# scratch this! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 4, 2008, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scratch-this/451727 "2008-06-04T06:14:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Greta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@Greta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greta)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scratch-this/451727/1 "2008-06-04T06:14:37Z")
Whats the best over the counter item to use for itching? ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scratch-this/451727/2 "2008-06-04T07:03:06Z")
A nice backscratcher. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Greta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@Greta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greta)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scratch-this/451727/3 "2008-06-04T07:06:52Z")
I’m talking about the kind that keeps itching after you’ve already scratched. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scratch-this/451727/4 "2008-06-04T07:08:57Z")
It depends on the cause. For overall allergy-type issues, I believe Benadryl to be the best. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scratch-this/451727/5 "2008-06-04T07:19:23Z")
I’ve always found calamine lotion to be effective, but I recently read somewhere that there is no medical evidence that it does anything at all - I guess it’s being asserted that it’s all down to the placebo effect. ---
**Author:** ![Greta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@Greta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greta)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scratch-this/451727/6 "2008-06-04T07:29:06Z")
As long as its not head on or its itch equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scratch-this/451727/7 "2008-06-04T07:40:17Z")
I find that the counter itself is a wonderful scratching apparatus. Can’t beat a good right-angled, convex corner for scratchin’! ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scratch-this/451727/8 "2008-06-04T10:20:18Z")
You can get some low strength cortisone cream OTC (Australia) bit it will- as mentioned above- depend on the cause if it is to be effective. ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scratch-this/451727/9 "2008-06-04T13:04:00Z")
If the cause is poison ivy or mosquito bites, I recommend Band Aid Anti-Itch gel (formerly known as Rhuli Gel). ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scratch-this/451727/10 "2008-06-04T13:12:09Z")
1% cortisone creme is good, but a bit pricey if you’ve got a big swath of itchy skin – for those (caused by poison ivy, etc.), I use clear calamine lotion, thus avoiding that ridiculous-looking pink. The relief is less instantaneous, but it does seem to stop the itching, and it also helps clear up the ooziness of poison ivy. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scratch-this/451727/11 "2008-06-04T17:50:38Z")
[QUOTE=Greta] Whats the best over the counter item to use for itching? [/QUOTE] uh… Preparation H? What? You asked.