Is DEET Safe? Make Your Own Even More Effective Natural Mosquito Repellent Formula
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.
Pungent natural aromatics have been used throughout the ages to repel biting insects. We’re all very familiar with Citronella, which is in fact an essential oil distilled from a grass. In all the natural mosquito and insect repellent formulas, essential oils are the ingredients that keep the bugs away — the rest is just inert “carrier”, either lotion or liquid. Making your own version of these is as simple as filling a container with your carrier of choice, then measuring your essential oils and mixing the whole thing together. And if you’re one of those folks who really wants to go the “all organic” route, making your own allows you to do 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? A few which are often used are Geranium, Citronella, Cedarwood, Lemongrass and Lemon Tea Tree. A small amount of Peppermint is good, but the amount should be kept low if the formula will be used on children under 12. These can be mixed and matched to your liking. Using more than one is recommended, as the aroma’s will synergize, possibly having a more potent effect together than any single oil alone. But on that note, scientific research has it that Catnip essential oil, being made up primarily of nepetelaction, is the single most potent essential oil for repelling mosquitoes — ten times more effective than DEET. It’s a pricier essential oil because of its relatively low production, but you’ll also be able to use less.
Here’s an example recipe: fill a 4 ounce spray bottle with 1/3rd each vodka, water, and witch hazel. To this add 120 drops Rose Geranium, 80 drops Lemongrass and 20 drops Peppermint. Shake well and apply. You can spray this on the outside of your clothing if you like, and of course, directly on your skin. For children under 12, be sure to substitute Spearmint for Peppermint, and the Peppermint can be to intense for the young ones. You can make precisely the same recipe in a lotion: just find an unscented, preferably organic natural lotion and add this same amount to the lotion base.
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.
Well there it is! One of the simplest, very effective means of “aromatherapy”. By using essential oils this way, you can alleviate your worries of whether or not DEET is harmful to you and your loved ones. Essential oils really a great treasure of natural healing — if you haven’t used them yet, perhaps this can be your launching pad into a whole new world of natural medicine.
For more resources on using essential oils and Bach flower essences therapeutically, visit the Ananda Apothecary.
