We all look forward to going on holiday. But with the sand, sea and sun in full force, you may find that the elements can start to work against you. And when it comes to biting bugs, the unlucky among us may just find ourselves in itching hell.
That’s certainly the position I was in when I visited Sri Lanka and Singapore recently. At one point during my travels, I counted a hideous – yet somehow comical – 97 bites across my body. Not only had I been attacked by every mosquito within a 10-mile radius (apparently), but I also found myself grappling with sand flies after surfing sessions, as well as other biting pests during a sunrise safari. Why I didn’t wear long trousers, I will never know.
Luckily, I had packed a truckload of beauty goodies that could help. This is largely because I bought a one-way ticket to travel, so I was packing for several months rather than a short break. This means that I’ve had time to do the legwork and try all the best multi-purpose beauty creams to discover which one you truly need to pack for your next holiday.
Why soothing post-bite creams are my travel must-have
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I’ve always been most susceptible to mosquito bites, no matter who I travel with. If you’re the same, there may be a reason for that. Charlotte Vøhtz, organic skincare expert and the founder of Green People, notes that “some people are more prone to mosquito bites” than others. Several factors can affect this, from the levels of lactic acid, uric acid and ammonia in your body odour to higher body temperatures, blood types (those with O are most prone to bites) and increased carbon dioxide exhalation (usually because of physical activity).
Charlotte says that for those who have been bitten, you should opt for either aloe vera, which “is soothing and helps reduce inflammation,” or hydrating lotions “containing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin and ceramides to help hydrate the skin and restore the barrier.”
As well as these – and along with any beauty product I’m about to mention – it’s advised you invest in an effective mosquito repellent product and medicinal treatments (such as hydrocortisone creams) for any bites you do experience.
The top 5 beauty creams for aiding mosquito bite symptoms, according to a beauty editor
RRP: £11 | Key ingredients: Pharmaceutical-grade petrolatum, three essential ceramides, hyaluronic acid
This balm was my first port of call as I’d used it back home for dry, itching skin. It’s a thick, super luxurious-feeling balm that is about as multi-purpose as it gets. The ceramides and hyaluronic acid helped to restore my skin barrier and soothe any irritation quickly and it is gentle enough for sensitive skin – or, in this case, on bites.
This really is a great buy to take on holiday. For £11, it does pretty much anything you’d need it to; an all-singing, all-dancing balm, it can be used on the face, body and lips to help heal chapped and dry skin or irritation. It works as a great after-sun formula for the body if you have very dry skin, too.
Pros: Ultra-rich, works for sensitive skin, can be used on face, body and lips
Cons: Not super travel-friendly, may be too heavy for oily skin
RRP: £46 | Key ingredients: Ground cherry blend, oat lipids, mondo grass sugars
This was a bit of a godsend when I needed an all-over body product, as well as something lightweight enough I could use on my face (yes, I was bitten there too). The ingredients list of this Murad product may not sound super familiar to you, but each one has been picked for a specific reason, working together to fight off itch and irritation from dryness and soothing discomfort and redness.
In essence, this is everything you need when experiencing non-stop itching from mosquito bites. As well as working for this purpose, you can use this treatment on eczema and dry patches, giving it gold star multi-purpose status.
Pros: Can be used on the face and body and any skin type, lightweight texture
Cons: Expensive considering tube size
RRP: £17 | Key ingredients: Citrepel®75 (a repellent), aloe vera, saccharide isomerate, chamomile Oil
This isn’t strictly a beauty balm to soothe bites, but it was still essential during my trip. This clever gel cream not only keeps biting bugs away with natural repellent Citrepel®75, it also harnesses the power of refreshing ingredients, such as aloe vera and chamomile oil, to soothe redness and irritation from sunburn. This makes it a nice option for sunburnt skin that may also have been bitten.
I found this was a brilliant daytime anti-repellent that also helped keep any existing bites in check. At night I had to combine it with a DEET formula, but it still became essential for me – one I got through in just two weeks!
Pros: Dual-purpose, smells pleasant and minty, fairly affordable
Cons: May not be strong enough for bad bites with no DEET, menthol may be irritating for some
Read our full Green People After Sun with Insect Repellent review
RRP: £8.49 | Key ingredients: Aloe vera, tea tree oil
Aloe vera gel is often associated with soothing sunburnt skin (which it does work wonders on). But it’s also a brilliant thing to bring along for red and inflamed skin that's suffering from bug bites. This formula (I like the one with tea tree oil) feels ultra-cooling and refreshing on the skin and instantly gets to work at soothing irritation. As well as feeling nice on any nasty holiday skin condition, it also works as an antiseptic to help prevent infections.
I found this incredibly handy to have on holiday; be it on my itchy bites or red skin from being out surfing for too long, it felt instantly cooled. This also really helped me resist picking or itching my bites – a major problem for me!
Pros: Cooling and soothing, natural antiseptic, also good for sunburn
Cons: Larger tube is less travel-friendly
RRP: £9.99 | Key ingredients: Betaine, aloe vera, glycerin, panthenol
While I definitely advise picking up some kind of medicinal anti-itch treatment cream from a pharmacy before heading off on holiday, I found this to be one of the most effective things at stopping itching. Not only does it contain betaine, a natural osmoprotectant with moisturising and calming properties for itchiness, but the formula also has aloe vera to soothe, plus glycerin and panthenol to treat dryness and maintain the skin barrier.
I also found the foam formula super easy to apply on the go and highly refreshing on my skin – more so than any balm or cream.
Pros: Lightweight and cooling foam texture, anti-itch and barrier-restoring ingredients, affordable
Cons: May be too lightweight for some who would benefit from a thicker balm-like consistency.
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