May to November is peak mosquito season in the US, and many people would like to protect themselves from mosquito bites with an essential oil mosquito repellent, made at home with natural and safe plant-derived ingredients instead of an off-the-shelf spray or lotion.
What are essential oils?
Essential oils are the ‘essence’, or core fragrant element, distilled from plant material. These oils are used in food manufacture, the perfume and beauty industry, aromatherapy, candle-making, and as bug repellents.
Why do mosquitoes hate the smell of essential oils?
They don’t, really.
Mosquitoes use their smell receptors to catch the scent of carbon dioxide from your breath, and the smell from the build-up of lactic acids and carboxylic acids on your skin. This lets them pinpoint your location and zone in for a blood meal.
Essential oils mask your scent so that even if a mosquito is hovering right over you, it won’t be able to identify you as a food source. Mixing different essential oils together makes for a more effective repellent as the mini vampires become confused by the multiple scents their receptors pick up.
Not-so-fun fact
The amount of carboxylic acid on your skin determines how much of a mosquito magnet you are.
What repels mosquitoes naturally?
Not every essential oil works the same way. Some are too delicate, while others are too volatile, meaning they evaporate before they have a chance to mess with a mosquito’s smell sensors.
Here are 5 essential oils that make an effective, natural repellent for mosquitoes.
- Citronella oil
Citronella oil has long been the go-to scent for mosquito repellents. While there is a plant called citronella, the lemony-citrusy smelling oil is distilled from a species of lemongrass. According to some research studies, mixing citronella with vanillin, a compound taken from vanilla pods, strengthens its potency and increases its staying power.
As for citronella candles, experts at The American Mosquito Control Association say they’re basically useless as a mosquito repellent.
- Clove oil
Clove oil has a sweet and spicy fragrance, and it is an important ingredient in perfumery, often used as the heart note. What makes clove oil especially good as a mosquito repellent is its exceptionally high percentage of eugenol, a substance found to be very effective in killing mosquito larvae.
You can treat mosquito-breeding pools of stagnant water with this simple concoction formulated by Brazil’s National Institute of Amazonian Research: Grind 60 clove buds with 1 cup of water and add a few drops of the resulting liquid to any container or body of standing water. The mosquito-killing magic should last for up to 14 days.
- Thyme oil
Thyme oil contains five elements that confuse mosquitoes and two of those have been found to be stronger than the synthetic compound DEET. In one comparative study of 4 essential oils, thyme oil came out the winner, showing 91% protection for more than an hour against the common house mosquito.
Thyme burns well, too. Next time you’re sitting around a campfire telling ghost stories, throw a few sprigs of thyme and a handful of rosemary on the fire. This may banish whining mosquitoes for a good hour or so.
- Basil oil
The core ingredient of pesto sauce is also great at pest control. It is especially toxic to mosquitoes that spread dengue. The fresh herb can be quite pungent, making its essential oil very effective at rattling a mosquito’s smell receptors.
Keep a pot of basil growing on your windowsill and in a pinch, roll a few leaves between your palms to release their oil. Rub the crushed leaves over exposed skin for temporary relief from mosquito bites.
- Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE)
OLE and lemon eucalyptus oil are both produced using the leaves of the same tree, but they are two very different products.
OLE is an extract rather than a distillation, so technically it is not an essential oil. However, OLE is far more potent than the lemon eucalyptus essential oil since the refinement process intensifies its content of the active mosquito-repelling ingredient para-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD). This is considered as effective as synthetic DEET.
How much essential oil should I use for my natural repellent for mosquitoes?
When mixing essential oils with a carrier liquid, always start small — 2-3 drops of essential oil to 1 teaspoon of carrier liquid.
Never apply essential oils directly to skin. They are highly concentrated and can irritate or even burn your skin. Always mix essential oils with a neutral ‘carrier’ oil such as coconut, olive, or sunflower.You can use witch hazel or fresh aloe vera gel as the carrier liquid for a less greasy preparation. For sprays made with water, always shake the container well before every use to disperse the oil evenly.
Always do a patch test to check for allergic reactions: apply the mix to the inside of your arm and wait 24 hours.
If there is no allergic reaction, continue to intensify the mix, but do not go beyond 15 drops of essential oil for every teaspoon of carrier liquid.
If you do have an allergic reaction, reach out to your doctor or emergency services immediately.