Making repellents from aroma oils at home. Ways to use them. How to relieve itching from a mosquito bite with essential oils. Aromatic oils from mosquitoes are a welcome salvation from annoying blood-sucking little things that can ruin our existence. Of course, there are modern tools, but not everyone can use them. Families with children, for example, try to exclude unnecessary "chemistry" from their everyday life.
What aromatic oil to choose against mosquitoes
The use of essential oils is one of the most effective folk remedies for mosquito control. The fact is that many pleasant aromas for people by these insects are perceived as dangerous, and the danger, of course, flies around them. This effect is called repellent.
Of course, aromatic oils have many other useful properties. So you get a lot of bonuses while escaping mosquitoes with their help. To combat them, you should only buy the substance you like the smell of.
I am glad that there is a great choice, because there are quite a lot of aroma oils that repel mosquitoes:
- Margose oil (neem tree) … It has powerful antibacterial, antiviral, wound healing, anti-inflammatory properties. Calms the nervous system and stimulates the immune system. An excellent insecticide.
- Tropical verbena oil (litsei kubeba) … This favorite aromatic oil of Scarlett O'Hara, in addition to having insecticidal properties, is also a strong aphrodisiac and has a rejuvenating effect. Neutral for allergy sufferers, contraindicated in early pregnancy.
- Tea tree oil … It has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects. It is applied only externally. Does not cause allergies. Can be used in families with children.
- Cedar oil … It has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antifungal, insecticidal properties. The scent of this essential oil will not only repel mosquitoes, but also calm your nervous system. Not recommended for pregnant women and children under twelve years of age, as well as with increased nervous excitability and acute kidney infections.
- Thuja oil … Has wound healing and antiviral properties, relieves fatigue, reduces irritability and anxiety. Its scent can cure you of a runny nose, and topical application can eliminate skin conditions.
- Clove oil … Restores strength and improves memory, has wound healing and analgesic properties.
- Eucalyptus oil … Has bactericidal, antiseptic, insecticidal properties. Contains special elements that, upon contact with air, produce ozone, which contributes to the death of bacteria.
- Citronella oil … Good antiseptic, but may irritate sensitive skin. Stimulates the immune system, is used for dizziness. Contraindicated in pregnancy.
- Thyme oil … Has bactericidal and antiseptic properties. Relieves fatigue, increases the tone of the nervous system.
- Lavender oil … Stimulates the immune system and calms the nervous system. It goes well with other aromatic oils, therefore it is often used in mixtures. Formulas that contain lavender oil are believed to be especially good for children.
- Peppermint oil … Its effect depends on the dosage. At a minimum concentration, this oil soothes, at a maximum concentration, it tones and stimulates. It has analgesic, bactericidal and antiseptic properties.
- Basil oil … It has powerful antiviral properties, is able to resist the action of free radicals, therefore, its use improves the condition of the skin.
- Rosemary oil … Stimulates the immune system, eliminates problems with the respiratory tract. Inhaling the aroma of this essential oil stimulates memory and reduces the manifestations of toxicosis in pregnant women.
- Geranium oil … Like lavender, it blends well with other essential oils. Relieves pain and inflammation.
All of these essential oils are repellent, but when mixed with others of a similar quality, the insect repellant effect can be increased.
Against mosquitoes, mixtures (in equal amounts) of aromatic oils of such plants are especially effective: peppermint and lavender; peppermint, lavender and cloves; tea tree, lavender and cloves; lavender and cedar; cloves, lavender, geranium and thuja; cloves, geraniums, eucalyptus, rosemary, citronella, basil and tea tree; lavender, cloves, peppermint and basil.
Before you start using essential oils, be sure to find out if you or your loved ones have an individual intolerance to any of them. It's pretty easy to check. You need to drip the oil on your wrist and rub it over the skin. If within twenty-four hours an allergic reaction has not occurred at the point of contact of the oil with it (there was no itching, redness, irritation, rashes), you can safely use this substance.
Mosquito repellent recipes
Essential oils have been used successfully for personal protection against mosquitoes. Consider popular home formulations.
Home remedies for mosquito repellent outdoors
If you are going for a hike or walk near a body of water, it is likely that a massive mosquito attack awaits you there. Protect yourself with anti-mosquito oils:
- Aroma mixture … Make a composition by mixing an oil of your choice or a mixture of oils with a base (ordinary vegetable oil - sunflower, olive, corn, almond), and apply to the skin as a repellent. For 10-15 drops of aromatic oil, you need to take two tablespoons of the usual. You can add one tablespoon of aloe vera to the mixture, if desired.
- Aromabalm … Make a balm with a mosquito repellent scented oil. Melt 2 teaspoons of shea butter in a water bath. In a separate container, mix 1 tablespoon of almond or avocado oil with 3 drops of cedar nut oil or 3 drops of basil oil. Stir this mixture with shea butter until smooth. The balm is ready. 10 minutes before going outside, apply it to exposed areas of the body. The mosquito repellent effect lasts about an hour, then the application of the balm must be repeated.
- Aroma decoration … Simple jewelry can also be used for personal protection against mosquitoes with essential oils. Ordinary beads or a bracelet with unpainted wooden beads or a pretty fabric bracelet, oiled with aroma oil or a mixture of them, will not only adorn the wearer, but also scare away mosquitoes with its aroma. Products with a protective function can also include aroma pendants, which have small containers for oil inside, and even special cords for a pectoral cross, which, in order to protect against mosquitoes, can also be soaked with a few drops of aroma oil. You already know what kind of aromatic oil repels mosquitoes, you just have to choose the scent you like, which, absorbed into the jewelry, will accompany you on your walk.
Note! All procedures related to the use of aromatic oils should not be carried out on an empty stomach. It is also not recommended to use more than seven aroma oils at the same time in one day.
