To deal with mosquitoes and avoid their bite and annoying buzzing, nothing better than preparing our own natural repellent for insects, to always have them at hand.
How to prepare your insect repellent
Different insects are repelled by different chemical products, so that you will obtain greater efficiency and it will be more economical and especially suitable for the care and health of your skin and your body if you combine some natural oils to create your own homemade insect repellent.
If you are preparing large amounts of insect repellent, a good rule of thumb is that the mixture contains 10% essential oil, therefore mix 1-part essential oil with 9 parts carrier oil or alcohol.
Ingredients for your natural and homemade insect repellent:
10-25 drops of essential oils
2 tablespoons of carrier oil or alcohol
Essential oils that work well against insect bites (mosquitoes, flies, ticks, fleas) are:
- Cinnamon oil ( mosquito repellent)
- Lemon eucalyptus or regular eucalyptus oil ( repel mosquitoes, ticks, and lice)
- Citronella oil ( repellent for mosquitoes and biting flies)
- Castor oil ( repels mosquitoes)
- Orange oil ( to kill fleas)
- Pink geranium ( remove ticks and lice)
Carrier oils or alcohols that you can safely use are as follows:
- Olive oil
- Sunflower oil
- Any other cooking oils
- Scottish elm
- Vodka
- 96° alcohol
Mix the essential oil with carrier oil or alcohol. Rub or spray the natural insect repellent on the skin or clothing, taking care to avoid the eye area and mucous membranes. You will have to reapply the natural product after an hour or after swimming or exercising.
Unused repellent can be stored in a dark bottle, away from heat or sunlight. If you wish, you can combine the oil with aloe vera gel to change the consistency of the product.
Other natural insect repellants
1 Eucalyptus. Counting mosquito bites is very effective. Simply boil some leaves and after straining the liquid, place it in jars that you can place in the rooms and closets of your house.
- Mint. Place several peppermint plants in your garden or indoors to keep mosquitoes away. You can crush several mint leaves to release the smell and repel insects.
- Lavender. Mix lavender oil with one of your body lotions and apply it on your skin.
- Basil. Have a pot with a basil saucer in rooms where you don’t want mosquitoes. Mosquitoes dislike the smell of basil.
- Garlic. Garlic contains a sulfur that repels mosquitoes and other pests such as fleas, ticks, and flies. Drizzle in garlic oil to keep them away from your home.
- Cinnamon. Cinnamon oil appears to be an environmentally friendly pesticide and kills mosquito larvae.
- Lemon. Lemon oil diluted in water and applied to the skin is an excellent natural mosquito repellent.
- Citronella. Its oil is used directly on the skin or mixed with candle wax.
- Alfalfa. The alfalfa flower attracts mosquitoes. Mosquitoes die when they come into contact with the toxin they contain. Have an alfalfa plant at home to repel mosquitoes.
- Vitamin C. Taking large amounts of vitamin C for several days before going camping can help keep mosquitoes away from you. Vitamin C is soluble, so it does not accumulate in the body. You will remove excess sweat, which mosquitoes will hate.
Other oils that serve as natural mosquito repellants include: rosemary, castor, verbena, pine, thyme, cedar, geranium, and cloves. Remember, natural mosquito repellants are easy to make at home and inexpensive. In addition, they provide safe protection against mosquitoes for you, your children and pets without having to be exposed to chemicals whose adverse effects have not yet been proven.