No more hiding indoors, you can make your own homemade mosquito repellent sprays. Here's which essential oils actually protect you from pesky mosquito bites.
Getting engulfed by a cloud of mosquitos (and ending up with bites that itch for days) is a major pain. What's more, mosquitos can spread serious diseases, like the West Nile virus, in many parts of the United States. Getting mosquito repellent is a no-brainer.
If you want to save some money (and maybe avoid the unpleasant chemical smell of DEET repellents), you can make your own this summer. Beware, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about homemade mosquito sprays. We dug deep to find which essential oils actually work. Keep reading to keep your family, pets, and yard safe from mosquitos.
Mosquitos are drawn to humans by the carbon dioxide we exhale and our skin odors. We can't stop breathing, so scientists developed products that affect mosquitos' sense of smell.
Chemical repellents, like the ever-popular DEET, work by tricking mosquitos into not seeing us as hosts. If they can't sense our scent, they won't bite. Simple as that. Homemade mosquito repellents act this way too. They take advantage of the fact that some naturally occurring compounds (essential oils) also block mosquitos' ability to sense and attack humans.
No matter which repellent is best for you, reapply it every few hours. While you're on a hike, for example, you'll sweat, and the active ingredients will wear off and stop working.
These essential oils have shown to be quite effective in lab studies at keeping several species of mosquitos at bay. Fortunately, we know what concentration of each essential oil work best, so recipes are pretty straightforward.
All recipes listed here use the same basic building blocks. To make a 3 fl. oz mosquito repellent spray, you'll need essential oils and carrier oil (such as coconut oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, and flaxseed oil). These carrier oils dissolve the essential oil and spread it (or carry it) to your skin. Don't skip them: without carrier oils, your essential oil product will not be as effective — and it could even irritate your skin due to the high potency of essential oils.
If you want to make your spray last longer, vanillin (yup, vanilla flavoring) in a concentration of 5% has been shown to extend protection by several hours.
Oil of lemon eucalyptus is on the CDC list of recommended mosquito repellents. A 30% concentration works best. In practical terms, that means adding 540 drops of oil of lemon eucalyptus to a 3 fl. oz spray bottle, then topping it off with your favorite carrier oil.
Do keep in mind that oil of lemon eucalyptus is not the same as lemon eucalyptus essential oil. The second one hasn't been shown to keep mosquitos away.
Children under the age of three should not use oil of lemon eucalyptus products.
There are several commercially available repellents out there using catnip oil as an active ingredient. Concentrations between 7% and 15% work for up to 7 hours, according to the EPA. Here's your recipe: add 126 drops of catnip oil (or 270 drops for a more potent spray) to a 3 fl. oz bottle. Top it with a carrier oil and shake.
Unfortunately, there are no mosquito-repellent plants. So although planting citronella in your yard won't scare away the bugs, its essential oil will. Plus, it smells good, that's why citronella candles are such popular outdoor decor! A 5% concentration is enough: add 90 drops of citronella essential oil to a 3 fl. oz bottle and fill it up with carrier oil.
DEET mosquito repellent is relatively affordable and easy to find in grocery stores, pharmacies, and even gas stations. But if you're irked out by the smell (or would rather not introduce DEET to your environment), natural options are much pricier and harder to find.
As you can see, making your own handmade mosquito spray isn't so hard. And if you already have essential oils at home (they're very handy if you want to make self-care products), the costs are much lower. Besides it being a cost-cutting way to keep mosquitos at bay, you'll also have full control of the chemicals that go into the recipe.
These mosquito repellents (with the exception of the OLE one) are not approved by the EPA or FDA. While there aren't any reported adverse effects from these essential oils, it's always a good idea to test each product on a small patch of skin. If you don't get a rash, you're good to apply it to your whole body.
Besides wearing homemade mosquito spray, you can take extra precautions to keep mosquitos at bay.
Now that you can protect yourself from mosquitos, how will you fill your summer with fun? You don't need a generous budget to have a blast. Start planning your family summer bucket list and make it affordable, it's easier than you think! Especially when you take advantage of all the deals and discounts on the Save Coupon Book. Find out if this awesome booklet is available in your area — and if it is, start saving big today.
