Warm summer days have arrived, time for trips to the country, on vacation, active rest outdoors, and at the same time the need for effective protection from mosquitoes, ticks and other blood-sucking insects, which can ruin hours of long-awaited rest.
And effective and gentle protection is especially important for children, who are not suitable for effective, but often unsafe insect repellent aerosols and ointments that can be bought in the store.
Essential and vegetable oils can provide very effective yet safe protection against mosquitoes. Their action is based on the fact that they repel insects with their scent, which contains aromatic molecules that act as “enemy signals” to flying insects.
List of Effective Essential Oils for Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes, ticks, midges and bees simply cannot stand the smell of essential oils of basil, cloves, geranium, thyme, litzea, rosemary, tea tree, eucalyptus, citronella. These essential oils perfectly protect the skin and housing from harmful blood-sucking insects.
This short list will help you choose an essential oil for best protection from:
– Mites (best essential oils) – geranium or palmarosa
— Ticks (also suitable) — beat, eucalyptus, lavender
— Mosquitoes (most effective) — citronella
- Mosquitoes (also very effective) - thyme, lavender, rosemary, litzea, cloves, geranium, eucalyptus, basil
- Fleas - orange
- Black flies - sassafrass, lavender, eucalyptus, cedar, citronella, peppermint
– Lice – tea tree, rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, geranium
List of vegetable oils against mosquitoes and insects
Indian neem oil is considered the oldest insecticide not only against mosquitoes, but also “small domestic animals” - ants, bedbugs, and other living creatures. It is also used in the garden to naturally protect plants from aphids and midges.
List of essential oils that soothe itching after a bite
Essential oils of lavender and tea tree help with mosquito bites - they relieve swelling, itching, redness and remove allergic reactions from the delicate skin of the child.
Do not forget that essential oils will be effective and repel mosquitoes only if they are natural and of high quality.
Effective Essential Oil Blends for Mosquitoes
– 5 drops peppermint essential oil, 5 drops lavender essential oil
– 5 drops lavender essential oil, 5 drops peppermint essential oil, 5 drops clove essential oil
– 5 drops tea tree essential oil, 5 drops clove essential oil, 5 drops lavender essential oil
— 5 drops cedar essential oil, 5 drops lavender essential oil
All of these blends use lavender essential oil, which is ideal for young children and makes these blends gentler and safer.
Ways to use essential oils to protect against insects
Aroma lamp: place 5-7 drops of essential oil into the aroma lamp bowl, add hot water and light a candle.
Aromatic mosquito spray: 10 drops of essential oil, 10 ml of alcohol and 100 ml of water - pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray the room with this spray bottle. These sprays can also be used to treat clothes before your next trip into the forest or pond.
Aroma candles: make scented candles based on essential oils and light them in the evening in the garden and on the windowsill. You can take a ready-made candle, add a few drops of citronella essential oil and light it.
Mosquito oil: Make mosquito repellent oil for treatment open areas skin based on selected essential oils, following our recipes below.
Wet the napkin: Soak a cloth napkin (towel) with a mixture of water and selected essential oils and place it by your bed before going to bed. You will sleep peacefully at night.
Make your beauty product: Mix your chosen mosquito repellent essential oil with an unscented body cream. Rub with the resulting product open areas body - mosquitoes won’t even fly near you!
Make a mosquito repellent bracelet: An insect repellent bracelet is a very popular product, especially for children. It contains natural citronella essential oil. You can make such a bracelet yourself by placing a few drops of essential oil on wooden beads or a wide ribbon and tying it around your wrist.
Mosquito oil recipe
— 2 tbsp. vegetable base oil (for example, almond, apricot, grape seed oil)
— 10 drops essential oil from the list above (optional) or a mixture.
Apply a few drops to clothing and/or skin. If you are pregnant or using this product on small children, consult your doctor. It is also advisable to use this product to treat all wet and damp areas - flower pots, gutters on the roof, porch, window frames.
Insect repellent
This recipe is more suitable for use on the skin as it contains aloe vera gel. Use general recipe insect repellent mixtures, adding essential oils of your choice. Apply a few drops to clothing and skin.
