It amazed me when I typed "itchy ankles" into the search bar. This web-site is amazing.
To everyone with itchy ankles. I found this website because I was trying to figure out WHAT CAUSES my itchy ankles every winter. It's enough to make me crazy when it starts and it can last until spring. Itchiness seems to be associated with my skin being too alkaline. I was reading the posts and realized I remember (from last year) what I used that really helped: Sugar is fairly acidic and more sanitary than urine. I use plain, white sugar, partially dissolved in warm water and rubbed on my ankles. It does the trick every time. I use about a teaspoon in about 1/4 cup of warm water. If some of the granules remain, it's okay. The scratchy feel of the sugar is nice. The trick is to let it dry completely and don't rinse it off. Brush off any remaining granules before going to bed or it feels like sand in your sheets. Try not to get it up the leg to the crease behind your knee or prespiration will make it sticky.
I get itchy scalp in the winter too. I wet my hair very thoroughly, then put about a teaspoon of shampoo and a tablespoon of the sugar in 2 cups of warm water (I keep a plastic pitcher in the shower), I stir it with my fingers and then dump the whole thing on my hair, letting it stay on my head for a few minutes before I rinse. The whole itchy think seems to have something to do with the ph of my skin changing in the winter. I just got some Neways shampoo which is supposed to be very organic-y according to a friend of mine. I think is working but I just started using it a few days ago, so I'm not sure.
The sugar solution will help if you have really chapped lips or windburned cheeks, too; but...not if you lick it off it.
Just to clarify, I don't have crohns, but I do have some spider veins in my left leg and the left ankle is definitely itchier than my right ankle.