DIY Bug Repellent With Essential Oils
A simple, homemade bug spray recipe made with essential oils that actually works. You won’t want to be without this DIY bug spray this summer, trust me.
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Homemade Bug Spray With Essential Oils
I am so excited for summer! Everything about it is just so enjoyable – except for the mosquitos that for some reason just love me.
When I first starting using essential oils, I was excited to make an all-natural bug spray. I wasn’t a huge fan of all of the toxic chemicals, especially DEET, that are found in commercial bug sprays. I just had a baby so I knew there was no way he or my four-year-old were going to be anywhere near those toxins.
Enter essential oils! I mixed up a few essential oils with some water and put it in a spray bottle and I thought we would be mosquito-free all summer. Damn was I wrong.
First of all, oils and water don’t mix. As soon as we were spraying this on our skin it would immediately evaporate. There was no carrier oil, carrying it onto our skin.
Second, I wasn’t using enough drops. I was a newbie so I was being very cautious with the amount of essential oils I was applying to our skin. When it comes to bug spray, you need a good amount of essential oils (diluted of course) to keep those mosquitos and ticks away.
Fast forward to six years later, I have concocted the perfect formula and I’m excited to share it with you. It is one of the five awesome recipes in my Five Summer Essential Oil Blends Every Mom Needs post. I make this bug spray a few times throughout the summer and it is amazing.
Essential Oils In Our Homemade Bug Spray
The four essential oils we use are Citronella, Geranium, Patchouli and Peppermint essential oils.
Citronella is a known natural insect repellent and it’s pretty much the star of the show. It’s also antibacterial, antifungal and an antiseptic so it’s a good one to have around!
Peppermint is another effective natural insect repellent that I like to add in – and it’s especially effective against ants. I also love the cooling effect it provides, especially during the hot summer months when we are using bug spray the most.
Geranium and Patchouli are also very effective essential oils that repel bugs and they give the bug spray a sweet, floral scent.
Other essential oils to consider are Cedarwood, Clove, Arborvitae and Lemon Eucalyptus. Play around with the combination of scents that you like!
How To Make A Homemade Bug Spray
Ingredients
1/3 cup Fractionated Coconut Oil (or whatever carrier oil you like/have)
1 Tbsp Witch Hazel (I like this one)
50 drops Citronella Essential Oil
10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
10 drops Patchouli Essential Oil
5 drops Geranium Essential Oil
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a 4-ounce spray bottle, shake well and spray all over exposed skin!
Note: 75 drops may seem like A LOT of essential oils to use, but this formula is very mild and should not irritate the skin. If you or your children have very sensitive skin, cut the amount of essential oils in half. And always, always patch test on the inside of your arm before using.
I hope this recipe works for you. Be well!
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