Do you remember when you were little and covered in bug bites, your mom would slather your legs in that drying pink calamine lotion? I do. So when I came across this idea for homemade calamine lotion I just knew I had to try it.
When I was a little girl, we lived on the edge of a small town near Sudbury, Ontario. Our home backed onto a river, and a large forest of crown land was on one side of our property.
My sister and I would play outside all day, oblivious to the mosquitoes, black flies, and no-see-ums busy biting our arms, legs, and the back of our necks.
But boy, those bites would get itchy. After our baths, it was time for that pink Calamine lotion!
Calamine Lotion for Itchy Skin
Calamine lotion was a fabulous way to treat itchy bug bites or poison, and still is. In fact, a couple of years ago, my youngest daughter got a terrible case of swimmer’s itch from swimming in a lake near Edmonton, Alberta and the pharmacist said calamine lotion was the best way to treat it.
As soon as I got home, I started experimenting to make our own homemade DIY calamine lotion.
Why Make Your Own Calamine Lotion
One of the reasons we make our own homemade health and beauty products, like homemade bug spray and homemade sunscreen, is that I want the peace of mind that comes from knowing exactly what goes into them.
It’s the same with our shampoo bars and gardener’s soap.
You will want to add this recipe to your DIY first aid kit, especially with summer approaching. Soon, you’ll be dealing with sunburns, bugs and plants that cause irritations.
Ingredients for Homemade Calamine Lotion
Here’s an explanation of the ingredients needed and why we use them.
Bentonite Clay helps rebuild damaged skin tissue, draws out toxins, and fights bacteria and infection.
Pink Kaolin Clay adds the familiar pink color to your mixture. It’s also a very gentle exfoliant, a natural cleanser, absorbs oils, and soothes skin irritations.
Baking Soda neutralizes acid, which helps with itchiness and irritation.
Essential oils are used for their antibacterial properties, and the scent is calming.
Glycerin is great for trapping moisture and keeping it in your skin. It also helps make the consistency of your calamine lotion smoother.
Sea Salt dries out plant oils and reduces inflammation.
You'll need the following:
- 2 Tablespoons bentonite clay
- 1 Tablespoon pink kaolin clay
- 1 Tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- ¼ cup water
- 10 drops of lavender or tea tree essential oil
- ½ teaspoon of glycerin
How to Make Your Own Calamine Lotion
- Combine all ingredients together well in a small bowl.
- Transfer to a clean jar with a lid.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
If you want a lotion that lasts much longer, you can just combine the dry ingredients and jar them up. When you need some, just remove a bit of the powder and place it in a bowl.
Then, add one drop of glycerin, one drop of essential oil, and just enough water to get the consistency of a thin paste.
Apply liberally as needed for sunburns, poison ivy, or itchy bug bites.
Your calamine lotion will last in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Mix just the dry ingredients to extend its shelf life and leave them in a jar.
When ready to use, scoop out a bit of the powder, add a drop of glycerin and just enough water to make a spreadable paste.
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Sarita Harbour is a long-time freelance writer, blogger, and homesteader who has been creating online content for over 15 years. She’s the founder of An Off Grid Life, where she shares practical advice on self-reliance, homesteading, off-grid living, and homeschooling based on her 11-year adventure living in Canada’s remote Northwest Territories.
