• 60 ml (4 tbsp) or 60 g of organic true lavender hydrosol (True lavender is soothing and anti-inflammatory.)
• 5 ml (1 tsp) or 6 g of Epsom salt (Soothing, anti-itch and antiseptic.)
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) or 15 g of apple cider vinegar (Also typically used to soothe insect bites.)
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) or 9 g of Prairie pink clay
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) or 12 g of zinc oxide (Has an astringent action that comes in handy for insect bites!)
• 1 g (30 drops) of Eco preservative (optional)**
• 125 ml amber bottle

* To boost your lotion even more, you can prepare a plantain tincture, an all-category champion of itch relief. Check out our article “Herbalism 201: Making Your Own Plant Extracts” to learn more on the subject.

** Without the Eco preservative, homemade calamine keeps for 1 month. With the preservative, it keeps up to 6 months.

Camping trip coming up too fast? Check this out:

• Soothing ointment - Grand Air Collection

1. Disinfect all instruments with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Let the alcohol evaporate.

2. In a bowl, pour the hydrosol and the sea salt.

3. Stir until the salt crystals are completely dissolved.

4. Add the apple cider vinegar, clay, zinc oxide and Eco preservative (if desired). Mix until smooth.

5. Transfer to a 125 ml amber glass bottle.

Shake the product before each use, because zinc oxide and clay tend to settle at the bottom.

Apply to bites or any other spot that itches. Let dry and work for as long as possible.

Enjoy the rest of your vacation forgetting that your body is covered in bites!

This recipe is a wonderful complement to our almighty plantain anti-itch ointment recipe (no less!).