How to Make Effective DIY Mosquito Repellent

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How to Make Natural Repellents for Mosquitoes

When it comes to keeping mosquitos away, a DIY mosquito repellent is the best and most natural way to go.

Before opting for professional mosquito control, most people try to cure the problem on their own. Go to your local drugstore, and you will find some different mosquito repellents for sale. However, take a closer look, and you will see that they are full of chemicals. Now, not everybody wants to scrub their skin with strange and bizarre ingredients, so what do you do?

The easy answer is to look at making your own DIY mosquito repellent. By doing so, you can regulate what goes into it, and make it as natural as possible. While that does sound good, you need to be sure that your repellent works too.

Here are a few pointers that’ll work better than a mosquito repellent app.

Consider Essential Oils

The first area to explore for DIY mosquito repellent has to be essential oils. There are several options, but it’s worth noting that some are better than others. Some essential oils would need to be applied on an hourly basis which could get rather annoying.

The key essential oils to consider using include:

clove oil
lemon eucalyptus oil
geranium
citronella
patchouli

If you plan on using essential oils, then you need to mix them with a carrier oil before applying. Not doing this will lead to your skin being irritated.

Why Essential Oils Work

So, why do those essential oils work so well? Well, for a number of them, they appear in the list of ingredients for commercial repellents. Also, that is not just to make them smell nice as they do have medicinal properties.

Take the lemon eucalyptus oil as an example. According to various studies, it sits just behind DEET and Picaridin when it comes to effectiveness as a repellent.

There are even commercial repellents where this oil is at the root of it, and numerous tests support its effectiveness.

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The reason essential oils work often comes down to their aroma. Some scents are just not appealing to mosquitoes.

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Also, think of the number of outdoor products with citronella that is aimed explicitly at repelling mosquitoes. If they can produce it on a large scale, then making your version with citronella oil does make sense.

How to Make DIY Mosquito Repellent

So, how do you make your DIY mosquito repellent? Well, it’s easier than you think.

You need to have a carrier oil of some kind. The most common include:

jojoba oil
coconut oil
almond oil
olive oil

Generally, you may want to include two tablespoons of the oil mixed with two tablespoons of witch hazel for added effect. Then add your essential oils making sure they are indeed 100% natural.

You can use as much as 100 drops of essential oils, and break that up between different scents. That means you could include 50 drops of lemon eucalyptus oil matched with some lavender and thyme or rosemary. The mix is entirely up to you and your personal preferences.

Warnings About DIY Mosquito Repellent

So, is there anything to be concerned about when it comes to these repellents? Well, they shouldn’t be used on anybody under three years of age.

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Test any repellent on a small patch of skin first to check that you aren’t allergic.

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Aside from that, there are no other potential concerns which have to be pretty amazing. Of course, that does depend on you adding a carrier oil to the mixture.

Making your DIY mosquito repellent is fast and easy to do. Yes, it might not be as good as a number of the commercial products out there, but it will indeed be safer to use.

Also, at least you know what has gone into it, and if you store it in a dark bottle and keep it in a cool spot, then it should survive long enough for you to get through the bottle.

Overall, as long as you can get those pure essential oils, then you have nothing to lose.***

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