by Jessica Espinoza
Looking for an all-natural, non-toxic insect repellent that doesn’t contain the chemicals (like DEET) that most of the commercial brands do? There are many natural, non-toxic ingredients that can be used to make a bug repellent that won’t harm you and your family. Most homemade bug balms and bug sprays utilize the strength of essential oils. The most common essential oils used as bug repellents are:
- Catnip
- Cedarwood
- Cinnamon
- Citronella
- Clove
- Eucalyptus
- Geranium
- Lavender
- Lemongrass
- Patchouli
- Peppermint
- Rosemary
- Tea Tree
Note: Some citrus oils, like lemon, also have strong bug repellent properties, but are also considered “phototoxic”, meaning that the skin could damage or burn easily if those oils are applied to the skin and then exposed to any source of ultraviolet (UV) light. In the case of phototoxicity, it depends on the type of oil and how the essential oil has been processed as to whether the oil could cause a phototoxic reaction. Because of this, it is advised to use caution when adding citrus oils to your bug balms and sprays, even though they are strong repellents. If you do add citrus oils to your bug repellants, you should always keep your skin completely covered to avoid UV exposure.
