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Liliana Morosini

DIY Mosquito Bite Relief Balm Recipe – Natural Itch-Soothing Salve

Category: DIY Cosmetics / DIY Cosmetics Recipes

This lovely Blue Tansy salve is a summer essential in my wonder lab and I’m happy to share the recipe with you! Formulated as a powerful natural mosquito bite remedy, it also works wonders to soothe and restore skin that's sunburned or freshly depilated. A true multitasking skin savior to always keep on hand!

Functional and visually delightful: its deep, magical blue hue comes from Blue Tansy essential oil, turning your balm into a joy for the senses.

When I formulated this DIY mosquito balm, I focused on one mission: relieving itching and restoring skin damaged by mosquito bites, shaving or sunburns. Every single ingredient was carefully chosen for its functionality, sensorial feel and how beautifully it harmonizes with the others.

Before we dive into the recipe, let’s walk through why I chose each ingredient. This way, you’ll understand their purpose and get inspired, learning how to create and customize your own formulations!




Spotlight on Blue Tansy

Let’s start with our star: Blue Tansy essential oil. Renowned for its potent anti-inflammatory and antihistaminic properties thanks to its chamazulene content (which also gives it that dreamy color), Blue Tansy is a skin savior. It quickly calms irritation, reduces redness and soothes itchiness in just minutes. Its benefits don’t stop at mosquito bites: it helps calm reactive, sun-burned or freshly shaved skin too.

A Symphony of Essential Oils

Now, I must confess: I’m not the biggest fan of Blue Tansy's scent (even if many people like it). So, I blended it with essential oils that mask its aroma and also bring benefits. In this formulation, I paired it with:

  • Peppermint essential oil: used sparingly to avoid irritation, it delivers a refreshing cooling sensation, reduces itching and acts as a gentle analgesic.
  • Patchouli essential oil: grounding, aromatic and wonderfully soothing. It has anti-inflammatory properties and supports skin regeneration and barrier repair.


blue tansy mosquito balm

Skin-Restoring Butters and Oils

To regenerate the skin post-bite or post-shave, I included barrier-loving butters and oils:

  • Shea (Karité) Butter and Mango Butter: deeply nourishing, repairing and non-greasy when balanced correctly. 
  • Avocado Oil: a rich oil rich in phytosterols, which are known for their skin-restoring and anti-inflammatory properties.
  • Sesame Oil: rich in sesamin, that down-regulates pro-inflammatory cytokines and offers a calming effect.

Oat Oil: A Hidden Treasure

Oat Oil is a gem in skincare not only for its proven antihistamine action, but it's also rich in ceramides, which are essential for skin barrier restoration. It brings both soothing and repairing power to the formula.
It’s definitely one of my favorite oils. Also great for skin prone to atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.

A Note on Castor Oil

I don't use Castor Oil often due to its density and greasiness, but here it adds something special. Thanks to its high ricinoleic acid content, it's a wonderful anti-inflammatory and calming agent. The rest of the formula balances its heaviness beautifully, so the balm won't feel sticky or overly rich.

Perfecting the Texture

Next comes texture. I wanted a salve that feels elegant and dry to the touch, not too greasy or sticky.

  • Fractionated Coconut Oil brings a light, silky base.
  • Coco-Caprylate cuts down greasiness and speeds up absorption.
  • Squalane lightens the formula and helps the active ingredients penetrate while reinforcing the skin barrier.

To further refine the texture:

  • Cetyl Alcohol adds a smooth, velvety touch and elegant glide.
  • Rice Starch reduces greasiness and provides a drier feel.

For Structure and Stability

  • Bellina Wax and Cetyl Alcohol help prevent syneresis (that annoying oil "sweating"). Bellina also prevents Shea Butter from forming gritty clumps over time.
  • Candelilla Wax gives a drier, more elegant finish compared to beeswax.

Optional: Ceramides Boost

I used a fractionated coconut oil infused with ceramides (you can find my recipe here) for an extra boost, but Oat Oil already provides ceramides, so you can use the regular fractionated coconut oil if needed.


diy mosquito bite relief balm

Ingredients

Heat Phase A

Heat Phase A2

Cool Down Phase

*Fractionated coconut oil enriched with ceramides. Find the DIY recipe here (you can use the regular one as well)

Procedure

  1. In a heat-safe beaker, weigh and combine all the ingredients from the Heat Phase A1.
  2. Melt gently in a water bath, stirring slowly until fully liquid and uniform.
  3. Add A2 heat phase ingredients in a separate beaker, starting with rice starch and adding the oils one by one, stirring.
  4. Pour A2 content in A1 beaker (Better to heat A2 beaker a bit before: it avoids clumps when you merge A2 with A1. In any case, the heat will make everything liquid again.)
  5. Remove from heat and let it cool a bit (however, the mixture should not start to thick).
  6. Add the Cool Down Phase ingredients one by one, stirring well. If you see clumps, stir well and, if needed, gently reheat till it’s liquid again.
  7. Pour into a jar and let it set. Your DIY balm is ready!



    how to make blue tansy salve

Replacements and Notes

  • Blue Tansy Oil is the star here. If you don’t have it, Lavender or Patchouli oil can be used instead, but it won’t be the same.
  • You can skip Peppermint and Patchouli if you love the scent of Blue Tansy on its own.
  • You can swap oils with similar ones, but watch for texture and absorption.
  • Oat Oil is a must-have due to its ceramide and antihistamine content.
  • If you're out of soothing oils, try 1% Bisabolol or Calendula-infused oil.
  • Coco-Caprylate can be replaced with another dry ester.
  • If you skip Squalane, replace it with a fast-absorbing oil or ester.
  • Skip Castor Oil? Increase Oat or Sesame Oil for extra soothing properties.
  • Shea and Mango butters have excellent anti-inflammatory and protective properties, perfect for calming irritated, post-bite skin. Mango butter is lighter and silkier, adding a smooth glide and soft finish without heaviness. Shea is richer. Together, they balance richness and elegance beautifully, but you can decide to choose one of them only. 
  • Waxes affect texture. Test substitutions carefully keeping in mind their melting point and properties. 
  • Cetyl Alcohol and Rice Starch can be omitted, but they make the balm feel better. Swap Rice Starch with Corn Starch or Silica Microspheres.

Looking for more?

If you are looking for more mosquito remedies, have a look at my mosquito repellent recipes and to another version of a blue tansy soothing salve. 
Don't forget to make some extra soothing aloe vera gel for your summer holidays and to read these guides about travel hacks for DIY cosmetics and summer ready DIY Beauty.

Keep this balm in your summer kit, your purse or by the door. It’s not just for bites, it's a little jar of comfort whenever your skin needs a gentle hug. I hope it brings you the same joy it brings me!