Homemade Bug Repellant (Great for Mosquitoes!)
Are you a mosquito magnet, too? I can't go outside without a mosquito finding me within 2 minutes. However, almost everyone else in my family could be in the same place and mosquitoes never bother them. It's frustrating. So I knew I had to come up with an effective DIY mosquito spray for myself!
Many of the bug sprays that you buy in the stores actually contain essential oils to help repel mosquitoes and bugs.
However, because laws that allow companies to not release a majority of their ingredients because of proprietary recipes (even though food manufacturers have to tell you all the ingredients, but something that you put on your skin doesn't have to....) you don't know what all of the other ingredients that are absorbing into your skin are. And that's not good.
So why not make your own using some of the same ingredients that expensive bug sprays use?
- 1 cup of witch hazel
- 15 to 20 drops of lemon eucalyptus essential oil
- 15 drops of citronella essential oil
- 12 drops of lemongrass essential oil
- 10 drops of lavender essential oil
- Small spray bottle or bottles
Add the witch hazel to the bottle(s) and then carefully add the essential oils one at a time. Screw all of the caps and lids on tightly and then shake the spray bottle. Some separation is natural so simply shake each time before using.
Lavender essential oil is an important part of the spray. There's so much to say about why you want lavender in your garden and in bug repellants! Here's my article on how lavender repels mosquitoes in many different uses around the home.
And what happens if you *do* get a mosquito bite if you're not wearing bug spray? Here's natural remedies of how to get a mosquito bite to stop itching.
Be sure to click on the link to my blog post for a printable recipe card and some more information about this DIY bug spray!
Resources for this project:
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Comments
Join the conversation
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Do I mix all the essential oils you listed to the witch hazel.
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I've got you all beat. A mosquito will find and bite me within 15 seconds when I go outside. It's as if they wait for me to emerge from my home. When they get a visual on me they say "GET HIM!"
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Can I just use lemon zest or juice from lemon instead??
Will this also work on ticks?