If you’re the outdoorsy type, you know how much mosquito bites, poison oak, and poison ivy patches make you itch. Use this DIY calamine lotion to soothe your skin when you’re outside exploring (especially useful during the summer and early fall months).
Of course, making calamine lotion is a great way to avoid harmful ingredients found in the store-bought options you do not want on your skin or your family. Check out how it rates with the EWG Skindeep Database!
Standard store-bought calamine lotion contains endocrine-disrupting additives that may irritate your skin, eyes, or lungs. They also contain ingredients at risk for contamination and known to harm non-reproductive organs.
Calamine Lotion Recipe Ingredient Benefits
The ingredients in this homemade Calamine lotion recipe are completely natural, making it safe and effective, even for kids. In fact, it is healthy enough to eat! Though please don’t consume this DIY recipe… even though you would be okay, it does not taste good.
- Bentonite clay: helps bind to the Poison Ivy plant oils, detox them out of your body, reducing your skin’s itchy irritation. Bentonite clay also helps to moisturize your skin.
- Baking soda: neutralizes acid
- Sea salt: reduces inflammation and dries out the plant oils
- Glycerine: helps the ingredients blend and helps them apply to your skin a lot easier
DIY Calamine Lotion Recipe
Calamine lotion is a great addition to your DIY skin care products. Adding up to 30 drops of your favorite skin-loving essential oils can also make it smell better.
The best essential oils to add to your homemade calamine lotion (perfect for poison ivy or poison oak exposure) include:
- Lavender essential oil
- Palmarosa essential oil
- Roman chamomile essential oil
- Rose essential oil
- Rosewood essential oil
Homemade Calamine Lotion Ingredients
- 1/8 cup filtered water (bonus if your water filter filters out chlorine)
- 4 tsps Bentonite Clay
- 4 tsps Baking Soda
- 1 Tbsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Glycerin or Witch Hazel (optional)
- 30 drops Essential Oils (optional)
Homemade Calamine Lotion Directions
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
- Stir in the water until you get the desired consistency (you might need more or less water)
- Add in the glycerine (it gives the lotion a smoother consistency)
- Store in a small container and use as needed.

How To Use Your Calamine Lotion Recipe
To use your homemade calamine lotion, apply it directly to your stressed, itchy skin and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before rinsing it.
You can also add it to a warm bath to soak in.
Looking for more info about adopting a healthier lifestyle? Check out our online courses or my home business opportunity centered around maximizing your physical and mental health.

Nicole is a military-trained research analyst, homeschooling mom, healthy lifestyle coach, flexible business consultant, and writer for MotherhoodTruth.com and GracefullyAbundant.com. After living through and overcoming a season of homelessness and chronic health, Nicole developed a passion for helping others develop healthier habits using functional nutrition, herbalism, and renewing faith.