It's great to sit outside in the summer, on the patio or in an Adirondack chair on the lawn - until the mosquitoes find you. Since you don't want to perfume the air and taint your skin with DEET, you go inside. If you had a bottle of essential oil insect repellent, however, you could stay out, knowing the bugs would stay away and you yourself would be unharmed.
Conventional personal bug sprays often contain chemicals like DEET, which is known to be dangerous. Even adults have become ill or died from exposure to this chemical, and it is considered unsafe for children by many authorities. It's approved for family use by government watchdogs, however, so many people use sprays that contain it. Often, they don't know the danger, or they just might not think they have an alternative.
Essential oils are extracted from herbs. There are many familiar ones that keep biting and stinging insects away. Prepared formulas come in sprays, topical solutions, rub-on sticks, and pre-soaked wipes. These work well for garden use, for when you're at the beach, or even for camping in the deep woods. People use them for pets and horses, and to keep spiders out of the house.
You can also make your own with essential oils (volatile oils naturally found in plants that are isolated by one of a number of extraction methods) and some simple carrier solutions. Although some hard-to-collect oils might be expensive, there are many that you can buy that are affordable. There are several diluting solutions you can use, including water, witch hazel, rubbing alcohol, and apple cider vinegar.
Essentials can be expensive, but some of the best for bug sprays are surprisingly affordable. You use 10 to 30 drops of one or more in the solution. Experiment to find how strong a mixture you need. Gnats are fairly easy to keep off, as are mosquitoes. For ticks, you probably want a stronger oil, like tea tree or pennyroyal, and you may need to use 30 to 50 drops.
Popular, affordable, and easy-to-get oils include peppermint, citronella, rosemary, lavender, cedar, lemongrass, and lemon balm. You can add vanilla and clove to the formula if you like those scents; they smell good to us but not to bugs. You will enjoy using these fragrant sprays, and you don't have to hold your breath after spraying them on. To keep ticks off your dog, try using tea tree oil, either full strength rubbed on a thick coat or diluted with water and vinegar. This keeps fleas away, as well, making a trip to the dog park less risky.
It's always a good idea to spray your clothes or your hat instead of your skin, if you are sensitive to cosmetics in general. You can spray your children's hair rather than their faces to keep gnats out of their eyes and ears. Spray your boots and pants when walking in brush or long grass to keep off ticks. You can even rub fresh leaves of mint or lemon balm on your skin in a pinch.
Once you use a natural repellent, whether one you buy or one you make yourself, you will never want to go back to chemicals. People even use them for pets, to keep fleas, ticks, flies, and mosquitoes away. An all-natural bug spray will make summertime better than ever.
Conventional personal bug sprays often contain chemicals like DEET, which is known to be dangerous. Even adults have become ill or died from exposure to this chemical, and it is considered unsafe for children by many authorities. It's approved for family use by government watchdogs, however, so many people use sprays that contain it. Often, they don't know the danger, or they just might not think they have an alternative.
Essential oils are extracted from herbs. There are many familiar ones that keep biting and stinging insects away. Prepared formulas come in sprays, topical solutions, rub-on sticks, and pre-soaked wipes. These work well for garden use, for when you're at the beach, or even for camping in the deep woods. People use them for pets and horses, and to keep spiders out of the house.
You can also make your own with essential oils (volatile oils naturally found in plants that are isolated by one of a number of extraction methods) and some simple carrier solutions. Although some hard-to-collect oils might be expensive, there are many that you can buy that are affordable. There are several diluting solutions you can use, including water, witch hazel, rubbing alcohol, and apple cider vinegar.
Essentials can be expensive, but some of the best for bug sprays are surprisingly affordable. You use 10 to 30 drops of one or more in the solution. Experiment to find how strong a mixture you need. Gnats are fairly easy to keep off, as are mosquitoes. For ticks, you probably want a stronger oil, like tea tree or pennyroyal, and you may need to use 30 to 50 drops.
Popular, affordable, and easy-to-get oils include peppermint, citronella, rosemary, lavender, cedar, lemongrass, and lemon balm. You can add vanilla and clove to the formula if you like those scents; they smell good to us but not to bugs. You will enjoy using these fragrant sprays, and you don't have to hold your breath after spraying them on. To keep ticks off your dog, try using tea tree oil, either full strength rubbed on a thick coat or diluted with water and vinegar. This keeps fleas away, as well, making a trip to the dog park less risky.
It's always a good idea to spray your clothes or your hat instead of your skin, if you are sensitive to cosmetics in general. You can spray your children's hair rather than their faces to keep gnats out of their eyes and ears. Spray your boots and pants when walking in brush or long grass to keep off ticks. You can even rub fresh leaves of mint or lemon balm on your skin in a pinch.
Once you use a natural repellent, whether one you buy or one you make yourself, you will never want to go back to chemicals. People even use them for pets, to keep fleas, ticks, flies, and mosquitoes away. An all-natural bug spray will make summertime better than ever.
About the Author:
Find an overview of the benefits of using an essential oil insect repellent and view our selection of essential oils at http://www.paulopolis.com/product/petitgrain-orange-essential-oil-2-oz right now.
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