How to help itchy skin

What can you do now?

1. 1Hold a clean, cool, damp washcloth against the itchy area. After removing it, apply moisturizer. Cooling can bring immediate but temporary relief.
2. 2If you need to wash, take a short cool or lukewarm shower or bath. Use a gentle soap free cleanser, rinse well and gently pat dry rather than rubbing.
3. 3Apply moisturizer while your skin is still damp, ideally within three minutes of bathing. Use it at least twice a day and more often when skin feels dry.
4. 4Pat or tap instead of scratching. Keep nails clean, short and smooth to reduce damage if you do scratch.

Cooling the skin with a damp cloth is an option that requires no elaborate bathroom inventory. Avoid repeated bathing to chase relief, because too much washing can make itching worse.14

Which moisturizer should you choose?

Choose an unperfumed moisturizer or emollient, a skin softening ingredient found in creams, lotions and ointments. Regular moisturizer use helps dry skin feel more comfortable, even without a name that sounds like a laboratory acquisition. Ceramides help restore the skin barrier and retain water; colloidal oatmeal in a moisturizer can soothe dry, itchy skin. Avoid added fragrance and dyes. For sensitive skin, choose a formula with few ingredients and introduce only one new product at a time so reactions are easier to trace.56

Plain emollients without active medicines can usually be reapplied whenever skin feels dry. A moisturizer containing hydrocortisone is different: follow its directions rather than treating it as an unlimited use moisturizer. If you already use prescription creams, follow your clinician's layering instructions; some medicines need to go on before the emollient.5

What should you avoid?

Wear loose cotton or silk clothing instead of tight clothes or irritating wool. Use laundry products made for sensitive skin, and skip perfumed soaps, deodorants and moisturizers. A humidifier can help in dry weather. Do not apply apple cider vinegar to itchy skin: its acidity can worsen irritation.146

Will an itch cream or antihistamine help?

Antihistamines help some causes of itching, not every cause, and some cause drowsiness. A pharmacist can help choose a suitable medicine or cooling menthol cream; explain where you itch and any other symptoms. Hydrocortisone can help some itchy patches, but it does not replace treatment for the underlying cause. Itching can come from dry skin, eczema, allergies, parasites or medicines. If you have diagnosed primary biliary cholangitis, a bile duct disease, lotion or ice is unlikely to relieve its itch; ask your treating clinician about targeted treatment.1267

What helps a child with itchy eczema?

For a child with eczema, colloidal oatmeal in lukewarm bathwater can help. Let them soak for 10 to 15 minutes, pat dry leaving skin damp, then moisturize within three minutes. Oatmeal makes the bath slippery and must not be eaten. Use an itch product only if their dermatologist recommends it. Stories or toys can distract from scratching; repeatedly telling a child to stop can increase stress. Lasting relief requires getting the eczema under control.3

When should you get medical help?

See a doctor if itching is severe, widespread, unexplained, disrupts sleep, keeps returning or persists after a few weeks of self care. Get bleeding, pus, a persistent rash or wounds that do not heal checked. Mention all medicines and supplements you take. During pregnancy, contact your doctor or midwife about itching because it can sometimes signal a liver condition, even without a rash. Seek urgent care for a rash with fever, blistering, rapid spread, pain or warmth. Call emergency services for a swollen tongue or trouble breathing.1245