Indoor mosquito control products
A sudden mosquito attack can be carried out even indoors. And if during the day we are able to notice the threat, then at night we are completely defenseless in front of it.
By performing a set of procedures, with the help of aroma oils, you can protect yourself in this case:
- Before going to bed, take a shower with an aromatic oil shower gel. This will give your body a scent that mosquitoes don't like. For 1 tablespoon of gel (about 10 ml) you need 2-5 drops of oil.
- In a regular body cream, add a few drops of the essential oil you like (no more than five drops per 10 milliliters of cream). Use this scented barrier cream before bed after an evening swim. So you will saturate your skin with nutrients, and protect yourself from mosquitoes, and save on perfume. This cream should be kept in the refrigerator.
- Use a spray bottle to spray your pajamas and bedding with the scented solution. After making sure that the solution does not cause allergies in contact with the skin, and does not leave stains on the fabric. It is done like this: in one tablespoon of alcohol or in two tablespoons of vodka, 10 drops of aromatic oil (or a mixture of them) are diluted, half a teaspoon of salt or soda is added, and all this is mixed with 0.5 liters of warm water.
Important! After three weeks of using essential oils, you should take at least a week break.
Protecting your home from mosquitoes with aroma oils
Aromatic oils are also used to protect against mosquitoes entering the premises:
- Oil burner … You can make a safe and effective fumigator out of it by adding a little hot water to a container and dripping 5-10 drops of a suitable aromatic oil or oil mixture into it.
- Electric lamp … A good replacement for the aroma lamp. You should drip oil on the light bulb until it is turned on. After switching on, the warmed up light bulb will not only shine, but also exude an odor.
- Napkin or cotton pad … They can also be used as a replacement for a fumigator. Just drip a few drops of aromatic oil or a mixture of oils and place a napkin or cotton pad near the bed, and during the heating season - on a warm radiator.
- Aromatic spray … Its use protects the premises well from mosquitoes. Making this home remedy for mosquitoes is easy. It is enough to take a spray bottle and pour into it a mixture of 10 drops of aromatic oil (or a mixture of them), 100 milliliters of water and 10 milliliters of alcohol. Then you need to spray the room.
- Aroma candles … Another replacement for a fumigator. They should be lit before bed for a couple of hours. Scented candles scare away mosquitoes not only with the smell of essential oils, but also with the smoke that fumigates the room. You can make them yourself by adding the essential oil of your choice to the wax, or you can use ready-made ordinary products by dropping 5-10 drops of essential oil into them near the wick.
- Surface treatment … Aromatic oils or a mixture of them can be used to treat mosquito nets, window frames, window sills, flower pots, doors and doorways. To do this, mix 15 drops of the selected aroma oil (or a mixture thereof) with 2 tbsp. spoons of ordinary vegetable.
Aromatic oils should be only natural and of high quality, so you should not buy them from your hands, but in stores and pharmacies, where you can make sure that you have a certificate. The poor quality of an essential oil often affects its repellent properties.
Removing itching from a mosquito bite with aromatic oils
If the skin is itchy and swollen at the site of a mosquito bite, local application of home remedies made on the basis of mosquito repellent aroma oils will help great:
- Regular ice … Creates a light anesthetic effect, soothing itchy skin after a bite. The effect will be enhanced if you add aromatic oil, such as tea tree or lavender, to the water before freezing.
- Oil burner … It can help relieve itching from a mosquito bite, because the essential oil works without contact with the skin, being absorbed into the blood through the capillaries of the respiratory tract. Pour 2 tablespoons of warm water into the aroma lamp, light a candle in its lower part and add 4-7 drops of eucalyptus oil into the water (this amount is calculated for a room of 15 m2). Half an hour of this aromatherapy a day will relieve you of the unpleasant itching at the site of mosquito bites.
- Aroma bath … It will also help relieve itching at the site of a mosquito bite. For one bath, five drops of tea tree oil, previously diluted in a tablespoon of honey, are enough. This bath should be taken for 5-20 minutes.
- Oil compress from aroma mixture … Soothes itchy skin. 5-10 drops of eucalyptus oil or 3-5 drops of tea tree oil should be added to one tablespoon of any vegetable oil you like. Rub the mixture into the skin, cover with cellophane and fix with a loose bandage for half an hour.
- Rubbing the aroma mixture … Stir 7-10 drops of eucalyptus essential oil or 3-5 drops of tea tree oil in one tablespoon of vegetable oil and rub vigorously, until a slight heat appears, into the skin at the site of the bite.
Attention! Any of the above means based on aroma oils can cause individual intolerance! Follow the recipe exactly, do not add ingredients not listed in it, do not experiment with the dosage, do not apply the aroma oil undiluted to the skin.
When you can't use mosquito repellent oils
When buying aroma oil, before making a home remedy for mosquitoes, not only smell it to choose a scent, but be sure to read the instructions. Contraindications are indicated in it, this information should certainly be taken into account.
Children, pregnant women, allergy sufferers, hypertensive patients, people prone to migraines and nervous disorders, as well as those with some kind of chronic illness, should use essential oils with caution and consult a doctor before using them.
There is also an individual intolerance to any essential oil. For example, many sensitive people complain of weakness and drowsiness after using lavender oil, and may develop shortness of breath from the smell of clove oil. If you feel uncomfortable, runny nose or dizzy when inhaling the fragrance of any essential oil, stop using it immediately.
How to use aromatic oils against mosquitoes - watch the video:
Aromatic oils are ideal for effective and safe mosquito repellent. In addition, they are relatively inexpensive and, in addition to the effect of scaring off blood-sucking insects, they have many beneficial properties for health and beauty. Enjoy our recipes!
