DIY Natural Bug Spray

Growing up in California, bug spray was never a concern. Yet with my travels to the east coast, I found it became a necessity. Every time I would step outdoors, I would be swarmed with mosquitos, and nothing seemed to shake them. I found myself buying the traditional bug repellents with the overused chemical DEET, and covering myself with the awful smelling spray.

In the past three years, I've wanted to get away from the use of chemicals and go back to living more naturally, and with that, came many trials of insect repellents. I've changed the landscape of our home to include many insect repelling plants such as lavender, bee balm, and lemon grass. I would light numerous citronella candles any time we were in the yard (which provided very little support). The landscape changes have helped considerably, and I don't notice many, if any, mosquitoes around our home like I used to. However, my daughter, husband, and I were still walking hors devours for the blood thirsty bugs.

After studying aromatherapy and the benefits of essential oils over the past fifteen years, yet never considering it for the repellent of insects, I decided to give them a try and put a few essential oils to the test. And I finally found a combination that worked wonders for me and my entire family.

I was a little bit shocked at just how well it worked.

• We didn't have a sticky residue coating our entire bodies. 

• We smelled great. 

• And we didn't get bit once.

What you need:

10 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil

10 drops Lavender Essential Oil

10 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil

10 drops Lemongrass Essential Oil

5 drops Clove Essential Oil

*5 drops Citronella Essential Oil

4 ounces boiled water

4 ounces Witch Hazel

** 8 ounce Spray Bottle

* Citronella Oil may cause skin irritations for some people, and children should never take this orally

**I used a metal bottle - it will keep the oils fresh longer than plastic, and is more manageable for travel than glass

What you do:

1. Fill spray bottle half way (4 ounces) with witch hazel. Add the boiled water (4 ounces) until it reaches near the top.

2. Add essential oils, close cap tightly, and shake.

3. Store in a cool, dry place.


Tips:

• If you don't have one or more of the essential oils, but do have the plant, boil the flowers and leaves (about 1/4 cup leaves/flowers) with the water for about 1 hour. Strain the flowers and leaves out, and use in place of boiled water in above recipe. 

• Make sure your essential oils are of therapeutic grade, and are not fragrance oils.

Notes:

• Lavender, Tea Tree, and Eucalyptus are considered safe for children six months or older. Please remember to do your own research and test before use, to find what works best with you and your family.

• Avoid spraying in and around the eyes, and never ingest. 

• Clove and Lemongrass Essential Oils can be possible skin irritants and need to be used with caution or avoided during pregnancy. 

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