Essential Oil Blends for Bug Repellent and Bug Bite Relief
Get rid of the chemical filled, store bought mosquito spray and instead use DIY essential oil blends to make your own Bug Repellent and Bug Bite Relief roller blend!
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DIY Essential Oil Blends for Mosquito Repellent and Bug Bite Relief
I am pretty sure mosquitoes are of the devil. I picture those things flying around Hell still pestering people. Here in Texas they’ve been out since the beginning of March. It’s not fair.
Luckily, I have a homemade bug spray that keeps those darn things from bothering us. It’s a pretty simple recipe that can be made in minutes. It’s a safe alternative to the chemical sprays sold in stores. I feel safe using this DIY mosquito repellent on my whole family.
But don’t worry! If you forget to bring your newly made bug repellent with you and you get bit, I’ve got the best bug bite relief roller blend recipe for ya. Just keep scrolling and you’ll find it after the repellent recipe.
Essential Oils for Bug Repellent
There are tons of essential oils that bugs do not like. One of them is peppermint. Spiders also really hate the smell which is great because I think it smells wonderful. There are 6 essential oils that I use in this natural insect repellent but they aren’t the only ones you can use. Any of the essential oils listed below can be used:
- Citronella
- Peppermint
- Lemon
- Eucalyptus
- Basil
- Clove
- Thyme
- Lemongrass
- Geranium
- Lavender
If you want to add some oils to this bug spray recipe that repel ticks then you can add:
- Rose geranium
- Juniper
- Rosewood
- Thyme
- Grapefruit
- Oregano
Supplies Needed to Make Homemade Bug Spray
If you don’t currently use essential oils in your home then the list needed to make homemade bug spray can seem a bit long. However, most of the essential oils needed to make this DIY mosquito repellent can be used to make many other homemade recipes. I consider them to be a great investment. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 – 2 oz glass spray bottle
- Witch Hazel
- Peppermint Essential Oil
- Citronella Essential Oil
- Rosemary Essential Oil
- Lavender Essential Oil
- Lemon or lemongrass Essential Oil
- Tea Tree Essential Oil
- Water
I use a plastic spray bottle but it doesn’t last forever with essential oils because the oils break down the plastic. If you want the bottle to last long you can use a glass one.
How to Make Homemade Bug Spray
First, grab your spray bottle.
Next, you need to fill the bottle half way with water.
Then we start to add the oils. Start with 10 drops of each essential oil. This is just a suggestion. You can play with the amount. If it smells weird, just add a few extra drops of one of the smells from the recipe you like best.
- Then fill the rest of the way up with witch hazel. If you do not have witch hazel you can use vodka or just use more water. Sometimes I’m out of witch hazel and I just use water. Witch hazel burns slightly on the skin so if you have little kids I would just use water.
Now put the lid on and give the bottle a good shake. If you do not like the smell, add more of whatever oil you like the best. Really the more essential oils, the stronger the spray.
I try and over power my spray with peppermint because it smells the best. You might not like that though so feel free to play with the amount of drops you put in of each essential oil.
If you do not like your bug spray too strong then you can try making it with only 5 drops of each oil and see if you like that better. Really, it’s up to you! That’s the beauty in making your own products. You can customize it how you like.
Making Homemade Bug Repellent for Kids
When making anything for kids you should always use more caution. Make the DIY bug spray with only 5 drops of each essential oil. Like I said above, witch hazel can irritate sensitive skin so when making this spray for kids, just leave it out. Fill the rest of the bottle with more water.
Anyone using this homemade bug spray should do a patch test first but especially kids. Spray a tiny bit on small section of skin before going outside to make sure it doesn’t irritate the skin. Wash it off with soap and water if it does.
Essential Oil Recipe for Bug Bite Relief
So what happens if you get bit? Maybe you are out and forgot your spray at home and those little flying devils bite you. Or maybe a fire ant gets you. Then you need my bug bite relief roller recipe.
Trust me it works amazingly! I gave my friend one because her daughter had been eaten alive one night by bugs. It worked so well that she called it the “black magic stick”. Haha!
How to Make a Bug Bite Relief Roller
Now, for this one a lot of people like to use a carrier oil like coconut oil. Coconut oil is great because it is antibacterial and anti fungal. However, I use straight witch hazel because witch hazel helps sooth the skin. So, yes, this is runny but trust me even though it runs fairly quickly off of the skin, it is STILL working it’s magic.
Remember what I said above about using witch hazel on sensitive skin. If you have sensitive skin or plan to use the bug bite roller on a young kid then consider using the coconut oil instead.
For this recipe you need a 10 ml roller tube.
- 1 roller tube
- Witch hazel
- Tea tree oil
- Lavender oil
- Peppermint oil
Fill the roller tube about 3/4 of the way full with witch hazel or fractionated coconut oil. Then add 3 drops of each oil. It’s seriously so simple.
How to Use the Bug Bite Roller
Shake the roller ball to mix everything up and then roll the solution on bug bites as soon as you notice them. The sooner you start using the anti-itch solution the faster the soothing begins and the quicker the bug bite will go away. You can reapply as needed.
So, there you go! Now you’ve got the essential oil blends you need for both Bug repellent and bug bite relief. This Texas girl has been using both of these essential oil recipes for years and I wouldn’t use anything else! Let me know in the comments if you try either of these recipes.
I love your big bit relief recipe but I can’t use it for a really important reason, the only thing I’m allergic to is lavender!! Can I leave it out or substitute something else for it?? I break out I hives from it but I’m also allergic to bugs too, to a milder extent. I swell up and have to take a lot of Benadryl and my topical steroid cream isn’t working. I can’t find any recipes that don’t call for lavender. I am in the midst of a bad histamine reaction now and would appreciate a quick response
I’m sure this is not the quick response you were looking for so I’m sorry about that. You can leave the lavender out or you can substitute it for chamomile essential oil or camphor oil. Either one will help replace the calming effect that you would get from the lavender oil.