How To Make Homemade Mosquito Repellent

Oil extracted from lemon eucalyptus has been one of the well-known natural repellents for home remedies. A National Library of Medicine study from 2014 showed lemon eucalyptus with 32% concentration provided greater than 95% protection against mosquitoes which was effective for up to 3 hours.

Furthermore, the CDC has also approved eucalyptus oil to be an effective ingredient in commercial mosquito repellents as a natural alternative to DEET. 

Ingredients:

Essential: Lemon Eucalyptus Oil
Carrier: Sunflower Oil, Witch Hazel Oil

Instructions:

1. Combine 1 part lemon eucalyptus oil with 10 parts of sunflower oil or witch hazel oil.
2. This is a 9% lemon eucalyptus oil. Do a small patch test for any skin sensitivity or irritation.
3. If any problems were encountered, dilute the oil down to 5% concentration yet again by mixing 1 part diluted oil with 10 part carrier oil.
4. Do not apply this solution near the eyes and mouth and for children under 3 years.

The Greek catmint "nepeta parnassica" contains white and pink flowers which grow up to 18 inches (46cm) tall. The extract oil made from its bruised leaves has been studied and found capable of warding off yellow fever mosquitoes.

Additionally, the researchers from Iowa State University also found catmints to be 10 times more effective than commercial DEET sprays at repelling mosquitoes and across a timespan of 2 to 3 hours.

Ingredients:

Essential: Greek Catmint Oil
Carrier: None

Instructions:

1. Catmint oil is non-toxic and doesn't need any dilution before being applied.
2. Catmint oil is equally effective at 100% to 2% concentration so feel free to dilute them with water and make your oil stock last longer.

According to animal trial studies conducted in 2002, thyme oil was shown to be one of the best when protecting and repelling against mosquitoes containing malaria. Thyme was able to provide a 91% protection rate while using thyme oil concentration of only 5%.

If you are out camping outdoors then you may also consider throwing thyme leaves into the campfire as research shows that burning thyme leaves offers 85 percent protection against mosquitoes for 60 to 90 minutes on top of 91% protection from applying the spray on your skin.

Ingredients:

Essential: Thyme Oil
Carrier: Olive, Jojoba Oil

Instructions:

1. Dilute 4 drops of thyme oil with one teaspoon of carrier oil to create a body oil.
2. To create a repellent spray, dilute 5 drops of thyme oil with 2 ounces (60ml) of water.

Soybean oil and soybean-based products such as have also been noted to provide long-lasting protection from mosquitoes. They are stable and even a low concentration of 2 percent of soybean oil has proven to be effective.

They do not also have any adverse effects on children and human skin making them another effective ingredient for a homemade repellent for mosquitoes.

Ingredients:

Essential: Soybean Oil
Carrier: Lemongrass Oil

Instructions:

1. Mix 1 part of soybean oil with 1 part of lemongrass oil to eliminate the natural greasiness of soybean oil.
2. Spray the new citrusy-smelling oil around your house or on your skin before going on an outing.

Lavender oil bug repellent is also effective at repelling mosquitoes by blocking their sense of smell with the fragrant smell of the herbs.

They are also easy to use compared to other essential oils which cause discomfort in the nose or act as an irritant. Additionally, lavenders are also one of the most commonly cultivated kitchen herbs.

Ingredients:

Essential: Lavender Oil
Carrier: None

Instructions:

1. Use lavender essential oil as a body oil by directly rubbing it on your skin.
2. For efficient use, dab the oil on a cloth and rub it on bite-prone areas like arms and ankles.

The oils made from melaleuca or tea tree are a popular repellent originating from Australia. Some field tests were carried out which proved it as an effective insect repellent in the outback of Australia.

The tests also proved melaleuca's effectiveness against other Australian pests such as bush flies, biting midges, and stink bugs.  

Ingredients:

Essential: Tree Tea Oil
Carrier: Water

Instructions:

1. Mix 1 part of tree tea oil with 11 parts of water to create a spray solution of 8% concentration.
2. Do a patch test on the skin. If no irritations are noted, feel free to make use of this spray solution.
3. Do not ingest tree tea oil or apply it on children.

Having proven to be an effective mosquito repellent in clinical trials, it is currently being used in some over-the-counter insect repellent cream products.

Despite its efficacy, their formulation is also important as it can evaporate in as little as 5 minutes leaving you unprotected in no time. So make sure to follow the instructions carefully.  

