Your favorite bug repellent recipe

We are surely feeling that summer weather this time of year, but with that comes bugs, flies, insects etc ! Like most individuals and outdoor goers, we would bring along our DEET (short for N,N-Diethyl-m- toluamide) containing spray bottle as our insect repellant.

Over the years, there has been many health concerns surrounding DEET, not only by the general population but also by health officials; whether it was a carcinogen, increasingly toxic to children vs adults, increasing seizures in those already susceptible, etc. Although no conclusions were drawn about this question, the raising concerns was well summarized in this article byhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC167123/ .

In any case, maybe you just prefer a natural and homemade product to go alongside other changes you may have started to make in your household to reduce the environment’s toxic burden to our bodie.

So, I thought I would share with you a cool recipe you can easily make at home for our remaining summer months.

• - Purchase a glass bottle with a spray or pump top (if you cannot find glass, purchase a PET plastic which seems more resistant to the essential oils...with time, your plastic bottle can warp because of the essential oils’)

• - Always label your product with the date it was made and ingredients/quantities you have mixed together.

• - Base oil also called a type of ‘Vegetable oil’; 1. Organic Neem oil (Suggested brands: Ferlow, Divine Essence, etc), add 90ml in your bottle.

• - Essential oils needed, name and quantities (refer to latin name when purchasing your oils so you make no mistake) – Add these oils directly into your neem oil;

  2. Organic Eucalyptus lemon (Eucalyptus citriodora) – 120 drops

  3. Organic Hybrid Lavendar Super (Lavandula hybrida super) – 50 drops

  4. Organic Clove (Eugenia caryophyllus) – 50 drops

  5. Wild Geranium - Rose (Pelargonium graveolens) – 50 drops

Now you must be thinking; where do I find these essential oils? What brands are reputable? Although I do have my favorite brands being Divine Essence and Aromaforce...However, if you want to venture out and find your own brands, here is what your label should specify:

✓ botanical name: i.e. Eucalyptus citriodora 

✓ part of plant: i.e. leaf, aerial part, etc...

✓ origin

✓ culture: i.e. organic, certified by ecocert® ico 

✓ chemotype : citronella