Summer is here! I love summer. The warm weather, getting a nice tan, the laughter of children playing outside, and all the fun activities to do. One thing I do not like about summer is the BUGS!!!! Yuck...with a capital "Y".
There are a lot of products out on the market to help keep the bugs off of you. However, they are not all that safe to use. Especially on children. Many, including myself, prefer a more natural approach to anything we use on our bodies. Which is why I love this recipe for homemade bug spray. It's safe, effective, doesn't contain all those chemicals you can't pronounce, and it's very expensive to make.
I love that I have most of these products in my home already and use them everyday. So it's virtually cost free since we don't have to go out and grab these products. However, if you don't have these, you can find them pretty inexpensive. The oils are what you will be spending the most money on.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of apple cider vinegar or witch hazel
- 2 ounces of water
- 40 drops of essential oils*
- 1/4 teaspoon of castile soap to help distribute the oil better
- Glass spray bottle
Directions
Start by adding the essential oils to the apple cider vinegar or witch hazel. Add a squirt of castile soap and let it sit for just a few minutes. Then stir. This helps move the essential oils around in the liquid.
Add the water and pour into a clean, glass spray bottle. Glass is best as plastics contain chemicals and those chemicals can seep into the spray. Apply to your skin and clothing before going outdoors. Store your spray in the refrigerator when you are not using it. This will help it last about 3 months. Perfect for the summer months.
Also, not all bugs react to bug spray the same. To ensure you are keeping away the bugs you really want off of you, here's a guide to help repel the pesky ones you don't want near your skin.
Mosquitoes
citronella, peppermint, lemongrass, lemon, clove, rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender, geranium, cyprus, cinnamon, sage
Ticks
cedarwood, geranium, eucalyptus, myrrh
Chiggers
lavender, sage, lemongrass
Gnats
spearmint, peppermint, geranium, eucalyptus
*remember, not all essential oils are created equal.
Make sure you are using ones that are organic and as close to pure as
possible. There are a lot of great essential oil companies out there. I just prefer the brand NOW , but you can use any organic essential oils.
* another note to consider is that children under the age of two should not be exposed to certain oils. Make sure you use ones that are safer on the little ones when applying to their skin.
Thanks for posting this, I have bought several bug sprays and none work. Bryn is allergic to mosquitos and she's been up all night itching so I really need to find something that works for her. Bonus points if it's all natural!!
ReplyDeleteOh no! I have never met anyone allergic to mosquitoes. That has to be such a pain during the summer. If you do try this, let me know how it works for you and if it keeps her from all that pesky itching :( Poor girl
ReplyDeleteMosquitoes are a real pain in our tropical country.It's summer here all year round! Thanks for this very useful tip.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome! I hate mosquitoes so much and I'm always trying to find ways to repel them naturally, Thank you for sharing this. This is perfect! I would definitely mix this up soon.
ReplyDeleteThey are such a pain. I hope this helps if you ever do try it.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found this helpful. Mosquitoes seem to love me LOL so this is was something I really liked. And again, it's natural!
ReplyDelete