Homemade Repellent Evaluation

I've been using my homemade repellent for about a month now. The first repellent I made and tried was: Natural Mosquito Repellent #1 (water, isoprophyl alcohol, lemongrass and peppermint). 

* Pros: no deet, nice fresh smell, organic. Peppermint oil =  tick repellent (no ticks!)

* Cons: a few mosquito's bites. 

My son, husband and I all tried the spray. The best advice I have for the homemade repellent is: apply directly to the skin; once dried, reapply. Two coats seemed to be the magic number for us. Mosquito's will still hover and may still bite. If you're not in the deep woods (like we are) I think this spray would work perfectly fine. I would recommend it as a mosquito repellent for less swampy areas or wooded areas, and as a tick repellent.

(Our biggest problem in Northern MN is our mosquito's are mini vampires, and usually don't care if you have strong repellent or weak repellent. They'll try their best to suck your blood, the little devils!)

I'm going to be trying Repellent #2 (rubbing alcohol, olive oil, tea tree oil)  in August to see how that compares. Will report back!

Homemade Repellents

I have found there is really no great way to keep ticks and mosquitos away in Northern MN. Unless of course I take a bath in Off before I go play outside in the gardens. Researching natural homemade method had been on my to-do list since the snow melted but that list was lost, however, a new list was made and the repellents were forgotten...

I was re-inspired by my neighbor, Sarah, to make my own mosquito spray. I am going to have to buy 2 larger spray bottles to try these out, figure out which works best and repost.  I just love trying new things like this. Lucky for me these homemade repellents seem super easy!

Remember, if you haven't tried any of these oils before trying the mixture on a small patch of skin before spraying over your whole body to make sure your skin is not sensitive to the oil and that you're not allergic.

Natural Mosquito Repelling Oils: Lemon, Peppermint, Eucalyptus radiata, Lemongrass, Citronella

Natural Mosquito Repellent Recipe #1-
1. 1/2 tsp. of catnip, peppermint (2ml) or spearmint in a spray bottle.
2. Add 1 cup of isopropyl alcohol and 1 cup of water.
3. Shake well before each use.

Natural Mosquito Repellent Recipe#2-
1. Combine rubbing alcohol (or can use vodka, or olive oil) with an oil listed above or  clove oil, tea tree, cedar oil)
2. Use a 10 to 1- alcohol-to-oil ratio.
3. Shake well before each use.

Natural Tick Repelling Oils: Lavender, Lemongrass, Sage, Thyme

Natural Tick Repellent:
1. Mix 2 cups of distilled white vinegar and 1 cup of water.
2. Add 20 drops of your favorite essential oil. (peppermint and citrus oils give off a strong crisp scent that also repel ticks)
3. After mixing the solution, spray onto clothing, skin, and hair.
4. Reapply approximately every four hours.