All Natural Bug Repellent

Ah, tis the season.  Sprinklers, water tables, wading pool, bugs and mosquitoes.  Yum.  I hate Off spray.  First of all, it feels all chemical-y.  This is because it IS all chemical-y.  Secondly, if you spill it on hardwood floors, it stains for all eternity.  So I started doing a little research on some all-natural bug repellents, me desire being to find one that packs a punch, but is also safe for my little rash monster, Malcolm.  I went to my local Whole Foods Market, loaded up on some essential oils and came up with a fragrant little concoction that kicks bug-butt and seems not to be causing a reaction on Malcolm's uber-sensitive skin.  I will have to see how he is in the morning, but thus far (after 2 test applications on his thigh and one all-over application), he is rash-free.

What you need are essential oils (available at Whole Foods or other natural food markets), a carrier oil such as grape seed oil or olive oil and witch hazel or rubbing alcohol.  I chose witch hazel with aloe vera in it in the hope that it would do more skin protecting for my rash-prone little chunk of mosquito bait.

Some oils that are good for bug repellent are:

Citronella
Clove
Rose Geranium
Lemongrass
Lemon
Eucalyptus
Catnip
Peppermint
Cedar (or Cedarwood)
Lavendar

This is a 10% mixture - the oils comprise 10% of the over all compound.  You can play around with the strength, but since my kiddos are so little, I wanted something a little gentler on the skin and some essential oils can be an irritant.  The olive oil is great for your skin, too, though it does feel a little heavy.  I might try a lighter oil next time, but all in all I am pleased with my experiment.

1 fluid ounce of Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera (aloe vera optional)
1 fluid ounce of olive oil
35 drops of citronella essential oil
25 drop of cedarwood (or cedar) essential oil
15 drops of lemongrass essential oil
15 drops of lavender essential oil

10 drops of clove essential oil


Mix them all together and shake well (as well as before each use).  I did a little test.  I went outside without any bug spray from 15 minutes and came in with 7 mosquito bites.  I slathered up with my concoction and went out for 15 minutes and came in with one additional mosquito bite -  on my lower back where I had neglected to spray and apparently my shirt was too short.  I hope I wasn't flashing any plumber's crack while I was at it.

The thing with natural bug sprays is they don't last as long as chemical sprays.  You have to reapply every 90 minutes or so, or whenever you notice the bugs getting friendlier.  I sprayed the grass around where we were sitting, and that kept the bugs down in our general vicinity as well.

A few notes - while essential oils are generally safe for topical application, they should never be ingested (or these shouldn't - I don't know about ALL essential oils).  So keep out of reach of children, never apply to the hands or feet of a baby who is prone to sucking on hands and feet, keep out of the eyes and the mouth and generally use common sense.  Don't apply to children under 6 months of age and apply sparingly to children ages 6 months to 2 years.  Please talk to your child's doctor before applying this or any other natural product to your children.

Also, what works for one person may not work for everyone, so if this isn't your magic bullet, play around with some other oils or a different concentration and see what you can come up with.  If nothing else, you'll smell nice trying!

DISCLAIMER: The statements made here are purely education and have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. They are by no means intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.