The warm days of summer are upon us again, and along with them come mosquitoes, gnats and other biting bugs we'd be happy to keep off us. Synthetic insect repellent formulas have been in use for a long time -- they are effective, but many involved in natural health are still wary of putting synthetic solvents on their skin. The skin is known to absorb chemicals rather readily, and these chemicals are certain to show up in our bloodstream as well. The essential oils used as insect repellents however, are a completely safe, natural, and effective alternative; one that even the most discerning parent would be happy to use on their children. Insect repellent blends, both for topical and environmental defense, are some of the easiest aromatherapy formulations to create.



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.

If you're interested in experimenting, the most potent mosquito repellent essential oil known is that of catnip. Catnip essential oil was the subject of a study in the 1990s that showed it at least 10 times as powerful as DEET, the active ingredient in many insect repellent products. DEET is found in over-the-counter formulations in concentrations from anywhere between five and 20%; this means you should get the same effectiveness at concentrations between .5 and 2% of catnip essential oil in your base. Because not much is produced, catnip essential oil is still somewhat expensive, but the amounts needed are so low that it will likely offset the cost.

Essential oils are also a fantastic way to soothe insect bites once they've already occurred. The anti-inflammatory of both lavender and blue can see essential oils are commonly used for such purposes. Lavender can be used neat, applying one drop directly on the bite. Blue can see essential oils should be diluted to less than 3% for best effect, as many aroma therapists believe it's anti-inflammatory and itch relieving properties will work best at these low dilutions.

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.