Ingredients:

Essential: Citronella
Carrier: Lavender, Jojoba, Almond Oil

Instructions:

1. Combine citronella with lavender or jojoba oil in a 1:1 ratio to reduce skin irritations.
2. After diluting the oil it must be mixed with almond oil to ensure its longevity.
3. Make sure to do some patch tests to ensure it doesn't cause any irritations.
4. Unfortunately, citronella is not recommended for children.  

Geraniol is a well-known ingredient component used in commercial mosquito repellents. It is a type of alcohol that is used as a fragrance from the mixing of various plant oils like citronella, lemongrass, and rose.

It is a stronger alternative to citronella which is noted to be quite potent and its effects have been known to last for up to 4 hours.

Ingredients:

Essential: Geraniol
Carrier: Water

Instructions:

1. Dilute 1 part geraniol with 4 parts water to create a 20% concentrated solution.
2. Perform a patch test to see if it causes any irritations.
3. If it irritates, continue diluting the oil mix as low as 2% until skin irritations are no longer an issue.
4. Avoid using geraniol sprays near the eyes and avoid using them on children.

According to a study carried out at National Taiwan University, cinnamon oil has been confirmed to kill off mosquito eggs while also being capable of acting as a repellent against adult Asian mosquitoes making them an excellent mosquito homemade repellent instead of just seasoning.

Cinnamon oils naturally contain an aromatic compound known as eugenol which has a strong scent and is not only capable of disrupting the mosquitoes' sense of smell but painfully so that they are immediately forced to turn in the other direction.  

Ingredients:

Essential: Cinnamon Oil
Carrier: Water

Instructions:

1. Dilute 1/4 teaspoons (24 drops) of cinnamon oil in 4 ounces (120 ml) of water.
2. Do not use oil in place of water as a carrier since eugenols are disrupted by other carrier oils.
3. Do a patch test of this oil mix on your skin to check for potential allergies.
4. Spray the mix on your skin, clothing, home, or plants.

Neem is one of the oldest natural essential oils with its insect-repellent uses being used in ancient India by Indian sages and noted by the Mughals. According to a 2015 study about the effectiveness of neem oil in Ethiopia, it was found that neem oil offered more than 70% protection for 3 hours.

Generally, neem oil is not used nor approved for commercial topical repellents as it tends to cause human skin irritation. However, if you have neem available in large quantities and aren't allergic to it, feel free to use it.

Ingredients:

Essential: Neem Oil
Carrier: Water, Lotion, Olive, Coconut Oil

Instruction:

1. Dilute 1 part neem oil with 100 parts of water or carrier oil to make a repellant.
2. Do a patch test to check for skin irritation and dilute it further if necessary.
3. A safer alternative is to dilute 1 part neem with 100 parts lotion to create an insect-repellent cream.

The way these essential oils work for repelling mosquitoes is similar to DEET although without the side effects associated with DEET. They disrupt the antennae function of mosquitoes with their strong scent and prevent them from detecting L-lactic acid, ammonia, and carbon dioxide released by the human body.

By using essential oils to mask your body odor, even some species of mosquitoes that use the smell of blood to locate their hosts are rendered ineffective. So basically these are smells mosquitoes hate because it disrupts their senses.

Never put essential oils on the skin directly. Unless we have explicitly mentioned that they are safe for human skin they should always be diluted in a carrier oil to prevent skin irritation and sensitivity.

Essential oil and essential oil-based repellants aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) so it should always be assumed that most essential oils in high concentrations will cause allergy-related issues. Always perform a patch test before making use of an essential oil.

Allergic Reactions

When patch-testing essential oils, some allergy symptoms that may show up on your skin are hives, sensitivity, irritation, or burning sensations.

Some allergic reactions may occur as long as 2 hours. If allergic reactions have been observed, dilute the essential oil further or change to an entirely different essential oil.

Mosquito Bites

Due to the reasons mentioned above, it is not recommended to apply some essential oil mosquito repellents on the spots of your skin that have been sensitized due to a mosquito bite. Instead, you should use their proper treatments to get rid of mosquito bites. 

While it's possible to have the foresight to apply mosquito diy repellents in advance before going on an outing, most of us won't be continually applying the repellents while at home. To deal with mosquitoes in such cases, consider removing things that attract mosquitoes in your home.

Most DIY sprays have a shelf life of 1 year and last an hour when used. Neem is the only exception as it breaks down after contact with water.

A good way to check whether the spray is still working is to check the strength of the scent. Without any scent, there would obviously be no repulsion. Keep applying DIY essential oil sprays on your body on an hourly basis just to be safe.