We discovered this technique in the book Dermatology: Diagnosis and Treatment* and have been using it ever since we wrote it up in the first edition of "The People's Pharmacy®."
Moderate itching (the sort of thing you get from a mosquito bite or mild case of poison ivy without blisters) often responds to a hot water application. The water needs to be hot enough to be slightly uncomfortable but not so hot that it burns (120-130 degrees Fahrenheit).
If you let the hot water tap run for a few minutes this should be about right. A few seconds' exposure is all you need to produce several hours of relief.
*Sulzberger, M. B., et al. Dermatology: Diagnosis and Treatment. Chicago: Yearbook, 1961; p. 94
Copyright (c) 1999 by Graedon Enterprises, Inc. From The People's Pharmacy Guide To Home And Herbal Remedies by Joe Graedon and Teresa Graedon. Reprinted by permission of St. Martin's Press, LLC.