I am so pumped to share this DIY Bug Repellant Spray with you today because you just don’t understand how many natural and less toxic bug sprays our family has gone through over the years to come and find out that so many of them do not really work all that well. Eloise is super allergic to mosquito bites and she swells up like crazy when she gets bit. So badly that one year she had a bite under her eye that made her look like someone punched her in the face. It was awful, she couldn’t even see out of her eye on that side of her face! We try really hard to stay away from too many chemicals when we can and we just aren’t fans of applying DEET to our children either. So, to find something that is natural and actually works is utter happiness to say the least!
To be honest with you, I felt like every summer I was spending tons of money on bug sprays that didn’t really get the job done so when I had the chance to try this Repellant Blend I figured what did I have to lose. I bought a bottle for a trip we were planning up north in Minnesota. We wanted to do some hiking with the kids and I thought now is as good a time as any to test it out. The Repellant Blend is a blend of a few different essential oils mixed with Fractionated Coconut Oil so you can apply it NEAT which is what we did. I just dabbed a drop on each of our pulse points (neck and wrists) and ankles and had everyone just rub the excess over their arms, down their neck, and up their legs. I have to say…it worked. Like a charm. No bug bites, no ticks!!!! I was so so so happy. And a huge bonus is that it smells really good. Not totally like citronella but almost as if there is some vanilla mixed in with it (which there is not but it just smells like it to me!)
I made a great Bug Spray with the Repellant Blend when we came home from our trip. With four little kids, sometimes it’s easier if I can just quickly spray their arms and legs down rather than have each of them rub oils on themselves. We have used this so many times. It has been really nice to have a nice smelling, natural, and inexpensive (there are 250 drops in one bottle!) way to fight off those annoying mosquitos while we play outside in the evenings. Here is how I make mine:
DIY Bug Repellant Spray:
10-20 drops of Repellant Blend
Witch Hazel (with alcohol to use as a preservative!)
Distilled Water
To make the bug spray add 10-20 drops of the Repellant Blend into a small 1 oz glass spray bottle. I listed the ones I use above. I like to buy colored glass bottles so that the essential oils do not break down in the sunlight. Next fill half the bottle with witch hazel and the fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water. Shake and spray!
I find my witch hazel with alcohol at any of the big box stores like Walmart or Target. You can also buy it online here.
If you plan to be in an area that has a lot of ticks, you may want to try adding in a few drops of Cleansing Blend or Geranium as well. Both products have also been shown to be good at repelling ticks.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and it helps to prevent those annoying mosquito bites for you as much as it has for us!
Love,
Maggie
where do I get the essential blends? Also, I am really excited about the comic book boards you used to wrap your fabric for shelves! I look forward to visiting again.
You can email me at smashedpeasandcarrots{at}gmail{dot}com and I can share more about the particular oils I use. And thank you regarding the comic book boards…they are such a simple yet pretty way to organize and showcase all your fabric!
Hello ! What are the oils and their ratio in the repellent blend?