Did You Know? You Can Make The Most Effective Insect Repellent Formulas At Home

Ah yes, the joys of Summer, and along with them come the little biting bugs! Mosquitoes

, no-seeums, ticks and more, these are definitely creatures we all want to repel from ourselves and our environment. And if you've been paying attention, and probably if you're reading this -- and particularly if you're a parent -- you have, DEET (N,N-diethyl-3-methyl-benzamide ) is now thought to be toxic to a child's developing nervous system (and possibly adults as well). Yes, there are several scientific papers that say that it's not, but do you want to take the chance? Something causes the thousands of children each year to end up at the doctors after being sprayed with commercial insect repellents. Want to make your own organic, natural formula? Here's how to do it, and even use essential oils to repel mosquitoes and the like from your living space as well.

Making your own natural, and even "all organic" if you like, mosquito and insect repellent formulas is as easy as it gets. These will be exactly the same as any of the natural over-the-counter products you'll find in your local health food market. All you do is choose your base -- be it unscented lotion or a liquid to spray that "holds" the essential oil, add the essential oils to it, shake well, and there you have it.

Commonly available aromatherapy tools also make it easy to repel insects from your home as well. An "aromatherapy diffuser" is a common tool for dispersing essential oils into the air around you. Simply using one of the oils known for its repellent action will repel bugs from your environment and not just your body. Couldn't get easier! You'll just want to make sure you find a diffuser that can output a high concentration of oils in to the air, so check on specifications -- one's that simply warm the oils to release a little scent will probably not do the trick.

Ready to make your own formula? First decide whether you'd like a spray or lotion. A spray needs something to "hold" the essential oils in the liquid, otherwise they'll quickly float to the top ever time they're mixed. You can use one of the following as your base liquid for a spray: Rubbing alcohol, vodka, or witch hazel are excellent. The general rule of thumb for the concentration is anywhere between 5 and 10% essential oil in the base. So if you're making 4 ounces of spray, that's 120 milliliters. Five percent of that is 6 milliliters, which is 120 drops (if you don't have a measuring pipette). Obviously if you'd like to make a 10% concentration, just double the amount of essential oil -- just keep an eye out for any skin irritation.

Which essential oils to use? The most common ones in many of the natural repellents is Geranium or Rose Geranium. Geranium is nice because the aroma is appealing to many people, so you won't mind using it. The you'll find Citronella, Lemongrass, Cedarwood and sometime kind of mint, be it Spearmint or Peppermint. But the grandaddy essential oil for mosquito repelling is actually Catnip. Research was released a few years ago that noted Catnip to be ten times more effective than DEET! In all the natural formulas, you'll find a blend of oils, as it's likely several oils combined will be more effective than any single one alone.

You can put all these oils together like this: When making 4 fluid ounces, fill your empty bottle up with just under 4 ounces of your base. If you'd like to use just Catnip essential oil, simply add 6 milliliters (120 drops) of Catnip essential oil to your bottle, shake well and you're done! If you'd like to use these other oils, try adding to your base: 8ml Geranium (or Rose Geranium), 3ml Cedarwood, and 1ml Peppermint. Feel free to mix and match with what you have on hand to give you a 10% concentration. At the same time, if anyone using the formula finds it too intense, make something with a lower concentration.

These same oils can be used in a diffuser to disperse the oil around your home. A nebulizing diffuser is best, as they output higher concentrations of the oils. As in making the topical formula, Catnip essential oil will probably be most effective -- at the same time, you may or may not find your own nose likes Catnip! In this case, concoct your own recipe from the oils already discussed. How much to diffuse? Experiment for your space and your needs -- the idea is to use the least amount of essential oil necessary to do the job, so see what works for you and your family.

So, as you see, it's that easy to make your own totally natural insect repellent formula for your family, and to repel those pesky critters all through the night if you so desire. These essential oils are all readily available online (you may not find Catnip at your local stores), and can be found at low cost in bulk -- this can be the best choice for families, where repelling mosquitoes is a full time job this time of year!

by: Tracy Waters

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