There are various types of chemical & Deet-free bug sprays on the market these days. You can even find some varieties of what looks like good bug repellents at conventional grocery stores. I bet they work great. But if you ever get an itch to make your own bug repellent, try this recipe:
First, choose a carrier oil - Sweet Almond, Jojoba or Olive oil are good options (Olive is cheapest, Jojoba is amazing! Almond is a fair middle choice)
Second, get your essential oils. I always start with the same first 4 or 5 essential oils in each batch. Then I get creative and add different ones depending on which ones are calling my name at that moment. Pennyroyal, Citronella, Tea Tree, Cedar Wood are the 'essentials'. Then I might add lemon, pine, peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, rose geranium, orange, cinnemon, castor...there might be others but you get the idea. I don't just pick and choose from any essential oil, these ones deter bugs in one way or another. I'll let you do your own research if you so please. I will, however, add one piece of advice - DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE TOUCH, BREATH, USE, COME CLOSE TO OR EVEN SO MUCH AS LOOK AT PENNYROYAL IF YOU ARE PREGNANT...unless you have a death wish on your unborn child. You'll have a heck of a time buying Pennyroyal also. Stores don't carry it because of it's toxicity. You might get lucky and find it someplace, but I ordered mine online. If you can't get it, just use more of the other essential oils and it'll still work fine.
Third - Find an empty spray bottle that holds about 2 or 3 ounces. It doesn't have to be a spray bottle, it can be a small baby food or canning jar, a container with a doppler in it or whatever works for you. I've found that this stuff doesn't really 'spray' very well, yet I still prefer a spray container.
Second, get your essential oils. I always start with the same first 4 or 5 essential oils in each batch. Then I get creative and add different ones depending on which ones are calling my name at that moment. Pennyroyal, Citronella, Tea Tree, Cedar Wood are the 'essentials'. Then I might add lemon, pine, peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, rose geranium, orange, cinnemon, castor...there might be others but you get the idea. I don't just pick and choose from any essential oil, these ones deter bugs in one way or another. I'll let you do your own research if you so please. I will, however, add one piece of advice - DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE TOUCH, BREATH, USE, COME CLOSE TO OR EVEN SO MUCH AS LOOK AT PENNYROYAL IF YOU ARE PREGNANT...unless you have a death wish on your unborn child. You'll have a heck of a time buying Pennyroyal also. Stores don't carry it because of it's toxicity. You might get lucky and find it someplace, but I ordered mine online. If you can't get it, just use more of the other essential oils and it'll still work fine.
Third - Find an empty spray bottle that holds about 2 or 3 ounces. It doesn't have to be a spray bottle, it can be a small baby food or canning jar, a container with a doppler in it or whatever works for you. I've found that this stuff doesn't really 'spray' very well, yet I still prefer a spray container.
Finally - fill your container almost full with your carrier oil of choice. Add 5-10 drops of the first 'essential' essential oils. Then add 3-5 drops of any other essential oil you want. Put the lid on, give it a gentle shake to mix it up and lather it on the skin and watch those mosquitos fly right past you.
I've been making my own bug spray for a number of years now. Over those years, I have acquired a huge following and demand for this stuff as well as the recipe. The ingredients are kinda spendy if you just want to make one batch. I usually will give away a bottle to someone as a gift when I hear they are interested. Though there was that friend of my moms who bought a bottle from me for $5 a couple years back. Since it's that time of year and I'm beginning to get requests again for the recipe, I figured it was time to share.
Oh and as far as my opinion goes for how well this stuff works, I really think it depends on your own individual body oils/chemistry in combination with whichever essential oils you pick and choose...as well as the breed of mosquitos/ticks/fleas/other pesky bugs that are around that year. There was a year that the batch I made for myself didn't help at all (maybe my blood was extra juicy or something), but then every other year it works. Some people I've made if for say it works, some say it didn't. Everyone still loves the smell and the way it makes their skin feel. My mom recently got a tip that Listerine repels mosquitos - and now she swears by it. Hey, it's alot cheaper.
Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment