How to Make Your own Natural Bug Spray.

Sick of spraying yourself and your kids with synthetic and potentially harmful chemicals? Try making your own bug spray. This formula smells great, is actually great for your skin, and since you're making it yourself, you know exactly what goes into it.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cedarwood Essential Oil
• Juniper Berry Essential Oil
• Patchouli Essential Oil
• Spikenard Essential Oil
• 4 oz. Organic Frankincense Hydrosol
• 4 oz. PET Plastic Spray Bottle

1. 
    
   Cedarwood

   Gather your materials together on a clean workspace. Make sure that your empty bottle is clean and dust-free.

2. 
    
   Orifice Reducer (See Cap)

   Add the hydrosol to your plastic bottle first. Then carefully add the appropriate number of drops of each essential oil. This recipe is crafted to ensure a safe dilution of essential oils—you want to be sure not to use more than indicated in the ingredients. Essential oils are highly concentrated, so the bottles are generally contained with orifice reducers to ensure that the oils are not spilled. Tip your essential oil bottle gently until the drops fall out slowly enough to be counted.
   
   8 drops Cedarwood Essential Oil - Juniperus virginiana
   3 drops Juniper Berry Essential Oil - Juniperus communis
   8 drops Patchouli Essential Oil - Pogostemom cablin
   5 drops Spikenard Essential Oil - Nardostachys jatamansi

3. 
    
   Spray Bottle

   Seal the spray container and shake gently.

4. 
    

   Spray freely on your skin and clothes before heading outdoors, and after swimming. Spray on your hands and wipe when applying to young children.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember not to leave your spray bottle out in the sun or in your car for long periods of time. Heat may weaken the properties and quality of your blend.
• Make a few bottles to start out with and stash them in easy-to-grab places like a basket in your entryway and in your bathroom. Remember
• Avoid spraying directly onto the face. Instead, spray the blend onto your hands before transferring to the face with gentle wiping motions.
• Ensure that your ingredients are organic and pure. Essential oils should be therapeutic-grade from a trusted source.

Resources

• Aromatics International

[Aromahead]

on 6/18/2008 Yikes--good comment. Looks like I need to edit that in, thank you.

[ChristyBuena]

on 6/18/2008 What is the "appropriate" number of drops for each essential oil?