- 2 tbsp. vegetable base oil, preferably odorless
— 10-25 drops em of your choice from the list above (optional) or a mixture
- 1 tbsp. aloe vera gel
Tick repellent
- 2 tbsp. vegetable base oil (if you are making a product to kill ticks, for example, for dogs, then use sweet almond oil, it contains a small amount of sulfur, which also has an effect on ticks)
— 10-25 drops. geranium or palmarosa essential oil
Mix essential oil and carrier oil, the mixture can be stored for 6 months. To protect against ticks, apply a few drops of the mixture to clothing and skin, avoiding the area around the eyes.
In addition to geranium geranium essential oil, you can use em palmarosa to protect against ticks; it is cheaper, but has the same properties.
Anti-tick spray
More convenient option for spraying, you can also spray your bedding and clothing, as well as areas where pets sleep.
- 1-2 tsp. geranium or palmarosa essential oil
- 200 ml. water
- a little emulsifier (alcohol, for example)
- spray bottle
Relieving itching from mosquito bites
To relieve itching, you can wipe the bites with essential oil of lavender or tea tree, diluted in a base oil (almond, grape seed, apricot) in the following dosage:
– 3 – 6 drops of essential oil of choice
- 25 ml almond or apricot kernel base oil
A mixture of essential oils for bites is also effective: 2 drops Eucalyptus radiata essential oil and 2 drops tea tree essential oil - mix these oils with 1 teaspoon of carrier oil. Wipe the areas with this mixture mosquito bite, and she miraculously will relieve itching and swelling. It can also be used for wasp stings.
We hope that these effective means mosquito repellent will help you spend the summer with joy and without annoying insects!
Based on materials from the site http://www.aroma-beauty.ru
Repellent is a product that repels insects. You can buy it in a store - it will be based on chemical active substances, or you can make a natural version with your own hands. There are different recipes, but I want to offer you a few simple options which are easy to do on a quick fix right before going outside.
Which oil should you choose? The one that suits you is absorbed well and does not leave a greasy residue. The most popular option is grape seed oil. If you want to make it even less sticky, add broccoli or rosehip oil. 5-10% is enough - i.e. For 1 part broccoli oil, take 10 parts grape oil.
Which essential oil is effective against ticks?
A universal repellent oil against ticks, fleas and other insects - lavender essential oil. According to studies conducted in South Africa, lavender oil at a concentration of 10-20% has shown effectiveness against ticks, similar to diethyltoluamide (DEET), a synthetic component of insect repellents.
Lavender essential oil is one of the few approved for use in pure form. Therefore, even such a large dosage as 10-20% will be safe. Be sure to dilute other essential oils in sufficient quantities with base vegetable oil.
Other essential oils that are useful in the fight against ticks include:
- tea tree
- geranium
- lemon eucalyptus
- pine
- cypress
- carnation
- fennel
- cinnamon
- rosemary
- thyme
Lots of pine and spicy oils, isn't it? It’s not for nothing that there are no ticks in the coniferous forest. More information You will find information about safe outdoor recreation in the article.
How to dilute essential oils? For 2 tablespoons of base oil - 20 drops of essential oils.
Recipe 1
- grape seed oil 18 ml
- lavender essential oil 2 ml (10% dosage)
Measure lavender oil into a 20 ml bottle with a dropper and add grapeseed oil to full volume.
Recipe 2
- grape oil 45 ml
- broccoli oil 5 ml
- lemon eucalyptus essential oil 15 drops
- lavender essential oil 30 drops
Take a 55 ml spray bottle, add base oils first, then essential oils, mix well.
Store the finished mixture in a cool, dark place. Avoid getting moisture into the bottle.
How to use oils against ticks
Apply the oil to your skin before going outside. If you will be outdoors for a long time, reapply.
The spray bottle does not spray the oil like water, but dispenses it in a thin stream. First, take the oil into your palm and then spread it over the skin using massage movements.
The oils in these recipes are not phototoxic and can be used before going out into the sun.
Let your outdoor recreation be carefree! And don’t forget: by using natural essential and vegetable oils in caring for yourself and your home, you reduce the consumption of harmful chemicals that surround us everywhere.
Be healthy! Be beautiful! Be safe!
