5 Ways to Handle Chicken Pox

1. Stop the Itch

Swab on some calamine. This over-the-counter lotion, made mostly of zinc oxide, helps by drying up the blisters.

Try bergamot oil. Bergamot, which is derived from a citrus fruit closely related to the orange, is often used to flavor tea. But it has also been used for centuries in Italy to dry chicken pox blisters and relieve the itching. Bergamot is composed of 11% to 22% alcohols, which have a soothing, drying effect. Add 10 to 20 drops of bergamot essential oil to a carrier oil (such as olive oil, sweet almond oil, etc.) and mix well. Then apply to blisters.

If the itching is bad, give your child an oral antihistamine such as Benadryl. Just be aware that it might make her drowsy.