by kate |
Did you know there is something like 28,000,000 bugs to one person?! Don’t quote me on the exact numbers, but it is something ridiculous like that.
That means we have a lot of chances to be “eaten alive” this summer while having a cook-outs, camping, swimming, etc. Most people will automatically reach for their store-bought repellent, but did you know you can make it at home? You can! and it doesn’t have the harmful chemicals or $$ amounts associated with it.
A simple search brought me to About.com that provided a recipe for 10-25 drops of essential oil mixed with 2 tablespoons of carrier oil or alcohol will do the trick!
This particular article recommended cinnamon essential oil to keep mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas at bay, but I have also been told that lavender oil does the trick without the spicy smell.
As for a carrier oil, any cooking oil will do, olive oil, sunflower oil, or citronella oil. If you have alcohol on hand, vodka or witch hazel were recommended. For a different gel consistency, add aloe vera gel.
By making your own insect repellent you are not putting harmful chemicals into the air, (or on your child to be absorbed through their skin), nor are you wasting any packaging, shipping, etc.
We need the bugs, we just don’t need to be their meal.
For other tried-n-true methods, visit a post from the past, “Ah, The Great Outdoors”
Brighter Planet
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Laurel Health Coaching
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Ah thanks for the tips.
This might save me some money if the smell is not that bad … If it is i would rather just buy the repellent… I remember one time i bought this Indian repellent and it not only repelled the insects, but humans too it seems and it took like 2 hours of washing to get the smell to disappear =\
Anyways, will experiment with this chemicals later on.
P.S. Mosquito and ants are the worst i would say :S
citronella, an essential oil, is also a great insect repellent, particularly against ants and mosquitoes. its scent also relaxes and comforts. it smells great, too. the best thing about citronella is that it’s non-toxic.
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