Anti-Itch Creams and Home Remedies for Kids

Whether your child is itchy from bug bites, hives, or poison ivy, some over-the-counter creams and home remedies can bring relief.

While these remedies may help, see your pediatrician if you're not sure what's causing the itch. Your healthcare provider can make sure your child gets the right treatment.

This article covers common home treatments for itching in babies and children, including over-the-counter (OTC) products and medications your pediatrician may prescribe.

Topical Steroids to Relieve Itching

Topical steroids are the go-to treatment for itch relief. These creams or ointments are applied to the skin and work well for inflammatory or allergic itches, such as those caused by bug bites and poison ivy.

Most of these creams contain 0.5% or 1% hydrocortisone. Popular brands include:

• Aveeno 1% Hydrocortisone Anti-Itch Cream
• Cortizone 10
• Cortaid
• Lanacort Cool Cream

You can also try a store-brand hydrocortisone cream—for example, those made by Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart.

Hydrocortisone creams are not recommended in children under the age of 2. Check with your child's healthcare provider to find out which topical steroids are safe.

Anti-Itch Non-Steroidal Treatments

You can also put a non-steroidal anti-itch product on your child's skin along with a topical steroid.

Some of these creams or gels have an antihistamine like Benadryl (diphenhydramine) in them. These products block a chemical called histamine that's involved in allergic reactions and itching.

Topical medications that are not steroids include:

• Aveeno Anti-Itch Cream with Natural Colloidal Oatmeal
• Band-Aid Anti-Itch Gel
• Benadryl Itch-Stopping Cream
• Caladryl Clear Topical Analgesic Skin Lotion
• Calamine Lotion
• Domeboro Astringent Solution Powder Packets
• Gold Bond Maximum Strength Medicated Anti-Itch Cream
• Itch-X Anti-Itch Gel with Soothing Aloe Vera
• Lanacane
• Sarna Ultra Anti-Itch Cream

You can apply a wet dressing or compress to your child's skin. A soak with Domeboro powder mixed with water (a modified Burow's solution) or an Aveeno oatmeal bath can also be soothing.

Oral Antihistamines

Benadryl is a common medication to give kids to help with itching. However, Benadryl does not last long (about four to six hours) and can make kids sleepy.

You do not need a prescription for Benadryl. You can buy the product OTC at your local pharmacy or grocery store. Benadryl comes in different forms, including liquids, chewable tablets, and dissolving tablets. Having more than one type to choose from is helpful—if your child cannot swallow pills, you have other options.

A prescription-strength drug such as Atarax or Vistaril (hydroxyzine) can sometimes help children with itching that OTC products have not helped. These prescription medications usually work a little longer than Benadryl (about six to eight hours).

Home Remedies and Alternative Treatments

There are some simple steps you can take at home to help soothe your child's itching and prevent harm to their skin from scratching, such as:

• Keep your child's fingernails short
• Dress your child in loose, light, cotton clothing
• Prevent your child from overheating (sweat may make your child itch more)
• Find fun ways to keep your child distracted
• Make sure your child's skin does not get too dry
• Avoid things that trigger itching, especially if your child has eczema, sensitive skin, or allergies
• Use insect repellents when outdoors and teach your child how to avoid poison ivy
• Have your child wear soft cotton gloves to bed to protect skin from scratching

Since some treatments like topical steroids aren't safe for babies and very young kids, there are some natural and alternative treatments can be safer options, in addition to the steps above. For example:

• Warm (not hot) or cool showers or baths (try adding oatmeal)
• Using gentle soaps, household cleaners, and laundry products
• Changing wet diapers as soon as possible to avoid diaper rash
• Trying natural moisturizers like cold-pressed oils (e.g., coconut)
  

Prescription Treatments

If you do not know why your child is itching or you cannot get the itching under control, it's time to call your pediatrician for advice.

Your child's provider can diagnose the problem and prescribe a prescription-strength medication if needed. These creams often include stronger steroid doses, such as:

• Cutivate cream 0.05%
• Elocon cream 0.1%
• Locoid cream 0.1%
• Triamcinolone acetonide 0.1%
• Westcort cream 0.2%

Other options might include oral antihistamines, an oral corticosteroid such as prednisone, or other medications. The treatment will depend on what's causing the itch.

For example, a child with scabies (a condition that is both itchy and contagious) might need Elimite to treat parasites. Prednisone (a steroid) might help a child with poison ivy, but a child with chickenpox might need to avoid steroids.

Summary

Itching can be hard for kids and parents to deal with. To ease the scratching, you can try at-home remedies like dressing your child in loose, light clothes, doing a warm or cool bath and compresses, and using OTC anti-itch treatments.

You can buy itch-stopping topical remedies with or without steroids in them at your local pharmacy or grocery store. You can also try oral OTC anti-itch medications, which come in different forms.

If home remedies or OTC products don't help your child's itching or you're not sure what's making your child itch, call your pediatrician. They can diagnose the problem and make sure your child gets the right treatment.