Practical Aromatherapy: Natural Insect Repellents - By: Michael South

It's summer time again and along with it comes the host of little winged creatures, buzzing around our ears and looking for a nice spot to land. No, it doesn't sound so wonderful, yet somehow neither does the thought of spraying DEET on ourselves and our children's skin. Thankfully, many wonderful natural health alternatives are available -- and the active ingredients in most of these products are essential oils. In fact, some essential oils have been tested in the laboratory to be up to 10 times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET. Your own natural formulation is exceptionally easy to make, and that way you'll find the base that suits your skin most. Many folks like using natural carrier oils on their skin, or something then like a witch hazel, rather than the semi-synthetic cream bases most often found.

Besides preventing insects from being attracted to you and your children personally, diffusing essential oils is a perfect way to keep mosquitoes and other biting insects from your living space. The same scent they find distasteful insect repelling lotions can also be diffused into the air. This can also work for flies, gnats and other winged, buzzing creatures. And thankfully most people find they enjoy the scents used for these purposes, especially in the summer time as they are often bright uplifting lemony aromas.

First for the topical formulations: These are simply essential oils added to a lotion, oil, or body spray base. You can add essential oils to any commercially available lotion, even sunscreen -- which creates an excellent dual purpose recipe for summer. Aromatherapy carrier oils can be used instead of lotions as many people appreciate their skin-hydrating properties; simply choose the carrier oils that suit your skin type. Finally, a spray can be made using a water and which hazel combination, misting your skin and clothes (without worry of stains), or even in the air around you. Witch hazel is a natural plant extract used as a preservative, and is easily found even in the aisles of your local grocery store. For a spray base, simply mix witch hazel and water at a one-to-three ratio.

There are a great many essential oil combinations considered ineffective for repelling insects. The most popular essential oil for mosquito repelling is citronella, distilled from the leaves of grass grown in tropical countries. In recent years however, it has been found that citronella alone is not the most potent bug repellent. Adding other essential oils, namely peppermint, cedar wood, and geranium will greatly enhance its effectiveness. Citronella, or citronella mixed with lemongrass, is still the most widely used essential oil for room diffusion (the result is similar to burning a citronella candle). Try diffusing one or both of these essential oils and a nebulizing in diffuser, or add 20 drops of oil to plain water in a spray bottle and mist your environment.

Geranium and cedar wood essential oils are also very popular ingredients in natural insect repellents, and can work excellently in combination with citronella for a very effective formula. To each ounce of base, add 80 drops of citronella, 15 drops of peppermint, 10 drops of Cedar, seven drops of lemongrass, and two drops of geranium. This is an extra strength recipe that can also be used in a diffuser. A nebuling in diffuser will work best to keep insects from your living space, as it provides the highest concentration of the essential oils in the air. If applying this formula topically to children, dilute the essential oil concentration in half for preteens, and to one quarter for children over two. This recipe is not recommended for the youngest ones, as the peppermint can be too strong. For the youngest children, use a one half percent each concentration of geranium and citronella. For all these recipes, ou may vary the ratios of these oils to suit your nose and to the distaste of the little winged creatures.

Perhaps the most underused essential oil for insect repellent action is that of catnip. Catnip essential oil is quite potent, and has a very unique scent. It has been studied in comparison to DEET to have 10 times the efficacy. DEET is found in insect repellent formulas at a concentration of between five and 20%. With 10 times the efficacy, using only 2% catnip the oil in your recipe should give you a natural creation as strong as the most powerful extra strength inorganic formulas. You can add catnip oil to either of the above recipes, or use it alone if the aroma suits you. Catnip oil should be not used with small children, and some folks may find their skin sensitive to it. As with any essential oil, it is best to start with lower concentrations and work up to ensure a safe and healthy result.

Essential oils are also excellent remedies for insect bites once they've occurred. They can reduce both the pain of a sting and the itch of many little bites. Lavender is most commonly used for this, and it can be applied directly to the skin undiluted. Just tap one drop of lavender essential oil from the bottle and apply with your fingertip. Blue tansy essential oil, also known as Moroccan Chamomile, is also regularly used in aromatherapy for its soothing effects to the skin. For best results, dilute blue tansy to 2% in a carrier oil or lotion and massage onto the affected area. If you are concerned about infection, also include tea tree essential oil at a 5% dilution.

Though synthetic preparations have been used for many years, a great many of natural health enthusiasts simply refuse to use them on their skin. Essential oil formulations are now in use by even the most rugged outdoorsmen. Making your own recipe gives you the option of creating a product that best suits your skin and the skin of your children. You will also be using essential oils that have additional profound health effects, and you will naturally learn new and very applications as time goes by.

About the Author

The author is a consultant for Ananda Aromatherapy, found at anandaapothecary.com. More resources are available on aromatherapy and essential oils through the website.

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