Essential oils as natural repellants︱Recipes

Esenciálne oleje ako prírodný repelent︱Recepty

| updated 7 AUGUST 2024

Summer, the most favorite season of most of us. It is full of colors and smells. However, they also naturally include the arrival of the unpopular and intrusive... INSECTS.

In this article, we would like to provide you with some effective tips with which you can confidently arm yourself for a walk, hiking, or lounging in your garden on a deckchair . The natural way - a natural repellent - is one of the safest and most gentle solutions. In this way, we successfully avoid chemicals harmful to health. Come with us to the world of fragrant and natural solutions, where we will prepare a natural repellent from essential oils together.

You can find the recipes at the end of the article.

Essential oils vs. synthetic repellents

DISADVANTAGES of using synthetic repellents
  • are toxic to humans (adults and especially children)
  • ticks are becoming more and more resistant to them every year
  • they burden the environment

BENEFITS of using essential oils as a repellent

  • very simple and quick to prepare
  • pure natural composition (water and a few drops of essential oils)
  • the repellent is always freshly prepared
  • if we use them correctly, they are harmless to humans
  • some types of essential oils are naturally repellent (plants protect themselves from pests), e.g.: Spearmint - repels mosquitoes (for up to 3 hours after its application)
  • cheaper alternative
  • environmentally friendly

Ticks and mosquitoes are not "just" annoying, but also dangerous for us adults, our children and also animals. A tick can transmit tick-borne encephalitis or Lyme disease , which affects approximately 150,000 people in Europe every year .

These are the most commonly used essential oils with an effect against the most common type of tick in Slovakia ( Ixodes ricinus ): lemongrass, peppermint , eucalyptus , geranium , lavender .

Because the best solution is prevention !

Let's remember that essential oils can also repel other types of insects, e.g.: moths, mites, etc.

ATTENTION → on the combination of different types of oils (each of them has different effects). The combination can be counterproductive - you can attract insects (bees, wasps and butterflies...) and smell them like a tempting flower.

How to prepare a natural repellent

To prepare the repellent, we will need essential oil ( 2-3 types of oils with repellent effects ) and water , preferably distilled. We can also use an alcohol-based dilution version - alcohol dilution. For a safe (with regard to our skin) and sufficient effect, we use at least 80% alcohol . As a suitable carrier, we can also use vegetable carrier oils such as safflower or coconut oil.

Recipe for natural mosquito repellent

Or mix the repellent exactly according to your needs based on the following table

A pesky insect

Essential oils with repellent effects

Fleas Lemongrass , Mint , Lavender , Rosemary
Mosquitoes Rosemary , Lavender , Oregano , Lemongrass , Patchouli , Geranium , Clove, Thyme
Pliers lemongrass , Thyme , Rosemary , Clove, geranium , Mint
Ants orange , Rosemary , Mint , Cinnamon , Clove

Natural repellent directly on the skin

Safe concentration of essential oils

Adults MAX 4-5%

Children MAX 1%

EXAMPLE OF RECIPE

ADULTS 30ml of vegetable carrier oil + 30 drops of EO (total)
CHILDREN 30 ml of vegetable oil + (we will reduce the amount of EO drops) 6 drops

Such a natural repellent can be applied directly to the skin. Take the repellent with you to nature and repeat the application. Essential oils are volatile, therefore their repellent effect is also volatile.

Recipe for a natural repellent diluted with alcohol (suitable for a sprayer)

EXAMPLE OF RECIPE
ADULTS 30ml 80% alcohol + 30 drops of essential oils (together, we can use a combination of max. 3 repellent essential oils)
CHILDREN the amount of alcohol remains, only the number of drops of essential oils changes, in this case 6-9 drops are enough

 

WE DO NOT SPRAY such repellent DIRECTLY ON THE SKIN , but only on textiles: clothes, backpacks, blankets, socks, shoes...

Recipe for repellent with water (suitable for sprayer)

EXAMPLE OF RECIPE

ADULTS 30 ml of boiled water at room temperature + 30 drops of essential oil in total
CHILDREN 30 ml of boiled water at room temperature + 6-9 drops of essential oil

Shake thoroughly before each use (the reason is simple, oils do not dissolve in water, they just float on its surface).

Durability of repellents

The version with alcohol lasts longer than the repellent with water . In that case, it is best to prepare a fresh one for each trip and before each trip.

Whichever of the repellent options you choose above, avoid thick and tall grass during your walk. Always check yourself, the children and don't forget your four-legged pets when you arrive . Ticks look for warm places , thin skin and carefully choose the best shelter for themselves - ears, private parts, torso, neck. In dogs, check in particular the groin, paws (also between individual toes), ears (especially from the inside), teeth (yes, they can also hide in the gums...), armpits and belly.

Important → If you know you will be using essential oils in your blend that you haven't used before, test your blend first on your forearm for a possible allergic reaction.

We wish you fragrant summer days, trips and adventures!

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