Living in a tropical island can be amazing. The weather is always warm enough for a swim at the beach or your next hike at the forest trail. While there are pros in living in our warm climate, we need to weigh out the cons too.
One such negative aspect is the pests that thrive in warm weather such as fleas, ticks, termites, flies, and especially mosquitoes which are one of the deadliest insect in the world. According to infographics by Gatesnotes, at least 725,000 people are killed every year from mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are capable of bringing you illness and spreading diseases such as Malaria, Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya, as well as Yellow Fever.
If you are more of an outdoor person, always keep yourself protected by using a bug repellent. Instead of buying off-the-shelf brands from the nearest drug store, why not make your own natural bug spray that does not contain nasty chemicals that are bad for both your body and the environment?
Some benefits of creating your own bug spray include:
- Less harmful chemicals on the body
- Gentler for skin
- Milder for children’s use
- Preferred fragrance than commercial ones
How to make your own bug spray
Making your own bug spray is easy and effective with just a few ingredients. You can add any essential oil blends of your choice, simply remember to add some of the more important ones which the bugs are afraid of. The more popular and effective ones are Citronella, Lavender, and Peppermint.
What you will need:
- A spray bottle
- Essential oils (any 3 blends or more, here we use Citronella, Lavender, and Peppermint)
- 1/4 cup Witch Hazel
- 1/4 purified water
- 1 tablespoon Glycerin
How to use the bug spray:
- Shake the bottle then spray on your arms, legs, and clothing at an approx. 15-20cm distance away.
- Re-spray after every 1 hour to keep yourself protected in case it wears off.