Calm + Cool Anti-Itch Lotion 7.5 Fl. Oz. for Dry Skin, Insect Bites, Sunburn, Poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac, 7.5 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)

I recently had my first ever massage. At the time it was wonderful. Afterwards, however, I started to itch horribly on my back between my shoulder blades. It turns out the masseuse had slightly pinched a nerve in my neck. I know, it sounds really weird - a pinched nerve caused you to itch?! But it’s true - look it up on WebMD! Anyway, the point is that NOTHING helped with the itching and I was continually scratching my back. I couldn’t sleep for more than a few hours, even when I took 2 Benadryl, and none of the anti-itch creams did any good. I was totally miserable! Then I decided to give this lotion a try and it worked - the itching was gone!!! I was finally able to get a full night’s sleep. Of course the itching came back - I still have the pinched nerve, but hopefully that will resolve itself with time. In the meantime, this lotion is like a Godsend. I highly recommend it to anyone having problems with itching. There are two versions of the lotion - one unscented, the other one not. The latter has both camphor and menthol in it so when you first put it on it feels icy hot which feels wonderful. It has a slight odor to it, however, so you may prefer the unscented version. You don’t get the icy hot feeling with it, but you also don’t get the slight odor. Either way, they both work better than anything else I’ve tried for itching.

There are two kinds of itching, and it's important to distinguish between them. There is episodic itching (my own term, not medical terminology) where the itching isn't particularly related to any underlying condition. Maybe you're just (as I am) an itchy type of person, as people with allergies often are. Perhaps you were briefly exposed to some irritant (and remember that stress is, itself, an irritant) and are bothered by a few hours or days of itching, after which the itching peaks and then eases off until it's gone. People with this type of itching will respond best to Sarna, which I consider the most effective of all the topical remedies. It feels cold almost immediately after application, and the cool feeling lasts about as long as is possible - from fifteen minutes or so to a couple hours, depending on your individual response. It's not a cure for itching, but it will lessen the discomfort until the itching subsides on its own. Besides providing temporary relief, Sarna is creamy but not greasy, washes off easily, and will leave your skin less dry and therefore less prone to another attack of itching. If your itching is caused by an underlying and ongoing condition, such as psoriasis, Sarna will provide temporary relief but will do nothing to resolve the cause. Without treating the underlying condition, application of any lotion will eventually become painful since almost all contain menthol and/or camphor to produce the cold sensation. These two ingredients sting when applied to skin that's already irritated so, if you've scratched a lot, you may be better off to apply something healing such as aloe vera. As I said, I'm an itchy type of person and have tried all the well-known brands. I've found Sarna more effective than any other for relieving the itch.

This is an excellent lotion for stopping itching.

I had used Sensitive Sarna in the past about 7 years ago. Last week, I ordered Original Sarna for itching related to severe night-time hives and itching that started up only several weeks ago. The lotion arrived 4 days ago, and when I first apply it, man it really burns, but at least that makes me forget about the itch for awhile. I think my skin is too sensitive for the Original Sarna and I should have ordered Sensitive Sarna. For someone trying it for the first time, I would recommend using only a small amount to test it out and make sure it does not cause a burning sensation. I have to take Benadryl to be able to sleep which takes effect and then I sleep after a while. This Sarna may have some helpful benefit for me but it is minimal when the hives are at their worst. The smell of the lotion is pretty strong when I first apply it. I would say its not a terrible smell but I would not call it pleasant either. Thankfully, the odor goes away fairly quickly. Perhaps this Sarna is better for someone with bug bites or milder itching. Amazon has this product for about 3 dollars less than the drug stores. I think this is a unique product and it can be helpful for some folks.

I have very sensitive skin that many factors provoke to severe itchiness. Winter itch is almost as bad as a reaction to any article with a sneaking of wool. Nothing I've tried worked to stop the hivey-itchy, and I've spent a fortune on over-the-counter lotions and several prescriptive measure. The only help was high doses of orally-taken Benadryl, which I don't like taking for its drowsy effect, when an itch attack flared up. From pure aloe to pure mineral oil to oatmeal to all sorts of topical steroids, the result was not much relief. I read some of the reviews for this product, and thought it sounded too good to be true. A simple lotion? Most of Sarna's ingredients had been among the products I'd tried in different combinations, so I didn't hold much hope. But whatever it is about this formula [and reviews stated this particular Sarna formulation was the best], IT WORKS. I don't mind the light menthol scenting, because whenever I rub this lotion on, the itch is gone. Sooo worth it!