. But when our whole family began getting multiple spots of “cellulitis” that itched like nothing I’ve had before, we found out about the tiny oak leaf mites that can travel on the breeze and bite unsuspecting prey without being noticed, leaving only an intensely itching mark as evidence of their visit.
We wanted a natural remedy to alleviate the itch, and have tried several treatments with varying results for different ones of us:
- Vinegar rubbed on with a cotton ball
- Baking soda applied to a damp cotton ball and taped over the bite
- Lavender essential oil
- Sting Stop (this helped some, but what I find it really helpful for is mosquito bites if you can get it on immediately after you’re bit)
- Miracle Salve – this stuff is our awesome go-to for cuts, diaper rash, etc., but didn’t provide the relief I was hoping for with oak mite bites.
It wasn’t until a week or two ago that we stumbled upon a remedy that actually helps a lot. My mom was visiting and brought with her Dr. Christopher’s Cayenne Heat Ointment. It has menthol in it which can feel a bit cool/tingly on the skin, but it seriously provides a great deal of relief from the itch. My husband has tried the things I listed above that did give me a bit of relief, but this is the first thing that he feels has actually been helpful for him, and he reaches for it as soon as he finds a new bite.
You can purchase it on Amazon, or, if you’ve never ordered from Vitacost before, you can save $10 off your first order by clicking through this link to order!
While we look forward to the first freeze to kill off the mites, we will continue to enjoy the delightful autumn weather and soothe our bites with Heat Ointment! I hope this information is as helpful for you as it has been for us.
