If you’re allergic to bees, close this article. Head to the nearest emergency room.
Bee allergies are real. If not treated, they can become life threatening.
If you experience hives, swelling, tightness in your throat, difficulty breathing, heart palpitations or any other alarming symptoms, take them seriously.
Play it safe and get medical help.
The rest of us can suffer at home. Hopefully, the natural bee string remedy I’m going to tell you about in this post will ease the pain. It worked really well for me the last time I was stung by a bee.
Natural Remedy for Bee Stings
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I’ve been stung a lot. Too many times, in fact. So, right now, I try really hard to avoid bees and wasps.
However, sometimes it happens. if I get stung, I know what to do. Immediately after being stung I apply Bentonite clay mixed with a little lavender essential oil to the bite. This immediately dulls the pain.
I don’t know the exact mechanism behind this. Or why it seems to work. It’s possible the clay helps draw the venom out. Bee stings hurt so much because a small amount of venom is deposited under the skin.
Bee venom then inflames the surrounding nerves. Also, the stinger itself has jagged edges, which hurt.
Homemade Bee Sting Remedy
The venom causes pain and inflammation. Lavender essential oil is considered a good inflammation remedy. It hasn’t been conclusively proven that lavender contains natural anti-inflammatory agents. But some evidence indicates it does.
A study published in the Anais de Academia Brasileira de Ciencias, a Brazilian medical journal, found that animals treated with lavender essential oil had a lowered inflammatory response after being given inflammation inducing croton oil and carageenan.
Lavender essential oil has a long history in folk medicine as a burn remedy. Actually, in the early 1900’s, a French chemist named Maurice Gattefosse accidentally burned his hands. He plunged them into a nearby vat of lavender essential oil. The burned skin healed with minimal scarring.
Bentonite Clay for Bee Stings
The combination of natural Bentonite clay worked so well at calming the bee sting. It dulled the pain instantly. Bentonite clay is something I always have in the house. It’s so useful. I use it for DIY facials, since it exfoliates my skin, and leaves it really soft. I try to use Bentonite clay on my face just once a week.
It’s believed Bentonite clay draws toxins from the body. The theory is that positively charged toxins are drawn to the negative ions in clay. This is why full-body mud baths have long been used to improve the health.
Maybe the clay would have worked on its own. But lavender essential oil is my go-to remedy for bug bites. The combination of clay and lavender seemed to do the trick. You can see the type of Bentonite clay I own below.
Bentonite Clay Bee Sting Remedy
Here’s a really easy recipe for a DIY Bentonite clay bee sting remedy:
- 1 level teaspoon of natural Bentonite Clay (You can find it here)
- Enough spring water to make a paste. I live in a community that adds sodium fluoride to its water. Sodium fluoride is a neurotoxin so I try to avoid it.
- 2 drops of lavender essential oil (You can find it here)
Mix these ingredients in a small bowl and apply as needed. Lavender essential oil is considered safe for children aged two and older. Essential oils are very strong so they shouldn’t be used on babies and toddlers. For a bee sting with a very young child I would just use the clay, and also call my pediatrician. Also, women who are pregnant or nursing should not use essential oils.
If any is left over you can store it in a clean glass jar with a lid. Keep it away from heat and light.
This is very similar to a DIY calamine lotion post I published earlier. Calamine lotion is a good remedy for bug bites and poison ivy.
For More Reading
Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Lavender Essential Oil
Disclaimer
These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use essential oils unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional.
