Saturday, November 30, 2013

Insect repellent with essential oils

So summer is here in Australia. I absolutely hate spring and summer due to severe hayfever, anhidrosis and nose bleeds.

BUT that's not the reason for this post! Summer means mosquitoes, flies, and winged, unfriendly foes!

I did my research and came up with my simple mix of insect repellent with essential oils. According to the dosing instructions, 5 drops of EO to 10ml carrier (I used water):


  • Rosemary essential oil
  • Tea Tree essential oil
  • Lavender essential oil
  • Water
If you'd like to apply topically onto skin for bites, switch the water to an oil-based carrier such as jojoba (not oil-based but great for skin!) or olive oil or sweet almond oil. 

If you are confused between Essential Oils and Extracts, BUBBLE AND BEE's page have a really good explanation of both. Essential oils in my opinion are pure and more beneficial especially for the skin.

I would NOT recommend any Citrus essential oils (Orange, Lemon, Tangerine, Mandarin, Bergamot, Lime, Grapefruit, any citrusy essential oils!) to use on skin as they are phototoxic unless you are not planning to see the sun for at least 24-48 hours. There are some Citrus essential oils that some websites stated that it's safe but I do not use it altogether because I don't want to risk my skin! 

Anyway, I am sharing my super easy recipe for making a non-chemical laced insect repellent. Enjoy! :D