Sarna Calm + Cool Anti-Itch Lotion 7.5 Fl. Oz. for Dry Skin, Insect Bites, Sunburn, Poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac, 7.5 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)

I recently had my first ever massage. At the time it was wonderful. Afterwards, however, I started to itch horribly on my back between my shoulder blades. It turns out the masseuse had slightly pinched a nerve in my neck. I know, it sounds really weird - a pinched nerve caused you to itch?! But it’s true - look it up on WebMD! Anyway, the point is that NOTHING helped with the itching and I was continually scratching my back. I couldn’t sleep for more than a few hours, even when I took 2 Benadryl, and none of the anti-itch creams did any good. I was totally miserable! Then I decided to give this lotion a try and it worked - the itching was gone!!! I was finally able to get a full night’s sleep. Of course the itching came back - I still have the pinched nerve, but hopefully that will resolve itself with time. In the meantime, this lotion is like a Godsend. I highly recommend it to anyone having problems with itching.There are two versions of the lotion - one unscented, the other one not. The latter has both camphor and menthol in it so when you first put it on it feels icy hot which feels wonderful. It has a slight odor to it, however, so you may prefer the unscented version. You don’t get the icy hot feeling with it, but you also don’t get the slight odor. Either way, they both work better than anything else I’ve tried for itching.

There are two kinds of itching, and it's important to distinguish between them. There is episodic itching (my own term, not medical terminology) where the itching isn't particularly related to any underlying condition. Maybe you're just (as I am) an itchy type of person, as people with allergies often are. Perhaps you were briefly exposed to some irritant (and remember that stress is, itself, an irritant) and are bothered by a few hours or days of itching, after which the itching peaks and then eases off until it's gone. People with this type of itching will respond best to Sarna, which I consider the most effective of all the topical remedies. It feels cold almost immediately after application, and the cool feeling lasts about as long as is possible - from fifteen minutes or so to a couple hours, depending on your individual response. It's not a cure for itching, but it will lessen the discomfort until the itching subsides on its own. Besides providing temporary relief, Sarna is creamy but not greasy, washes off easily, and will leave your skin less dry and therefore less prone to another attack of itching.If your itching is caused by an underlying and ongoing condition, such as psoriasis, Sarna will provide temporary relief but will do nothing to resolve the cause. Without treating the underlying condition, application of any lotion will eventually become painful since almost all contain menthol and/or camphor to produce the cold sensation. These two ingredients sting when applied to skin that's already irritated so, if you've scratched a lot, you may be better off to apply something healing such as aloe vera.As I said, I'm an itchy type of person and have tried all the well-known brands. I've found Sarna more effective than any other for relieving the itch.

I am a mechanic, and I hate to use lotion. Lotion makes it next to impossible to hold tools without slipping.I have used and recommended HydroBoost products in the past, but I like this lotion from Sarna MUCH better.I just finished an entire bottle by myself. It is the first time I have ever finished a bottle of lotion by myself.My wife didn't even try it because she didn't like the way it smelled.I think it smells just fine; maybe a little bit like Vicks, but too much.It doesn't matter anyway, because the smell quickly dissipates. No lingering perfume smell.Quickly absorbs, no greasy, sticky or slippery feel!Highly Recommended!

This lotion was recommended by my dermatologist. It actually works to stop the itching, and it moisturizes my skin nicely. My main concern is the strong smell of camphor and menthol - which are the main ingredients. It takes a while to get used to the smell. It's not bad, but it's strange. The smell eventually fades, but I always wonder if people can smell it as I'm walking by. It actually helps clear out my nasal congestion, which wasn't the intention, and it's a bit of a bonus. It really helped control the itching - which was the main objective.

This is excellent for itching, urticaria, and puritis. The menthol could burn on dry broken skin, if so wipe it off with a damp washcloth and apply some vitamin E oil, Calamine lotion, Calidryl, Cortisone 10, none of which helped the problem but helped when Sarna burned broken skin. This was greatly appreciated and worked for me and it felt cool from the menthol. Coloidal oatmeal bath only works when in the tub, it seems. Avoid any and all with alcohol ingredients. I highly recommend this unless you may be sensitive to the menthol or other ingredients, would buy again, and I hope this helps someone.

My dermatologist recommended this to help itching skin from both hot/humid summer and cold, dry winter weathers. This is absolutely the BEST lotion I've ever used for itchy skin--it has a menthol/camphor base, so very cooling to irritated skin. It acts almost immediately to soothe and calm the skin. It can be a bit tingling, so probably wouldn't use if an open area nor on tiny kids.I don't know what I would do without this. Just buy it and try it--you won't be disappointed. A little bit goes a long way.

Does the trick on those summer heat rashes.

I don't dislike Sarna - I think it's a good product. But because I have eczema and I know how many of us 'sufferers' are scouring the internet looking for a "CURE" - I just want you to not be misinformed. Sarna is not a cure. I used it and I still had episodes of "itching' but I could tell, the lotion does make things more bearable as long as I'm not in the middle of a sever flare up.