DIY Nighttime Bug Repellent Cream

I love being outside at night, but mosquitoes do too. We have natural bug spray that works, but I don't like smelling like bug spray before bed. I'm kind of sensitive to certain smells, and the smell of citronella or lemongrass bothers me when I'm trying to go to sleep. I made this cream that is easy to use and simple to make. I really think it does help, plus it smells nice!

Ingredients:

25 drops lavender oil

25 drops geranium oil

10 drops cedarwood

Lotion (unscented is best)

2 oz plastic bottle*

*We have empty two-ounce plastic bottles with lids at the store, which is what I use to make this.

Lotion: I used the Everyone lotion in a pump, which was easy to pump into the little container.

First, I filled the bottle about halfway with lotion and then added the oils. I put the top on and shook it really well so it was all mixed together, then I filled it the rest of the way with lotion. Put the top back on and shake it well and then try it out! It's nice because it's not greasy and it absorbs well. It seems to work great (and it smells good)!

Lavender, geranium, and cedarwood have each been shown to help repel mosquitoes.

The amounts above are a 5% dilution, which are safe to use regularly. I would avoid the face and for children I would slightly reduce the amount of essential oils.

I also made a stronger version using 30 drops each of the lavender and geranium and 15 drops of the cedarwood, which probably equals about a 7% essential oil dilution. That's the one I prefer since I have a ton of mosquitoes in my yard at night.

Give it a try and see what you think!

Natural Tick Repellent with Essential Oils [Recipe]

Ticks really do not like essential oils. They search out people or “hosts” by scent, so essential oils can help not only by masking your scent, but some essential oils actually repel them. Geranium (study link) is on the top of the list for repelling ticks, along with lemon eucalyptus (study link), and lavender (study link). Lavender oil has even been shown in studies to prevent tick eggs from hatching.

This tick blend can be mixed with water in a spray bottle. Essential oils can be too strong to be put directly on the skin without causing irritation, so diluting in a spray bottle or lets essential oils be used on the skin without irritation (and makes them easier to apply).

Tick Prevention Spray:

Ingredients:

2 oz. amber spray bottle

2 tbs. witch hazel (optional, see note below)

2 tbs. water

15 drops Geranium Oil*

10 drops Lemon Eucalyptus Oil*

10 drops Lavender Oil*

*If using on young children or people with sensitive skin, slightly reduce the amounts of essential oils.

Directions:

Fill a 2 oz. bottle a little less than half of the way with witch hazel, then fill to roughly 80% with water before adding your essential oils. Top off with a bit of water to fill if desired, though take care to make sure that the top of the liquid mixture is slightly lower than the neck so it doesn’t overflow when the top is put on. 

Note: Essential oils can be mixed with straight water in a spray bottle, but in our experience mixing with half unscented witch hazel and half water yields a better result that lasts longer. Witch hazel also helps the oils to stay combined so the oil doesn't just sit on the top of the water.

To Use: Spray on skin as needed, especially on lower legs and feet if wearing sandals. Do not use near the face. 

Tick Notes:

Tick bites are painless, so there’s really no way to know if you’ve been bitten than to look for them.

Ticks can range in size and some can be extremely small.

Ticks are all around, not just in wooded areas, so get in the habit of doing a quick “tick check” after coming in from outside, even if you’ve just been in your backyard. Most ticks are picked up on the legs and they crawl up the body from there, so using repellents on shoes and legs is an especially good idea.

What to do if you get bitten by a tick:

Use tweezers to remove the tick, grasping it firmly with the tweezers as close to the skin as possible, pulling upward with a slow, steady, even pressure. Twisting or jerking can cause parts of the tick to remain in the skin.

Don’t be afraid, ticks are very common and most tick bites are harmless, but do be on the lookout for a rash or fever and contact your physician if you have any of the following symptoms: rash, fever, muscle or joint pain or weakness.

Soothing & Cooling Aloe Vera Gel Recipe

We were able to get a shipment of Lily of the Desert aloe vera gel at a good price that we can pass on to our customers, a 4oz. bottle usually retails for $4.99, but with the sale we’re able to sell them for $2.99 a bottle while supplies last.

We’ve developed this recipe based off a favorite soothing aloe vera gel that is no longer being made. It’s wonderful for sunburned skin or even just to cool off and calm down skin this summer (my daughter actually feels like it helps with reducing itching from bug bites).

You can either make this recipe in a single use handful, or else for the whole tube, I’ll list amounts for both below. The below recipes use a 2% essential oil dilution, which is recommended for regular adult use, though if used on young children I would reduce the amount of essential oils by half.

Soothing and Cooling Aloe Vera Gel Recipe

Single Use Recipe (one handful):

1 tbs. aloe vera gel

4 drops peppermint oil

2 drops lavender oil

Whole Bottle Recipe:

4 oz bottle aloe vera gel

32 drops peppermint oil

16 drops lavender oil 

Stir oils into the aloe gel and apply generously to sunburned or itchy skin. Do not use near the eyes.

When making the recipe for the whole bottle, we recommend pouring contents into a plastic bag, cutting the tip, and squeezing back into the original aloe vera tube for a more convenient application.

Try storing this in the fridge and applying cold to the skin for even more of a cooling sensation.

Lavender and Tea Tree Oil for Bug Bites and Much More

Tea Tree and Lavender make an amazing combination of essential oils. They’re especially effective on itchy bug bites, but their benefits go far beyond that.

Tea tree oil is a fantastic essential oil, which actually began to come into more popular use in World War II, when Australian soldiers carried tea tree oil in their first aid kits as treatment for skin injuries. Tea tree oil has natural antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, which can help with a variety of skin problems, but can also help with reducing the itching of insect bites.

The only trouble with tea tree oil is that it has a bit of a medicinal smell. Lavender oil is another wonderful therapeutic essential oil which when combined with tea tree oil, helps to mask the scent as well as increase the blend’s effectiveness. 

Lavender is best known as a relaxing oil that can help with sleep, but it has many other benefits, including being very beneficial for skin issues. It is very soothing to the skin, and can also speed healing as well as having pain relieving properties.

Interestingly, both tea tree oil and lavender oil are two of the very few essential oils that can be used directly on the skin without diluting (though we would still recommend mixing with a carrier oil for use on the face or on people with sensitive skin).

NOW Foods has a nice combination of tea tree and lavender oil that we would recommend since it’s so easy to use, being a premixed blend of the two oils.  Give it a try on insect bites to help relieve the itching and help them to heal faster (however, it’s not recommended to use the oils on broken skin or open wounds).

The combination of lavender and tea tree oil is also great for cleaning around the house. Both have antibacterial properties, so a few drops on a damp washcloth works great for cleaning around kitchens and bathrooms.