Published: 01/16/2015 - Updated: 05/18/2018
Author: MSc. Miriam Reyes
Itchy skin is an annoying symptom that, in pathological conditions, usually alters an individual’s peace or stability, stealing his or her attention and creating anxiety and irritability. Consequently, this increases the problem by the stress it causes. Itching can be caused by several factors, from something so trivial as getting some sort of skin contamination, to more severe problems, like dermatitis, fungus or cancer. Constant, incurable itching (chronic itching) is one of the most common causes for doctor’s visits, because this is one of the basic symptoms for the ten most common skin conditions.
Itchy skin causes
Frequent harmless causes of skin itching:
- Dry skin, lack of proper hydration.
- Excessive sweating or when sweat releases some sort of substance that irritates the skin: you could experience itching when sweating because the act of sweating releases substances like histamines, kallikrein, serotonin, etc.
- Lack of some sort of vitamin or mineral.
- A wound healing.
- Lack of skin exfoliation (accumulated dead skin cells).
- Using irritating detergents or soaps.
- Using clothing made from synthetic fibers.
Problems that cause skin itching
- General dermatitis
- Dandruff
- Diabetes
- Dietary intoxication
- Constipation
- Retention of bile salts
- Fluid retention
- Psoriasis
- Allergies
- Fungus
- Anemia
- Lymphoma
- Hives
How do I calm itchy skin?
If you have frequent itching and you don’t know what to do, you could try applying these natural remedies, before continuing to stress out. A lot of times these remedies are very simple.
- Drink enough water: one of the most common causes of dry skin is not drinking enough water. That’s why we recommend staying well hydrated by drinking two liters of water a day.. Sodas or other liquids do not count, it must be something natural.
- Drink fresh vegetable juices each day. Vegetables nourish skin and also keep the blood and intestines clean, which are basic elements for skin health. The best juices are those that contain vitamin C and A, orange juice, carrot, celery, alfalfa and guava juice are all the best juices for skin. Try not to combine fruit with vegetables.
- Avoid foods that are sweetened with white or refined sugar because these do not nourish the body and skin, they only rob it of minerals.
- The foods you should consume, should be eaten mainly raw, especially fruit and vegetables.
- Avoid using poor quality soaps or detergents, both for bathing and hand washing. Opt for neutral soaps, or preferably artisinal soaps crafted with aloe, honey, etc. Make sure they are 100% natural.
- Apply chamomile infusions directly to the itchy area. Chamomile naturally calms skin and also helps reduce inflammation and repair skin.
- Keep your skin well exfoliated. We recommend using green clay two or three times a week. Rub your body with clay paste and a little bit of water, and gently scrub your skin. This remedy can be applied to acne, fungus, rashes, and dry skin (in this case, just use it once a week and apply after moisturizing cream and aloe repairer).
- Avoid stress: it is very important that you make sure you’re not stressed because stress is one of the most silent and yet most common causes of skin conditions and itching. If you know what it is that is stressing you, try to relax and trust in yourself and in life more. Read books that help you focus on things more objectively, and avoid terrible thoughts by substituting them with things that you like. Also, a lot of times people don’t know they’re tense until they relax a little bit. It is important to frequently tell yourself “slow down, there’s time for everything and everything will work out for the best”, etc. While talking to yourself, observe your scalp, your neck, feet or hands. If you feel them relax, you were tense, and you need to do this frequently. This exercise is one way of releasing stress and becoming aware of what is bothering you. I also recommend practicing yoga or tai chi.
- Avoid using pharmaceutical creams or remedies, which only aggravate the problem even more, even though they may seem to work just then.
If you notice that the itching continues even after using these remedies, and you think you’ve reduced your stress and you no longer feel so pressured or anxious, then consult a naturopath. They can help treat you and find whatever it is that is causing the itching.
Revised by: Dra. Loredana Lunadei on 05/18/2018
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