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May-June is the period when ticks become active. The bite of these insects is not sensitive to humans, but is dangerous. Ticks carry diseases such as encephalitis, borreliosis, fever, therefore, when going camping or kayaking, you should be especially careful.
First of all, make sure you wear appropriate clothing. Wear boots, thick pants, a long-sleeve sweater and a hat. Choose clothes in light colors, periodically examine yourself and your friends. Avoid thickets of bushes and tall grass - this favorite place dislocation of pincers. And, of course, do not forget about protective equipment!
Nowadays, various repellents are produced to protect against ticks. They are quite effective, but most often toxic. Many substances that come into contact with the skin can cause irritation and allergies. Repellents are especially dangerous for children, but children are much more active in nature than adults. Therefore, before you run to the store for the treasured aerosol can, remember that there are folk remedies for ticks that have been proven over the years. And at the same time completely safe. These include:
Essential oils
Dissolve tea tree, clove, spruce or eucalyptus oil in water in a ratio of half a teaspoon per 100 ml of water. Before going out into the forest, rub the exposed areas of your body with this mixture and spray the rest onto your clothes. You will be reliably protected from being bitten, since ticks cannot tolerate these odors.
Ticks do not like such beautiful flowers as geranium and lavender. Therefore, feel free to prepare improvised perfumes. 2 tbsp. Dissolve tablespoons of oil in a glass of water and add a small amount of alcohol. In a container with a tight lid, the mixture can be stored for up to six months without losing its properties.
Apple vinegar
Be sure to take natural one. Ticks also do not like the smell and taste of this product. Feel free to smear it on your skin and the edges of your clothes.
Onion and garlic
Eat a little onion or garlic before going out; you can rub them on your palms, ankles, and neck. The smell is certainly not pleasant. It will repel not only ticks, but also people :)
Birch tar
You can lubricate your skin and clothes with clean tar, or you can prepare a solution. Pour 700 grams of tar with 2 liters of warm water and let it brew thoroughly. Place the mixture in a container with a tight lid. This remedy will be effective for a long time. If necessary, remove and lubricate exposed areas of the body.
Ants
This method is often used by foresters and hunters, but it is also suitable for tourists. Having met forest ants, take it off outerwear and place it in the anthill for 10-15 minutes. Then shake off the ants - you can safely go further into the forest! Or you can do it simpler - buy formic alcohol at the pharmacy and treat your clothes and exposed areas of the body with it.
Spring has come, and there are still many warm days ahead, which have only one drawback - annoying insects, among which there are some that pose a real danger to health. And the main one among them are ticks. To those who lead active image life and spends a lot of time in nature, you have to think about the potential danger of a tick bite. We will talk about simple and very effective solution this problem.
Today, sellers vying with each other to offer a variety of creams and sprays that, according to them, can get rid of ticks. But in fact, all you need to avoid becoming a victim of these unpleasant insects is a simple roller for cleaning clothes and essential oil.
The essential oil should be distributed carefully and evenly over the roller so as not to leave stains on clothes later. Before you go for a walk in the park or go out of town, you need to go over the clothes you plan to wear with a roller several times. But here you need to take into account that not every essential oil is suitable for these purposes.
Essential oils that protect against ticks
Lemon oil It is considered the most effective in the fight against ticks, as well as such unpleasant insects as fleas and ticks.
Lavender oil, which many people like so much, is a real poison for ticks. Mosquitoes and a wide variety of midges do not like this smell.
Peppermint oil– a true natural repellent, very toxic to insects.
Oil Schisandra chinensis has a bright citrus aroma. It will protect not only from ticks, but also from fleas.
Eucalyptus oil It is also very effective in protecting against ticks. It can be used either on its own or in combination with lemongrass oil.
N/B! Some people mix water with essential oil and apply it to the body like a spray. But it is worth considering that on hot days such a mixture will quickly evaporate, and in addition, contact of the oil and the steamed body can cause skin irritation.
Another summer problem is sweat. But it seems that it was resolved. Anyway .
Along with industrially manufactured anti-tick preparations, there are also products that you can prepare yourself at home. These products are based on essential oils against ticks.
