Hello friends! Winter is over and spring is finally here! She didn't come alone though, did she? She may have brought the promise of summer, but she's also brought the promise of allergies and mosquitoes, ugh! Thankfully I am not allergic to much but I do hate those blood-thirsty flying suckers! All the more since they did give an allergic reaction to my daughter last year. As you know we have taken steps to a safe and natural baby environment in order to avoid harmful chemicals. Last year, after the allergic reaction my little one had to mosquito bites I made my own natural mosquito repellent. To my amazement it really worked at keeping mosquitoes away from me and Natalia all summer long! Here is my recipe for a DIY natural mosquito repellent without harmful chemicals.
DIY Natural Mosquito Repellent
Last year we went on our first ever long weekend away with Natalia. It was a test to see if we would enjoy time away as a family or if it would be overwhelmingly tiring for us. You know how toddlers can be, and we just wanted to make sure the fun would overshadow any troubles.
Well it was a balanced act in the end, however we did have an unpleasant surprise. You see we searched high and low for a place to stay that would have screening on the doors and windows. We don't use any kind of indoor (or outdoor for that matter) mosquito repellent (like the ones you see everywhere, plugged in the wall sockets) so it was really important to leave the mosquitoes out of the room.
We woke up the next morning to Natalia's body being covered in mosquito bites. It was dreadful! We discovered that a small window over the kitchen had a tear in the screening and that's how the sucker got in. So much for paying extra to keep the kid safe! And if that wasn't enough as soon as we got back home, the bites in her small body became huge, and we were alarmed. Our doctor said they weren't infected - staphylococcus was my first thought - but it was an allergic reaction.
We treated the bites with my DIY aloe vera gel and thankfully a couple of weeks later she was fine. However, the need to find a natural way to keep the mosquitoes away from her was evident.
That's when I discovered the use of essential oils as potent mosquito repellents. I mean you keep seeing "citronella extract" and "geranium extract" in many commercially available repellents and candles, why not go directly to the source and skip the controversial DEET use all those include? If you don't know what DEET is and why its use is controversial do a little google search and you'll soon find out.
DIY Natural Mosquito Repellent
So this is what I did and has worked like a charm!
Supplies
Glass spray bottle ( I got mine from one of those shops with knock off fragrances for as cheap as 1euro)
Essential oils (gifted by Herbally.gr)
Geranium Essential oil
Citronella Essential oil
Lemon Essential oil
Eucalyptus essential oil
Tea tree essential oil (optional)
Alcohol (vodka or raki or rubbing alcohol is fine)
White vinegar
Recipe for DIY Natural Mosquito Repellent
In your glass bottle combine 30 drops of Geranium, Citronella and Lemon essential oils. Add 10-15 drops of Eucalyptus and Tea tree (optional) essential oils.
Then add 2 tablespoons of alcohol and 1/2 cup of white vinegar.
Shake very well and don't forget to shake before each use since these ingredients don't mix to a homogeneous solution.
I use the spray on my and on my daughter all summer long!
DIY Natural Mosquito Repellent
After testing it I have to say that there are cons and pros in using it.
Pros
- No mosquito bites at all
- Smells divine
- Well received by toddler
- Easy to apply
- The essential oil mixture can be used indoors in an essential oil burner
Cons
- You need to apply every 30-45 minutes if you are outdoors
- It leaves an oily feeling on the skin
I know it's not easy running behind a kid with a spray bottle every half an hour but if that's what it takes to keep her safe from bites and chemicals I will do it! Good thing is it's totally toddler approved, and I am pretty happy about it!
Making this spray will not cost you much. You can use the essential oils for many other uses as well and one small bottle will last you well until it's expire date. You can even make these as little gifts when you have a cookout or barbecue party!
