10 Best Anti Itch Creams 2024 in the United States

In the summer, people spend more of their recreational time in the great outdoors. But that doesn’t come with risks. If you go camping or picnicking, or if your kids go to a summer camp, there’s a good chance that you’ll encounter biting or stinging insects. Also, even if you want to spend time in your backyard, mosquito bites ruin a barbecue or other get-together. Depending on where you live, you can brush up against plants like poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac, that can give a nasty rash. In order to salvage your vacation, and not let these nuisances ruin your precious free time, you’ll need some sort of relief from the itching of rashes or from insect bites. Fortunately, there are a number of over-the-counter remedies for rashes, itches, and other minor skin irritations.

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting an anti-itch cream. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of anti-itch cream,

• See useful tips about that particular type of anti-itch cream,

• Read reviews of different anti-itch creams, and what customers are saying,

• Select the right brand of anti-itch cream, and

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

Over-the-counter remedies for itching will use a variety of active ingredients. Some only relieve the symptom of the itching, by providing cooling relief. Some employ a hormonal treatment, such as hydrocortisone, which is an anti-inflammatory.

• Leaf gels: You’ll see that there are products that employ certain leaf gels to relieve itching. Aloe vera gel is a favorite, as is menthol, derived from the peppermint plant. The old favorite Gold Bond anti-itch cream is enriched with aloe vera, menthol, and Vitamin E.

• Antihistamines: Histamine is a chemical secreted by the body in response to an allergic reaction, to get you to sneeze or cough out anything that’s causing an allergic reaction. It’s what gives a runny nose and other cold symptoms of hayfever. But it can also cause itching when produced in response from poison plants or insect bites. (Also, some insect bites themselves contain histamines.) Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine, which reduces the body’s production of histamine--and that works to reduce the swelling and itching of insect bites and rashes. It is also described as an analgesic, which reduces swelling and pain, but will also be effective on itching. Dr. Sheffield’s Anti-Itch Cream and Histamine Blocker uses this mechanism to relieve itching. Benadryl also uses the analgesic Diphenhydramine.

Dr. Sheffield Anti-Itch Cream

• Hydrocortisone: Hydrocortisone is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It counteracts the inflammation caused by histamines that the body produces from an insect bite or allergy. Over-the-counter creams are allowed to have a concentration of hydrocortisone up to 2.5%. Vanicream HC 1% Hydrocortisone Cream is one example of such an ointment. It is recommended for eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis.

Vanicream Hydrocortisone Anti-Itch Cream

• Pain-killers: Benzocaine is a well-known painkiller, which is used for canker sores and other minor irritations. Lanacane Maximum Strength Anti-Itch Cream uses 20% Benzocaine as its active ingredient in combating the itching from insect bites, rashes, and reactions to poison plants. Pramoxine is another painkiller, which relieves itching and skin irritation. It is used in the Gold Bond ointment.

Lanacane Anti-Itch Cream, with Benzocaine

• Colloidal oatmeal: There are soaps and creams that contain oatmeal, which has found to be effective in relieving skin inflammation and itching. It binds to the skin and keeps in the skin’s moisture. It is used in treatments for eczema and other skin allergies. This is the main ingredient in many Aveeno products (since the brand name Aveeno is derived from the scientific name for oats, Avena sativa).

• Use the right treatment: These over-the-counter treatments are suitable for insect bites and poison ivy--but don’t assume they’ll solve any itch. For instance, Tinea cruris (“jock itch”) is actually caused by a fungus, such as the one that causes athlete’s foot, candida. You should get an antifungal cream to treat “jock itch”. Also, if women experience an itch together with a  vaginal discharge, these creams might actually make the condition worse. You should consult a doctor to get the proper treatment.

• Prefer antihistamine in cream: Some customers prefer Benadryl cream (Benadryl comes in pill form as well, as an allergy treatment) because allergy medicine tends to make people drowsy. You won’t have that problem with a cream.

• Prefer gel over cream: A gel is more water-based, and is usually clear. A cream is usually white and opaque, and is thicker. People prefer using a gel, because it gets absorbed by the skin. It doesn’t get on clothing or leave an unpleasant residue.

• Good for other skin irritations as well: Many of these anti-itch remedies will also relieve other minor irritations as well. Besides treating itchy skin, you can apply these creams to minor burns, sunburn, scrapes, and cuts.

• Check if you can use the ointment on broken skin: Many creams are not recommended on deep puncture wounds, or animal bites. This is because deep puncture wounds probably have introduced dangerous bacteria (such as the one that causes tetanus) into the wound. Also, the saliva in animal bites harbors many different types of bacteria. You should apply an antibiotic cream instead of one of these over-the-counter treatments in such cases.

• Gold Bond is a brand of skin care products in the form of creams, lotions, and powders. The product was first launched in 1908, and is now produced by the pharmaceutical company Chattem, based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Gold Bond has treatments for itching, chafing, eczema, and more.

• Benadryl--is a brand of allergy treatment products. Their allergy relief comes in liquid, tablet, and gel-cap forms. They have a line of remedies for itching: cream, gel, and spray, in varying strengths.

• Vanicream--is a brand of Pharmaceutical Specialties, Inc. The company was founded by pharmacists Conrad Thompson and Ed Mansfield in 1974. They strive to make skin products that are free of ingredients that may cause skin irritation. The Vanicream brand includes moisturizers, sunscreens, skin cleansers, deodorants and antiperspirants, and more.

• Lanacane--is a brand of products made by Reckitt-Benckiser, special for treating chafing, itching, and minor skin irritation. Reckitt-Benckiser is an English producer of health and home products, formed in 1999, from two much older, individual companies. They manufacture over-the-counter remedies for sore throat, indigestion, acne, fever and cold symptoms, and more.