Try This Easy To Make Essential Oil Mosquito Repellent
Have a hard time finding a chemical-free repellent that works? Make this essential oil mosquito repellent to have year-round.
There are many DIY bug sprays out there, and most of them are just average. As much as I don’t like putting chemicals on my body, I had a difficult time finding a chemical-free repellent that worked, until now. Create this essential oil mosquito repellent today to enjoy it all year round, as needed.
I have been looking for an essential oil mosquito repellent for a while now, but often they do not work, or they smell way too strong and overbearing. Doug, my guy who is managing Parkinson’s disease, and I live on Cape Cod, and we do have to deal with our fair share of mosquitoes.
It wouldn’t be a problem if I were willing to use the regular bug spray that is loaded with chemicals and toxins. They do work, but I don’t want to use that stuff, year in and year out, on my skin. I get concerned about the toxic load on my body over time, and on Doug’s body, too.
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Chemical vs Botanical Repellents
No repellent, either chemical or botanical, works 100%, and it’s important to research to find out what diseases are carried by mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects in your area.
All repellents vary in effectiveness, and botanical repellents, like those made with essential oils, are no different. Botanicals do not need to be registered or tested by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) like other chemical repellents.
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the only botanically derived ingredient approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), registered with the EPA, and that has undergone efficacy testing is Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus/PMD.
This is why, if you are living or spending time outdoors in a higher disease risk area, the EWG recommends, when you need a greater amount of protection, to use products that are made with active ingredients registered with the EPA and approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When To Use An Essential Oil Mosquito Repellent
Botanical repellents, like this essential oil mosquito repellent, are great to use when you need just a minimal amount of protection, and won’t be in a high-risk, highly infested area.
For example, Doug and I used this botanical repellent on a late summer evening, when we went to the movies outside here on the Cape. The weather was warm but not too humid, and we weren’t going to be outside for a long time.
My thinking is, select the chemical repellents for when you will be in high-risk situations, and then use the essential oil mosquito repellent for the other, less risky, times. That way, throughout your lifetime, you will be reducing the chemical load on your body, versus using chemical repellents all of the time without any thought.
What Essential Oils Repel Mosquitoes?
There are over 3000 essential oils, with about 10% of those commercially available as repellents and insecticides. In general, essential oils are recognized as safe. However, some can cause side effects such as skin irritation, contact dermatitis, and more, so do your homework.
Here are a few essential oils effective at repelling mosquitoes with an effective duration between 30 minutes and 2 hours.
- lemon eucalyptus
- lemongrass
- citronella – deters mosquito biting for approximately 2 hours.
- NOTE: Citronella is no longer being used as an insect repellent in Canada or Europe out of concern for the presence of a substance called methyl eugenol, which is considered to be a category 2B substance, meaning possibly carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
- The United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) considers citronella oil as GRAS – generally recognized as safe.
- clove – the US FDA considers clove oil as GRAS; however, there are also concerns for methyl eugenol in clove oil as well.
- cedarwood
- peppermint
- lavender
- geranium
Handy Tools For This Recipe
- kitchen scale
- Essential Oils – links to the specific oils are below
- Glass spritzer bottles
- Glass-capped bottles
Essential Oil Mosquito Repellent Ingredients
NOTE: For the exact measurements and full instructions, please see the printable card below.
- witch hazel extract
- catnip extract
- cedarwood oil
- eucalyptus lemon oil
- lemon oil
- lavender oil
- rosemary oil
- lemongrass oil
How to Make Essential Oil Mosquito Repellent
- Set the kitchen scale to the “ounces” setting.
- Place the capped bottle onto the scale and zero out the weight.
- Add witch hazel to the capped bottle to measure 2 ounces.
- Next, add the catnip to the capped bottle to measure 4 ounces total.
- Add all of the essential oils to the mixture carefully.
- Cap bottle and gently turn bottle up and down to “shake”. Do not shake vigorously, but enough to mix all of the ingredients.
- Once thoroughly mixed, transfer the desired amount to the glass spritzer bottle.
- Cap both bottles tightly and store in the fridge when not in use.
Notes About This Essential Oil Mosquito Repellent Recipe
This Essential Oil Mosquito Repellent recipe is a modified version of a recipe from Mountain Rose Herbs.
This repellent recipe is quick and easy to make, and once I had all of the ingredients, it took me literally 5 minutes.
It is very important to make sure you buy quality essential oils from a reputable source. Some companies put fillers and toxic ingredients in the blends they sell, and you do not want to put that on your body.
If you are looking for quality essential oils, I highly recommend Mountain Rose Herbs. The majority of their oils are organic, and they pride themselves on sourcing quality essential oils, herbs, and other products. Plus, their customer service is fantastic.
Tips For This Recipe
Be careful when you are measuring the essential oils, as each one has a different viscosity and will pour out at varying speeds.
Make sure to cap each bottle tightly before storing.
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How To Store
This Essential Oil Mosquito Repellent will last up to one year if stored in the fridge.
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Let’s Connect
If you make this Essential Oil Mosquito Repellent, I would love it if you give it 5 stars and comment below.
I’d love to hear from you.
VIDEO: How to make Essential Oil Mosquito Repellent
Printable Recipe For You To Enjoy
Easy Essential Oil Mosquito Repellent
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Set kitchen scale to the "ounces" setting.
- Place the capped bottle onto the scale and zero out weight.
- Add witch hazel to the capped bottle to measure 2 ounces.
- Next add the catnip to the capped bottle to measure 4 ounces total.
- Add all of the essential oils to the mixture carefully.
- Cap bottle and gently turn bottle up and down to "shake". Do not shake vigorously but enough to mix all of the ingredients.
- Once thoroughly mixed, transfer desired amount to the glass spritzer bottle.
- Cap both bottles tightly, and store in the fridge when not in use.
Notes
- Be careful when you are measuring the essential oils, as each one has a different viscosity and will pour out at varying speeds.
- Make sure to cap each bottle tightly.
- Stores best in the fridge and will last up to one year.
- ENJOY!