It’s that time of year again! The sun is shining, the birds are singing… and the bugs are biting. That’s right, nothing can ruin a beautiful spring day like being swarmed by those nasty mosquitoes. Luckily, I have an all natural herbal bug repellent recipe for you today that not only repels bugs, but also doesn’t contain any of those toxic chemicals you would find in a conventional bug repellent. Plus, it is so easy for you to make at home.
How Does It Work?
Have you ever been out on a walk and noticed that some plants are completely covered with bugs while others don’t have a single one near them? Well, that is because some plants have natural bug repelling properties, pretty amazing right? Some of these plants are Lavender, Basil, Lemongrass, Catnip, Lemon Thyme, Mint, Rosemary, Cloves, and Citronella. While all of these herbs may smell absolutely amazing to us, some insects can’t stand it. These herbs mainly repel mosquitoes, fleas, flies, gnats, and moths. While causing no harm to any insect and not repelling those beneficial pollinators either.
But…Does It Really Work?
While no studies have been done on the matter, there is plenty of evidence to back up the claims. All I can give you is my personal experience, which is that I have been using this method on myself and my children for the last three years with amazing results. I used to buy the expensive “natural” bug repellents from the store and then proceed to chase my children around to get them to let me spray them with the stuff…which they fought tooth and nail. Since switching to this there are no fights…it is as easy as rubbing on lotion, and it lasts longer than the sprays I used to buy. How? Well the beeswax and shea butter actually form a barrier on top of the skin, holding that herbal goodness exactly where it needs to be to be the most effective, all while moisturizing our skin. Talk about a double duty product.
Let’s Get Started!
If you have read any of my other tutorials you will notice a pattern. You see, the process is very similar for each product - place items in jar…melt in pot of water, pour into container. That is really the best part of making your own items, the process takes very little equipment and it’s so easy.
The Recipe
¼ Cup Organic Shea Butter
½ Cup Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil
¼ Cup Beeswax (shredded)
1 tsp. Whole Cloves
2 Tbsp Dried Rosemary
1 Tbsp Dried Thyme
1/8 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Dried Catnip
1 Tbsp Spearmint Leaf
1 Tbsp Dried Basil
1 Tbsp Dried Lavender
I use these herbs because I have them on hand, any from the list above can be substituted as well. Also, essential oils could be used in place of the herbs. I personally like to use the herbs because they are cost effective and I can grow the majority of them myself. Use what works best for you based on what you have available.
The Process
The first thing we need to do is infuse the herbs into our Coconut Oil. I like to add the coconut to a mason jar with the herbs and place into a small pot of water. Then simmer on very low heat for 30 minutes. I then remove the jar from the heat and let it set for 2 hours, then place back into pot of water to bring back to a liquid state.
Strain Coconut Oil making sure to press down on the herbs to get all of the infused oil extracted that you can. Then add your shea butter and beeswax and place back into the pot of water until melted.
Then simply pour into the container of your choosing. I have found these small roll up containers to be so handy for application, but an empty deodorant container would work perfectly as well.
If you do not have access to either you can simply pour the mixture into a silicone or paper muffin pan liner. Then simply store in a container when the mixture has cooled and hardened. To apply simply smooth onto skin and rub in like a lotion.
This recipe is safe for everyone, natural and cost effective.
We hope you have found this post helpful and I encourage you to try this recipe, I promise you won’t regret it!
Thank you for reading,
Happy Homesteading
