Whether you feel the need to scratch your skin due to dryness or because there is some little thing in your clothing that keeps poking you, excessive scratching can become a problem. The sensation of an itch is a way for your body to tell you there is something on your skin that is irritating it or trying to get through and do further damage. Scratching is a quick fix that often works. However, if you keep scratching, you can irritate your skin further. So, instead of constantly scratching, why not dig around in your kitchen to see if you can find some of these anti-itch skin care home remedies?

Baking soda This is handy stuff. You can either soak in a baking soda bath (which is also good for dry skin) or make a paste out of baking soda and water and apply to the area. However, if the itchy area has broken skin, you should not use this remedy and instead seek ways to heal the broken skin.

Basil You can use something as simple as basil tea on your skin in order to get the benefits basil has. It contains a topical anesthetic called eugenol, which essentially acts as a numbing agent. If you want to make your own skin care mixture, you can take a half an ounce of dried basil and one pint of boiling water and mix together in a jar. Be sure to close the jar in order to keep the eugenol from wafting away from the mixture. Once it has cooled, you can open the jar and apply the liquid to your skin with a cloth.

Cloves and juniper berries These two make quite a team. The juniper berries contain anti-inflammatory agents and cloves also contain eugenol. You can use this method not only to soothe irritated skin, but also to dull the itchy area. You can mix these two together with a few other ingredients to make a nice little skin care balm. First you need to melt three ounces of unsalted butter. In a different pan, melt around two tablespoons of beeswax. Once the two are completely melted, you can combine them and add five tablespoons of ground juniper berries. Then add in three teaspoons of ground up cloves. Stir this mixture together and remove from heat. Once it has cooled, you can begin to add it to the itchy areas of your skin. Do what you can to use fresh ingredients to get the most out of the skin care balm.

Lemon This is quite simple; take a lemon, squeeze the juice onto the itchy area of your skin. As usual, some remedies may not work for everyone, but at least you will smell lemony good!

Mint No cloves, juniper berries, or basil? Perhaps you have some mint hanging around. Mint contains menthol, which has both anesthetic and anti-inflammatory properties. Similar to the basil tea, take one ounce of dried mint and add to a pint of boiling water. Cover it and give it time to cool. Once it has, you can then apply it to your skin using a clean cloth.

Thyme Once again, a spice that has skin-soothing properties that can be used right on your skin just like mint and basil. Just as before, take an ounce of dried thyme and add to a pint of boiling water, cover, and cool. Strain the thyme out and then apply with a cloth. Some say that adding dandelion root (that is right, you can just go yank one out of your yard!) to this mixture will strengthen it up.

Now you have plenty of ways to help kill itchy spots on your skin. They are natural and do not contain any extra chemicals that come in over-the-counter medicines. It can be nice knowing you are putting nothing but natural ingredients from Mother Earth on your skin. A refreshing feeling and thought for your skin care.