Why Do Mosquito Bites Itch? Here Is The Science Behind It

This story is sponsored.

For those of you who've been keeping track, it's also been raining a lot recently — that's because we're in the middle of monsoon season! :O

The thing about this kind of rainy weather is that it leaves behind pools of water, a.k.a. perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes, such as Aedes mosquitoes.

When a mosquito bites you, it pierces the skin using a special needle-like mouthpart to suck up blood. At the same time, it injects saliva into your blood to prevent it from clotting, making it easier to suck up.

Once the mosquito flies away, your body reacts to the saliva by having a mild allergic reaction.

To combat this, your body's immune system produces histamine, a chemical that is released in response to allergens, in this case — mosquito saliva.

Histamine causes the redness, swelling, and irritating sensation that typically follows a mosquito bite, and sends signals to the nerves, causing the area to itch.

There are various methods to prevent those pesky creatures from getting into your home, be it installing mosquito nets, diffusing certain scents, or pouring away stagnant water so mosquitoes can't breed.

However, all these methods still can't guarantee that you won't get bitten by mosquitoes. :')

And while itchy mosquito bites can be a hassle, the dangerous thing is getting bitten by an Aedes mosquito, which can lead to dengue. In Malaysia, dengue cases increased by 144.5% to 60,110 cases as of December 2022, compared to the same period from the previous year.

This shows how important is is for Malaysians to stay protected against Aedes mosquitoes. If you spot mosquitoes at home, use a reputable branded aerosol spray (especially one that prioritises family protection from dengue virus) to get rid of them instantly, and if you're outdoors, try out mosquito repellents to keep them at bay.

One of the ways to keep mosquitoes at bay is by using insect repellent, but it's difficult to find one that's effective. Furthermore, most repellents either leave your skin feeling oily or smelling weird.

That's why we were pleasantly surprised when we first came across Autan Botanicals!

Both the spritz and lotion version of the product dried quickly upon application, and didn't leave our skin feeling oily or uncomfortable. After a couple of seconds, we barely noticed anything on our skin!

Besides that, the good thing about Autan Botanicals is that the products are dermatologically tested and suitable for most skin types. As for those who prefer not to use products with chemicals, rest assured that Autan Botanicals is completely plant-based and safe to use for the entire family².

You know the one person who always gets mosquito bites in the group... Well, that's us!

After trying all kinds of different methods, from changing our baju colour to using certain scents, we were excited to see if Autan Botanicals would actually keep the pesky creatures away.

One of the places we get bitten all the time is at mamak stores or kopitiam, especially when there are mosquitoes hiding below the tables. Before going for lunch, we gave our legs a good spray of Autan Botanicals Spritz.

And sure enough, no mosquitoes came to bother us!

While both the Autan Botanicals Spritz and Lotion work effectively, the spritz version is easy to use and lightweight, making it a great go-to option.

You can also get these products online via Lazada or Shopee.

¹S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. calculation based in part on data reported by Nielsen through its Global Track Complete Service for the Personal Repellents Category for 52 weeks ending Dec 2020, for the World – Combined Total Countries. Copyright 2021, Nielsen Consumer LLC.

²Suitable from children two years and above.