- palmarosa;
- geraniums;
- carnations;
- lavender oil;
- ether bay;
- eucalyptus.
There are several in various ways the use of essential oils to ensure maximum safety during walks. The most common are the use of essential oils to protect against ticks in the form of actual oils (creams) and in the form.
Preparing oil (cream) to combat ticks
The recipe for the most common remedy:
- you need to take a couple of tablespoons of base oil (for example, oil from apricot kernels or almond);
- combine it with palmarosa or geranium ether, 15–25 drops will be enough;
- The resulting product should be used to treat clothing and unprotected areas of the skin before leaving the house.
This aroma, pleasant to humans, will repel ticks.
The only significant contraindication to the use of these products by people is allergic reactions to flowering plants.
The undeniable advantages of this method are:
- ease of preparation and use;
- instant effect that appears immediately after use;
- long shelf life of the finished product – up to six months.
The recipe also has disadvantages:
- possible allergic reactions;
- Use with caution on the face, avoiding the area around the eyes.
Spray as a way to combat ticks
In order to make a spray, you need:
- take a couple of teaspoons of base oil, for example, lavender;
- mix with 200 ml of ordinary tap water;
- add a small amount of alcohol (to help mix the ingredients) or vinegar (to enhance the smell);
- Pour the resulting solution into a bottle with a spray cap for ease of use.
Before going for a walk, a person should spray open areas of the skin and clothing.
The advantages of the method include:
- ease of manufacture and use;
- an effect that appears immediately after use.
The disadvantages, as in the first case, include possible allergic reactions.
Uses of clove oil
Application of a protective agent:
- clove ether is mixed with water and a small amount of alcohol;
- sprayed using a container with a spray bottle.
Since clove essential oil has a very pronounced effect, you should be careful not to overdo it with its amount.
When using clove ether to protect children, you should be extremely careful. Clove concentrate is strictly not recommended for children under 12 years of age.
To use this product only in combination with base oils:
- 10 ml base oil;
- no more than 3 drops of clove remedy.
Under no circumstances should the resulting preparation be rubbed into the skin or allowed to come into contact with mucous membranes or eyes.
This mixture can be used not to treat the child’s skin, but to treat it, the effect will remain at the same level.
Contraindications for the use of clove oil
The disadvantages of this drug, in addition to allergies, is the higher cost of cloves compared to others.
In addition, although it repels ticks, it is contraindicated:
- those suffering from hypertension;
- people with increased nervous excitability of the system;
- pregnant women.
Considering that clove oil can have a strong irritating effect on the skin, before you start using it, it is necessary to test for its tolerance.
The product should be dropped onto the skin in the elbow and wait for the reaction. If the skin does not begin to redden and itch, you can use the resulting drug as directed.
Essential oils to protect children from tick bites
Because children have more delicate skin, they are more prone to allergic reactions, preparations used to protect children from tick bites must be the most gentle, do not irritate the skin, do not have strong odors; in no case are vinegar or alcohol suitable for their preparation.
You can repel ticks using a spray with tea tree oil. It is enough to mix 10–15 drops of tea tree product with 50 ml ordinary water, and the drug is ready.
Since the resulting mixture tends to separate, it is necessary to shake thoroughly before each use.
The spray should be used by sprinkling it on a cotton swab and wiping open areas of the child’s body. For additional protection, the spray is sprayed onto clothing. Lavender oil is also suitable for these purposes. This is a good repeller of various insects, as well as ticks.
Another method against ticks, suitable for preventing bites, is the following decoction, you need to take:
- water (1 l.);
- vanillin (2g);
- the ingredients are mixed;
- bring to a boil;
- Once the mixture has cooled, it can be used.
Precautionary measures
Since the duration of action is not too long, they must be reapplied to the body and clothing at least every 1.5–2 hours. The effectiveness of finished products also directly depends on the quality of the ingredients used; the better the essential and base oil, the more effective the product obtained from them will be.
Well, of course, when going into the forest, you should not forget about clothes in which unprotected areas of the body are reduced to a minimum. You should not walk in a forest with dense undergrowth or near bodies of water. And, of course, upon returning from a walk, you must immediately and carefully examine your clothing and exposed skin.