It’s that time of year and biting insects are in full bloom. Though many commercial insect repellents exist, they do contain DEET, or diethyl-m-toluamide, which has questionable health effects, especially for children. Alternatively, nature provides safe and effective aromatics which you can easily blend at home. Here’s a look at these essential oils and how to use them. The following recipes and directions will help you make your own “bug sprays”.
People are acting on the fact that several essential oils are effective at repelling mosquitoes. Catnip essential oil has been shown to be 10 times more effective than DEET, the chemical found in many drugstore traditional formulas. This is good to know because DEET has been shown to be a safety concern for children (which really means “everyone” doesn’t it?), and catnip oil eliminates that risk.
An Iowa State research group, which had previously found catnip essential oil to repel cockroaches, presented the report at the 222nd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. Below is a description of how the experiment was done:
Researchers put groups of 20 mosquitoes in a two-foot glass tube, half of which was treated with nepetalactone (our Catnip essential oil is 80% neptalactone). After 10 minutes, only an average of 20 percent – about four mosquitoes – remained on the side of the tube treated with the oil. The same tests with DEET (diethyl-m-toluamide) resulted in approximately 40 percent to 45 percent – eight-nine mosquitoes – remaining on the treated side.
The efficacy of nepetalactone and DEET at repelling mosquitoes was compared on a scale from -100 to +100. A rating of zero means half of the insects would stay on the treated side and half on the untreated side. The results of the catnip tests ranged from +49 to +59. By comparison, at the same doses, DEET’s repellency registered at about +10 in this bioassay.
To achieve similar results in repellency, researchers manipulated the dosages of nepetalactone and DEET, and reported that one part nepetalactone produced an identical effect as ten parts DEET. Thus, nepetalactone is agreed to be ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes. Commercial formulas usually use between 5-25% DEET, which means that your home blend should require a mere .5-2.5% of catnip oil to be equallyeffective.
Given the increased efficacy of Catnip essential oil, it takes less oil to reap the same benefit as one achieves using a higher quantity of the risky DEET. There are also two other delightful blending oils that have high concentrations of citronellal, the repellant ingredient in Citronella. Their scents are a matter of preference; the newest oil is Eucalyptus Citradora, which reduces Citronella’s classic scent of lemon-grass.
Essential oils repel mosquitoes through a variety of means. From lotions to water- or partially alcohol-based sprays, to diffused oils throughout your home, your essential oil blends will guard against biting insects when applied to skin, clothing, or dispersed through the air.
Formulas for the Skin
Here are a few recipes to try, or you cancreate your own! Each recipe amounts to a total of one ounce of liquid.
Recipe #1
1.5ml Catnip Oil 1.5ml Eucalyptus Citradora Oil 0.5ml Peppermint Oil (use only 7 drops if the spray will be used on children under 12) add perhaps 10 drops of Tween (don’t be offended by the smell – it actually is almost undetectable in about a day) and fill the bottle the rest of the way with water and/or alcohol (some folks find the alcohol mixes better, but we use water).
Recipe 2
1.0ml Catnip Oil 1.5ml Geranium Oil (A VERY popular ingredient in natural mosquito repellents) 1.5ml Citronella OR Eucalyptus Citradora 0.5ml Peppermint Oil (again use only 7 drops if the spray will be used on children under 12). The peppermint is not really a requirement, but we think the menthol may add repellent action.
Diffusing in your home
Because of the expense of catnip essential oil with a high concentration of neptalactone (like ours), you may add none at all, or perhaps 1/10th of your entire blend being catnip, the rest being other oils you enjoy! We recommend: Eucalyptus Citradora, Citronella, Geranium, and a little Peppermint. ALL these oils have been shown to be effective, and we think experimenting at home is fun. For best long-term results, make a note of what you put in your diffuser each time, and how well you liked them. You’ll make your own finest critter-repelling creation!
The author is a consultant for Ananda Aromatherapy. Find more resources are available on aromatherapy supplies & essential oil blends through the website.