I created this very easy yet highly effective and safe homemade repellent for mosquito recipe with only two ingredients, soybean oil, and lemon eucalyptus essential oil. Mosquitoes love me but I am afraid this kind of love is not reciprocal!
The next time you plan a trip to the countryside or to an exotic location (yes, I do have hope that one day we will be able to travel again!), carry this DIY bug spray with you, and hopefully; you’re going to thank me for it!
Apply generously anywhere mosquitoes can possibly bite you – arms, hands, legs, feet, even your neck and behind the ears (I am sure you would agree that these suckers can literally find even the most impossible places to bite you…).
Apply every 2 hours during the day or as needed, and before going to bed.
If I told you the number of mosquito species that exist in this world, you’d probably hide under a blanket and never want to come out. Luckily, this homemade bug spray is effective against all type of mosquitoes.
During my travels in Asia and the French countryside, I was displeased by how many mosquitoes there were, and how especially annoying they were. The only thing that worked in keeping them away was this homemade repellent for mosquitoes blend of soybean oil and lemon eucalyptus essential oil at a dilution of 3%.
DEET is the active chemical ingredient found in most bug sprays. As with any chemical, it’s not the safest thing for you, but DEET is especially known to have severe harmful effects on your health, such as adverse dermal reactions and even negative effects on the central nervous system.
Manufacturers advise that DEET should not be used under clothing or on damaged skin. The fact that manufacturers had to mention these careful instructions should raise an immediate red flag in your mind.
The Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices of Cornell University states that “Everglades National Park employees having extensive DEET exposure were more likely to have insomnia, mood disturbances and impaired cognitive function than were lesser exposed co-workers”.
So if this 100% natural and safe DIY bug spray can do the same job, why expose yourself to the possible harmful effects of DEET? It’s definitely not worth it in my opinion.
A study conducted in the 1960s showed that taking vitamin B1 could help keep mosquitoes away. The underlying theory is that vitamin B1 produces an odor that female mosquitoes (they’re the only ones that bite) seem to find offensive. Therefore, intake of excess vitamin B1 will allow the body to excrete it via urine, sweat, and skin, which will result in your body releasing the odor that’ll repel the mosquitoes.
Although this was definitely an unusual theory, I decided to try it out in Thailand and to my delight, it actually was not bitten by mosquitoes!
If you’re as popular as I am in the mosquito community, I’d suggest you try this too. And if you don’t want to, my homemade repellent for mosquitoes will help to protect you!
Improve your under-eye skin area with this DIY eye cream I made using only 3… Read More
I'll share how to make DIY Shea butter soap recipes 2 different ways: the melt… Read More
We’ve all had those moments when we’re in a hurry to head out the door… Read More
I'm sharing with you an easy version of my favorite DIY perfume creations – Firefly.… Read More
I'm sharing 3 of my favourite DIY face masks with honey, simple, easy, inexpensive and… Read More
Made without beeswax, this vegan, creamy lip butter recipe with shea butter is the stuff… Read More
View Comments
Hi folks! :)
Can I ask how much B1 you were taking? My son goes bikepacking a lot & Ontario mosquitoes are legendary predators. The amount of bug spray he has to use to keep them off is horrendous, so I know he'd be interested in trying this. I'll be making up a bucket full of your soy/eucalyptus repellent too. Many thanks!
It depends on the brand and mg, I follow the dosage on the instruction of the bottle. So for example, I took vitamin B1 from Jamieson https://amzn.to/39vsXgC 3 weeks prior to my trip 1 tablet per day as indicated on the bottle.
Several years ago I tried taking B1 to keep the mosquitoes away, since I am one of those people that they particularly LOVE. It worked great. Unfortunately, I also develop allergies easily and became allergic to the vitamin. You will probably have to take the B1 for about a month before it kicks in fully, but it does work!
thanks for sharing Nell and sorry to hear you are allergic now :-(