As the weather gets warmer, we spend more time outside, forcing us to deal with bugs. I hate bugs. All bugs. I don't discriminate either, mosquitoes, spiders, ants, flies, bees, I hate all of them. There is nothing worse than trying to drink a glass (I mean bottle) of prosecco outside and getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. Traditional bug sprays, like Off, smell horrible and contain toxic ingredients. One of those ingredients, deet, can cause major damage to your central nervous system. What is deet? It's a chemical (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) created by the US Army in 1946 to ward off mosquitoes. The EPA warns us about it; don't spray it anywhere near your face, avoid breathing it in, and wash it off immediately after coming indoors. If these sprays can kill mosquitoes, melt plastic, and are not meant to breathe in, it's probably not a good idea to put them on your skin. Since deet is the most common ingredient in insect repellent, it's in almost every brand on the shelf. Luckily, there are a few alternatives:
Quit Bugging Me! by Jason - this is a non-greasy, light oil formula, bug spray. It's deet, paraben, and PABA free.
Natural Insect Repellent by The Yellow Bird - this is a long lasting, deet free, bug spray. Made with all natural ingredients and no harsh chemicals added.
DIY Chemical Free Bug Spray
First you will need a spray bottle. I always try to use glass if you have it, if not plastic is fine.
Fill the bottle 2/3 with distilled water and 1/3 witch hazel
Add 20 drops of purification essential oil (I use Young Living)
Add 20 drops of lavender essential oil (I use Young Living).
This is the combination I use. However, there are a few oils that bugs hate. Lavender, peppermint, tea tree, lemon, eucalyptus, cinnamon, vanilla, and cedarwood. You can play around until you find one that works for you.
