Bug Repellent Balm Recipe

Bug Repellent Balm Recipe

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I love being out in nature.

The smell of fresh mountain air.

The dirt under my feet.

A fire roaring in the fire pit.

Sleeping in a tent where you can feel all the fresh air and hear the night noises.

But…the one thing I don’t like about camping is the bugs.

Particularly the mosquitoes.

I am not a fan.

Why Not Conventional Repellent?

Conventional store-boughten bug repellants are very unhealthy most of the time. Especially DEET which is one of the most common bug repellants.

Here I want to share with you a couple paragraphs from some articles I found. These really show how dangerous the chemicals in a lot of bug repellents are (particularly DEET):

Large doses of DEET have been linked to skin blisters, seizures, memory loss. As well as headaches, stiffness in the joints shortness of breath, and skin irritation. DEET is also linked to neurotoxicity that may lead to physiological and behavioral problems. Especially with motor skills, and learning and memory dysfunction.

DEET is absorbed quickly through the skin. One study showed that 48% of the applied dose is totally absorbed within six hours. When mixed with the sunscreen chemical oxybenzone, it was found to be absorbed even more quickly. DEET has been shown to cross the placenta. In animal studies, DEET was found in the fetus and newborns up to three months old after exposing the mother to the chemical.

https://www.madesafe.org/education/chemicals-bug-repellent/

A 2009 study found that DEET can interfere with the activity of enzymes that are vital for the nervous system to function properly. In the study, the researchers found that DEET blocked the enzyme cholinesterase. Which is essential for transmitting messages from the brain to the muscles in insects. The researchers noted that DEET may also affect the nervous systems of mammals.

Plus, pharmacologists have said that children are at a higher risk for brain changes after DEET exposure because their skin absorbs it more readily.

That is terrifying to me.

So after learning about all that, I set about making up my own bug repellent recipe. And I have to say we all love how well it works!

Not only do the essential oils in it keep the bugs away very effectively, but all the oils in this recipe nourish your skin beautifully!

Watch my recipe video on YouTube!

https://youtu.be/9ETh80PpY6E

Bug Repellent Balm Recipe

• 14 oz coconut oil
• 2 oz olive oil
• 1 oz beeswax
• 20 drops tea tree essential oil
• 15 drops cedarwood essential oil
• 15 drops peppermint essential oil

First you measure out all your oils and wax into a double boiler. I always use a glass bowl sitting inside a pot with water as a make-shift double boiler.

In fact, I have this one glass bowl I got from goodwill for 99 cents, and this is it’s main job. I never wash it in between making my natural DIY projects. Which is amazing! Because it is a nightmare to try to wash beeswax out of anything!

Especially your sink drain pipes.

Just ask my husband.

After you have measured out all the ingredients except for the essential oils, turn on your burner and get everything melted down. We don’t add the essential oils until after it is off the heat so we don’t damage the beneficial properties in the EOs.

Once it’s done melting, remove the bowl from the hot pot of water and set it on a potholder.

Then add your tea tree, cedarwood and peppermint essential oils, and stir it up.

Storage

Now I like to store it in little tins. That makes it super convenient to bring a small container camping or backpacking.

Ya don’t need to lug a pint of this up the mountain.

But small mason jars work fine too. Whatever container you decide to store them in, either pour or ladle your liquid balm into them.

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It’ll harden back up after awhile to a creamy thick balm that is really easy to spread over your skin.

Just apply as needed. You will have to do it several times over a day, especially if you have been sweating or playing in the water.

And there! Now you don’t have to put anymore DEET on your skin.

And blessings.

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