For us in the northern Midwest and Northeast, mosquito season is just about upon us. For those of you in the South, you’ve already had to endure them for some time since winter ended. If you live out West, then be thankful that you can pretty much avoid mosquitos unless you make the choice to head to the mountains. But even then, they don’t compare to the wetlands and humid summers in the Midwest and South that these little bugs love so much.
But not to worry! CBD for mosquito bites may help you effectively deal with this summer nuisance.
The Scourge of the Summer
Summer is amazing. Going to the beach, swimming in lakes, hiking, camping, bonfire parties, drinking a beer on a deck—the list goes on and on. But all of these outdoor activities that make this season great put us in close proximity to and contact with small blood sucking insects. Just as you’re starting to relax and enjoy yourself, the sun starts to set and the mosquitos swarm all around you.
You’re able to fend them off in the beginning. Shooing one here, slapping one there. But the defenses don’t hold for long. Some start to get through. Then more do.
They bite, using their special mouthpiece to pierce your skin and suck out your delicious blood. But that’s not enough for these little vampires. More than just stealing some of your blood, they then have the audacity to inject their own saliva back into your skin. Herein lies the primary problem of mosquito bites.
The Real Enemy: Mosquito Bite Inflammation
Once the mosquito essentially spits in your fresh wound, it triggers an inflammatory reaction in your body. This inflammation is what causes the tell tale bump, redness, and itchiness. Mosquito bites affect different people in different ways, with some only having a mild reaction and slight or no itchiness, and others experiencing a large area of swelling, soreness, and redness.
Here are the typical symptoms of a mosquito bite:
- A puffy, red bump soon after the bite
- A harder, itchy bump or bumps about a day after the bite
- Small blisters may also form instead of hard bumps
- You may also experience darker spots that look like bruises
Do you know what all of these symptoms have in common? They are caused by your body’s inflammatory response.
How might CBD for mosquito bites possibly help? By reducing the amount of inflammation. Let’s take a closer look at how.
CBD for Mosquito Bites: How It May Work
The reason CBD for mosquito bites could be an effective remedy is due to its anti-inflammatory properties. CBD products work through our endocannabinoid system (ECS), a bodily system that is responsible for a wide range of bodily functions and maintaining homeostasis (balance) throughout our bodily systems. The ECS contains two receptors, CB1 and CB2, which are found everywhere in our bodies, including in our skin.
- CB1receptors are essential for a healthy functioning brain and are one of the most common receptors in the entire nervous system. They are found especially concentrated in the central nervous system areas of the brain and spinal cord.
- CB2 receptorsare most often found in the peripheral nervous system. Specifically, on the cells of our immune system. This allows them to help moderate and respond to inflammation and our immune response to pathogens.
CBD interacts with these receptors, causing them to trigger changes in our body. When it comes to CBD for mosquito bites, the potential relevant changes are suppressing proteins that signal inflammatory responses (called cytokines) and acting as an antihistamine. Histamines are chemicals in your body that help us eject unwanted or foreign substances. They are often responsible for the best methods our bodies have to do this: itching, coughing, sneezing, etc.
CBD Tells Our Body to Pump the Brakes
Although inflammation, cytokines, histamines, and their resulting symptoms are necessary and keep us alive, in certain situations our bodies react too strongly in proportion to the “threat”. This is probably true for mosquitos. We typically don’t need our immune systems to pull out the big guns that result in a bad, annoying reaction to the bite.
Itchiness, redness, and swelling are all caused by an imbalance created by our body’s response. CBD for mosquito bites essentially reins in our immune system and helps bring our body back into balance faster than it would otherwise.
How to Use CBD for Mosquito Bites
You can find CBD products in many different forms. You can buy oil, powder, capsules, CBD drinks, vape oil, and topicals. Since they occur on the skin, we recommend using topical CBD for mosquito bites and their resulting inflammation. Like we mentioned, both CB1 and CB2 receptors are found in the skin, so activating them is the most direct way to alter your body’s immune response.
The best way is to use a CBD cream or lotion, like our Arbor & Shore CBD Body Butter, to get the CBD to the receptors fast. Simply rub the lotion on and around the affected area a few times a day in order to get enough CBD to the receptors.
Although topicals products are the best form of CBD for mosquito bites, consuming oil or capsules in addition to skin products may also help. The thing is, CBD takes time to build up in your body in order to produce the fullest effects. By rubbing it into your skin as well as consuming larger quantities orally or sublingually, you may able to kickstart your endocannabinoid system and experience relief from the itchy redness faster.
The Final Word: Don’t Let Mosquitos Slow You Down this Summer
You can’t beat summer and all the fun activities that it brings. Don’t let mosquitos or their bites slow you down. Go outdoors, have a blast, and, when you inevitably get bitten, try a CBD remedy to see if it works for you. There are no serious negative side effects, so you don’t have anything to lose—except for maybe the itchiness!
If you’re new to CBD, then we recommend starting out with a lower dose and working your way up one you see how it makes you feel. Also, remember that it takes some time to initially build up in your system, so it should only become more effective the more that you use it.
If you want to purchase your CBD products from a local, reputable company, then check out our products at Urban Roots Hemp Co. All are tested by independent labs for quality and CBD levels, so you can be sure that you’re purchasing a reputable product.