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Bugs Got You Down? Try Aromatherapy

By: Michael South

The warm days of summer are upon us again, and along with them come mosquitoes, gnats and other biting bugs we'd be happy to keep off us. Synthetic insect repellent formulas have been in use for a long time -- they are effective, but many involved in natural health are still wary of putting synthetic solvents on their skin. The skin is known to absorb chemicals rather readily, and these chemicals are certain to show up in our bloodstream as well. The essential oils used as insect repellents however, are a completely safe, natural, and effective alternative; one that even the most discerning parent would be happy to use on their children. Insect repellent blends, both for topical and environmental defense, are some of the easiest aromatherapy formulations to create.

Besides preventing insects from being attracted to you and your children personally, diffusing essential oils is a perfect way to keep mosquitoes and other biting insects from your living space. The same scent they find distasteful insect repelling lotions can also be diffused into the air. This can also work for flies, gnats and other winged, buzzing creatures. And thankfully most people find they enjoy the scents used for these purposes, especially in the summer time as they are often bright uplifting lemony aromas.

If you'd like to make a topical application, first select the base. The three most common choices are: an unscented lotion base, a water and witch hazel mixture, or any aromatherapy carrier oil. You can even add essential oils to your sunscreens, creating a wonderful dual-purpose blend. Witch hazel is an unscented water-based plant extract that will help preserve your blend over the course of the summer; its is inexpensive and easy to find. A blend in water of witch hazel and water is very convenient, as it can be sprayed on the skin as well as your clothing, without worry of staining, and can sprayed in your environment, too. The water and the witch hazel formula is made of one part witch hazel to three parts water; so if you were going to make 4 ounces of base, you would mix one else of the witch hazel with 3 ounces of water.

There are a great many essential oil combinations considered ineffective for repelling insects. The most popular essential oil for mosquito repelling is citronella, distilled from the leaves of grass grown in tropical countries. In recent years however, it has been found that citronella alone is not the most potent bug repellent. Adding other essential oils, namely peppermint, cedar wood, and geranium will greatly enhance its effectiveness. Citronella, or citronella mixed with lemongrass, is still the most widely used essential oil for room diffusion (the result is similar to burning a citronella candle). Try diffusing one or both of these essential oils and a nebulizing in diffuser, or add 20 drops of oil to plain water in a spray bottle and mist your environment.

For an extra strength topical recipe, mix 3 milliliters of citronella, 1 milliliter of peppermint, three quarters of a milliliter of cedar wood, one half a milliliter each of lemongrass and geranium essential oils in the base of your choosing. Adjust this recipe for children by reducing the concentrations of essential oils by half for preteens, and again by half for toddlers, omitting the peppermint. For infants, use only citronella and/or lemongrass at a 1% concentration. As with any potent medicine, it is important to watch for any reaction -- while of rare, it is possible for anyone to have a reaction to pure natural essential oils.

If you're interested in experimenting, the most potent mosquito repellent essential oil known is that of catnip. Catnip essential oil was the subject of a study in the 1990s that showed it at least 10 times as powerful as DEET, the active ingredient in many insect repellent products. DEET is found in over-the-counter formulations in concentrations from anywhere between five and 20%; this means you should get the same effectiveness at concentrations between .5 and 2% of catnip essential oil in your base. Because not much is produced, catnip essential oil is still somewhat expensive, but the amounts needed are so low that it will likely offset the cost.

Essential oils are also excellent remedies for insect bites once they've occurred. They can reduce both the pain of a sting and the itch of many little bites. Lavender is most commonly used for this, and it can be applied directly to the skin undiluted. Just tap one drop of lavender essential oil from the bottle and apply with your fingertip. Blue tansy essential oil, also known as Moroccan Chamomile, is also regularly used in aromatherapy for its soothing effects to the skin. For best results, dilute blue tansy to 2% in a carrier oil or lotion and massage onto the affected area. If you are concerned about infection, also include tea tree essential oil at a 5% dilution.

While DEET has been in use for many years, it's still a synthetically produced solvent chemical. It's nice to have a natural health options of essential oils for you and your family, and these recipes are so easy to make and use. Many of these essential oils are highly regarded for healing effects in regard to other health issues. Geranium is a well-known anti-fungal agent, and lemongrass is known for its antiviral action. These oils are also used in esoteric aromatherapy as antidepressants -- so while you're keeping the bugs away, you'll likely be putting a smile on your face too.

Article Source: Main Articles

For more resources on using essential oil and flower essences therapeutically, visit the Ananda Apothecary.

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