Homemade all natural bug spray with NO DEET!
Check out this non toxic DEET free homemade bug spray with essential oils. It’s very effective and is 100% safe for children.
It is an all natural bug spray made with essential oils known for their bug repelling properties.
One of the other great benefits of repelling mosquitoes with essential oils is that it smells amazing!
No more harsh chemicals being breathed in, just all natural goodness.
Why Make Homemade Bug Spray?
As someone who gets eaten alive by mosquitos every year during camping and BBQ season, I use a lot of bug spray.
I am no stranger to the pungent smell of DEET as I used to douse myself head to toe in the stuff to avoid bug bites the size of golf balls.
One thing I never really thought about was how I would immediately start gagging and coughing as soon as I breathed even a little of it in.
I just assumed it was something I had to deal with unless I wanted to be swarmed by insects.
Fast forward to when I had my oldest son and the first year we took him camping.
I actually found myself contemplating whether I should just let him get bitten by bugs rather than listen to him cough as he breathed in the fumes of the bug spray.
I looked for natural bug sprays at the store but they were either crazy expensive or still had some iffy ingredients in them.
So after doing some pretty extensive research, I decided to just make my own!
This bug spray has worked wonders for us and I have no worries about using this on my kids or on myself.
After using this all last summer, I got bit a total of two times….and that’s because I neglected to spray my feet when I was wearing flip flops outside (I won’t make that mistake again!) and my kids didn’t get bit at all!
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DIY Natural Bug Spray
Why is DEET so controversial?
Dr. Abou Donia, a Duke University pharmacologist, found that rats treated with an average human dose of DEET performed far worse than control rats when challenged with physical tasks requiring muscle control, strength and coordination.
In the same study, they found that DEET caused neurons to die in regions of the brain that control muscle movement, learning, memory and concentration.
Children are at an even higher risk for brain changes after DEET exposure because their skin absorbs it more readily. A study done in 2001 has also tied DEET to seizures or brain toxicity in children.
When applied topically, 56% of DEET has been shown to be absorbed by the skin, with 17% making it into the bloodstream.
In fact, DEET is stored in your skin, fat, body, and central nervous system.
DEET has even been found in waste water and even in areas where waste water travels into other bodies of water. Which mean our lakes, streams, and drinking water are not free of DEET.
Because DEET products are used so widely, DEET is one of the most common chemical contaminants found in our water supplies.
That is enough to make me want to stay far away from products containing DEET.
Yes, it’s true that DEET will help to keep insects at bay, but doesn’t it make more sense to use a product that can do the same and keep harmful toxins out of your body and the environment?
Essential oils are 100% natural, will not harm the environment and actually help keep bugs away while doing no harm to our bodies (plus this spray smells way better!).
What are some safe store bought natural bug sprays?
This DIY natural bug spray is awesome for repelling mosquitos, flies and ticks! However, if you decide you really don’t want to make your own and want to go the store bought route, here are some of the few natural bug sprays that I actually trust:
Sky Organics Organic Bug Spray
Babyganics Natural DEET-Free Insect Repellent
What are the best oils to use?
Citronella is very well known as a great insect repellent, but I have added several others that have been known to be effective as well.
I chose to use peppermint, geranium, lavender, rosemary, clove, and tea tree in addition to citronella but it’s very easy to switch some out if you don’t have them all.
However, I highly recommend at least using citronella, peppermint and rosemary, and if using solely for repelling mosquitos, lemongrass.
The recipe below is just what I have used and had great results with!
How To Make Homemade Bug Spray With Essential Oils
For this bug spray you will need:
4 oz glass spray bottle
Distilled water
1 tsp Glycerin
20 drops citronella essential oil
10 drops each of peppermint, geranium, lavender, rosemary, clove and tea tree essential oils
(optional) 10 drops lemongrass essential oil
This spray is super simple to make. Simply add in your essential oils then fill your bottle halfway with witch hazel. Fill it up the rest of the way with distilled water. Add in the glycerin and that’s it!
NOTE: I put lemongrass as an optional oil because even though it is a great mosquito repellent, it has also been known to attract bees, so just keep that in mind if you are allergic to bees.
If you don’t have essential oils of your own yet, check out this post on how to get them delivered to your door every month.
Related Articles:
DIY Non-Toxic Foaming Hand Soap
What To Use Essential Oils For (What Exactly Are Essential Oils?)
It probably smells wonderful! I know that mosquitoes are supposed to hate it, but I think I’d love the natural smell.
I will have to make this for sure. I always have mosquitoes around me when I go out.
I need to make this for my husband. He will be camping next week.
I really want to make this. I can’t stand using store bought bug spray. It grosses me out.
This is really great! I would really love to try making this out!
I am surely gonna try to make this. I really need this!
I have to make this for sure. I love all natural products. It is costly to make it. thanks for sharing
I can definitely get behind some DIY bug spray, there are so many contact allergies in my family that it’s good to be able to know exactly what’s going into what you’re putting on your skin!
Need this in FL for sure. Thanks for the recipe!
You just convinced me to give this bug spray a try! I love that it’s all natural!
What a smart idea to make your own. Great for the grandbabes who will be here to visit soon.
It is definitely something I will try to try. Thank you so much for recommending it
so very useful to know, and safer than buying .. with plans to spend time outdoors (mostly backyard and hiking over weekends), this is going to help
That natural bug spray sounds so amazing that I will have to try it soon!
I love the idea of deet free insect repellent. I’ll have to make some using peppermint oil mixed with coconut oil.
I wish everyone would do this instead of using the toxic products. Thanks for spelling it out and leaving a great recipe. I’ll make it!
Definitely appealing to have something more natural. This also probably smells wonderful! Can you say what kind of environments you’ve tried it out in (e.g. grassy areas, damp woods, more arid environments)?