The world’s deadliest creature – the mosquito. Although we are blessed to not have to deal with the daily threat of malaria in the States, these pesky beasts still wreak havoc on any outing in summer. That’s why finding something our family could use for natural mosquito relief was huge for our family. We also use a natural essential-oil based mosquito repellent – and yes both of them work. Nothing can spoil a nice bonfire, hike, camping trip or a trip to the cabin like having 30-40 mosquito bites on your ankles and shoulders. The best part for me is that my kids can use this form of natural mosquito relief on their own. I mix it up in a roller bottle for easy application and the ingredients are natural, safe and plant based for my kids to use it by themselves. In fact, on our last camping trip, each of the boys had their own to use so there was no fighting – which is a win win for us parents.
What You Will Need
You will only need a few key ingredients to make this natural mosquito relief roll-on ointment:
- Lavender Essential oil (therapeutic and high-grade)
- Peppermint Essential oil (therapeutic and high grade)
- Hand Sanitizer (natural and plant based)
- Witch Hazel
- Vegetable Oil (cosmetic-grade Grapeseed oil, Coconut oil, or Jojoba oil)
- 10 mL glass roller bottles (with stainless steel roller balls)
Essential Oils.
The purpose of the essential oils is to numb and calm the skin irritation caused by the insect bite.
Lavender oil has amazing qualities to not only cleanse and purify the site of the bite but to calm the skin. Lavender essential oil has amazing therapeutic qualifies that benefit our skin – you can learn more about it here. In fact, in a pinch, I will apply straight lavender oil (“neat”) right on our skin for a bug bite or insect sting. I carry a bottle of lavender oil with me everywhere I go in my purse for that very reason among others. It’s what I commonly refer to as my natural, Swiss army knife.
The peppermint essential oil acts as a numbing agent. Peppermint oil has been studied for its properties to numb and relieve pain.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to use a high quality, therapeutic grade pure essential oil. Much of what you will find on the market is either lab-created, diluted, or was the product of over-processing the plant it came from. The result is a lesser quality essential oil that will not provide you the relief you are seeking. You can learn more about safely using essential oils here.
Hand Sanitizer.
The purpose of adding a little hand sanitizer is to cleanse the skin. The hand sanitizer will act to kill any bacteria on the skins surface and cleanse it. After all, an insect bite is really just a tiny wound. So keeping it clean will help to prevent additional irritation.
Vegetable Oil.
The purpose of adding the vegetable oil to this natural mosquito relief roller is to act as a binding agent. It helps to keep the essential oils dispersed and mixed with the other ingredients. It also thickens the mixture a bit so it stays put. If you would use this recipe with straight witch hazel and hand sanitizer, you will find that it runs down your skin and away from the bite more.
Witch Hazel.
Witch hazel has natural properties to also cleanse and calm the skin. Plus, it acts as a barrier to help to safely dilute the essential oils in this recipe. You can read up on the benefits here – you’ll find that they share a lot of the same natural properties. So why not use straight witch hazel? Our family has tried it and it simply doesn’t work as well. The lavender essential oil in this recipe is your strong base that provides the most relief.
The combination of these ingredients is a powerhouse that makes this the most effective natural mosquito relief solution our family has found! And it’s extremely cost effective to make.
Instructions
(1) Take a roller bottle and remove the roller fitment.
(2) Start by adding 20 drops each of Lavender essential oil & Peppermint essential oil.
(3) Add 1-2 squirts of hand sanitizer
(4) Add 1 squirt of carrier oil
(5) Top off with witch hazel to fill the roller bottle to the bottom of the mouth of your roller. Leave enough space to place the roller fitment back on.
(6) Place the roller fitment and cover back on the roller bottle and shake to mix.
Usage
Apply the ointment by rolling it over a mosquito bite, as needed for discomfort. Our kids will usually apply this 1-2 times and that’s all that’s needed.
Keep in mind that the sooner you apply this – the more success you will have with easing discomfort. The longer the venom seeps into skin and the more you itch a bite, the more your body’s inflammatory response will trap the irritant below the skin’s surface. So using this promptly is key!
That’s why our kids carry one in their pocket at picnics, hikes and camping trips. I always keep a spare in my purse just in case.
