Homemade Mosquito(pest) Repellent

There has been an unwanted visitor pest stalking us this summer... in our yard, in our house, in our car...wherever we go, its there!!! We have tried without much luck to close our doors in its face, to refrain from going where it likes to hang out, we have even stooped to the level of spraying ourselves with toxic substances that not only are not good for our bodies but don't work!!!

Bzzzz...bzzzzz.... bzzzz... the sneaky little mosquito with the giantly annoying noise and  itchy bite must be dealt with!!! They seem to have figured out that the best place to attack us is in our home when we are unprepared and unaware of them. They wait in some hidden place and then launch their quest for our blood while we sleep. I hate finding bites on my children after they have been innocently and peacefully sleeping in their beds. The worst is when I have finally found time to take a nap myself and have just drifted off to sleep only to hear their buzzing sound around my ears like miniature war planes getting ready for their assault.

I finally decided after much frustration to find a peaceful way to fight back without compromising my integrity and skin.... a natural mosquito repellent!! I wanted something that I didn't have to spray and lose any of the product but could lather on our skin and wouldn't have the smell that reminds me of when I was 12 at summer camp. Also I wanted to feel good about putting it on our skins... not bad. Most insect repellent contains DEET which in case you didn't know is a registered pesticide!!! Yuck!!...come on think about it... I don't know which is worse...mosquito's or pesticides on me!!??

I went to work researching and looking for a good recipe that wasn't to complicated or required too many ingredients. I found just what I was looking for at: deliciousobsessions.com It contains coconut oil, shea butter, beeswax and there are variety of essential oils you can use. You simply melt ingredients in a double boiler and then pour in container!

If you make anything natural at home chances are you have most of these products on hand, if not they are not hard to come by, you can order them online at natural product websites like:  http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/ or go to your nearest health food store. I luckily had them on hand. The more essential blend of oils you use the better. I only had lemongrass, eucalyptus, rosemary and tea tree oil but it still worked fine.

I put it in this cute little container and keep it handy in my purse, for an unexpected attack!

This recipe makes about 4oz. or 1/2 a cup.

We tested it out by going to an area the kids like to go that is near a creek and infested with the little buggers. I suited the kids and myself up with the mixture, which is similar to lotion and smells really good! The areas we left unprotected were bit but the parts covered were kept protected!!!

They especially seem to love Ellie, so she was my main test model

mosquito free play!

Yay!!! I think we are on our way to winning this battle. You will want to continually put it on if you are outside for a longer period of time, just like sunscreen.

Now that I have tackled fighting the bug culprit naturally and effectively, my next mission is the sun!  I hope to update you soon on what  I can make  myself that will combat our greatest enemy and friend here in Florida!