DIY Natural Insect Repellent

I will discuss three common approaches to making a DIY natural insect repellent. Specifically, they involve spraying your DIY natural insect repellent over the skin, making a natural deodorant with insect repelling essential oils and using bush craft, ie rubbing leaves with insect repelling properties. With any or all of these three approaches, consume foods according to the extent to which their odour in your sweat repels or attracts insects. For instance, before entering an environment with insects, drink a glass of water with Apple Cider Vinegar and avoid consuming fruits and sweet. Furthermore, avoid fruity body fragrances.

#1 DIY Natural Insect Repellent for the whole body

Mix the following in a spray bottle. If you can, perform pH tests to ensure that the natural DIY insect repellent achieves a pH of 4 to 5.5. Since human skin has a natural pH of roughly 5.0 to 5.5 (i.e. slightly acidic), a natural insect repellent within the ideal range will protect the sebum, i.e. your skin's 'acid mantle'. Shake vigorously before using this DIY natural insect repellent spray. Additionally, you may need to re-apply it every few hours.

• Approx 25 drops essential oil(s) that repel insects (the most common of which include Citronella essential oil / Lemongrass essential oil, Eucalyptus essential oil. Others include Geranium essential oil, Lavender essential oil, Rosemary essential oil, Lemon essential oil, Tea tree essential oil, Clove essential oil and or Peppermint essential oil )
• 0.25 cup Witch Hazel (or Apple Cider Vinegar)
• 0.75 cup Water
• 1 tsp Glycerine (optional to moisturize your skin)

#2. DIY Natural Insect Repellent as a Natural Deodorant

See how to make and apply this DIY natural deodorant that can also act as an insect repellent. Keep this deodorant oil in a tinted dropper bottle (to prevent light degradation).

• Peppermint essential oil
• Geranium essential oil
• Carrier oil (like almond oil, coconut oil, sunflower seed oil, olive oil or so on)

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#3. DIY Natural Insect Repellent in the Wilderness; Bush Craft

a. I have not yet used this option personally. However, I would be happy for comments from anyone who tries it. Steam and or smolder the bark of plants from which pungent repelling essential oils (known to you or not) originate. This might require smelling the leaves to determine whether they are similar to commonly known repellents.

• If you have a pot, shred the bark into the pot and simmer. 

• If you do not have anything on which to put the bark, erect a piece of hard branch from the ground and chip away the middle of it to create a 2-pronged fork with a gap only wide enough to accommodate the wood to be smoldered. 

b. Rub the following directly onto your skin. You will need to re-apply this form of natural insect repellent very frequently.

• crushed lippia (alba leaves) (apparently very potent as a natural insect repellent)

• crushed lemon balm leaves

• crushed rosemary leaves 

Lippia Alba

Lemon balm

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