To make a citronella oil spray:
- Add citronella oil to water in a glass spray bottle. The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) recommends 10 to 15 drops per ounce of water.
- Optional step: Essential oils don’t dissolve in water. Consider adding a dispersing agent such as solubol to your solution.
- Shake the bottle well before spraying.
- Boil 1 cup of water. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of fresh or dried citronella. Mix well. ...
- Pour the liquid into the spray bottle. Add 1 cup of witch hazel or rubbing alcohol. If desired, add 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin.
- Store it in a cool place, such as the fridge. Shake before spraying.
How do you make citronella fly repellent?
300ml citronella (available from most pharmacies)25ml lavender oil (also available from most pharmacies)4tbsp vinegar.6tbsp Dettol.2 cups of cold strong tea.Pour into a 2 litre plastic pop bottle and top up with water, then decant what you need into a spray bottle when needed.
How do you make citronella spray for humans?
[print_this]How-to Make Homemade Essential Oil Insect Repellent Spray2 ounces distilled or boiled water.1.5 ounces witch hazel or vodka.30 drops citronella essential oil.25 drops peppermint essential oil.15 drops tea tree essential oil.More items...
What is the best homemade insect repellent?
Mix 1 part oil of lemon eucalyptus or lavender essential oil with 10 parts witch hazel in the bottle. (For each drop of oil, use 10 drops of witch hazel.) Shake gently to mix. Spray to apply.
What is the best homemade mosquito spray?
Neem oil and coconut oil have been proven in studies to be a great mosquito repellent when combined. Add 10 drops of neem oil and 30 ml of coconut oil to the spray bottle along with boiled water and vodka to a spray bottle to make a great herbal mosquito repellent and apply it to the areas you need.
What happens if you breathe in citronella?
It might cause skin reactions or irritation in some people. When inhaled: It's LIKELY UNSAFE to inhale citronella oil. Lung damage has been reported.
What can I spray around my house to keep bugs out?
A combination of half apple cider vinegar (although normal vinegar works just as well) and half water in a spray bottle works perfectly to repel those pests. This concoction can be sprayed around the perimeter of your home, on the legs of tables that have food served on them or even around a screen house or tent.
What is the number one natural insect repellent?
"I recommend using bug sprays that contain lemon eucalyptus," offers Dr. Engelman. "This essential oil is known to be one of the best natural ingredients to ward off insects." Like Murphy's Naturals, Repel's bug spray relies on this powerful oil rather than DEET.
What is the strongest insect repellent?
After testing 23 spray repellents, we've concluded that Sawyer Products 20% Picaridin Insect Repellent is the best. It has a 20% picaridin formula, making it effective against mosquitoes and ticks for up to 12 hours.
What are the 4 active ingredients of insect repellent?
The active ingredients in most insect repellents are DEET, Picardin, or IR 3535, for exposed skin and permethrin, for clothing only.
What smell does mosquito hate the most?
Mosquitoes hate peppermint much like wasps and other common pests. Lavender – Lavender is not only an effective mosquito repellent, it's also touted as a powerful ointment to relieve itchy mosquito bites. This oil has a pleasant floral scent and is the safest choice for children.
Will spraying vinegar keep mosquitoes away?
Acetic acid makes vinegar an excellent tool for pest control, repelling some of the most common backyard nuisances and even killing weaker insects. It's most effective against ants, spiders, and mosquitos. You can keep spiders from entering your home by spraying vinegar around your property's perimeter and entryways.
What smell will keep mosquitoes away?
Mosquitoes have an incredibly strong sense of smell, which they use to find accessible food sources. You can repel mosquitoes by using scents they hate, like lavender, peppermint oil, geranium oil, cinnamon bark oil, lemon eucalyptus oil, citronella oil, catnip, rosemary, and pine oil.
Does citronella spray work on humans?
Citronella needs to be reapplied often to be an effective mosquito repellent. However, it may provide protection for up to three hours if it is combined with vanillin. Studies show that it is not as effective as DEET at keeping mosquitos away.
Is citronella spray safe for humans?
The only concern is skin irritation. Because some products are applied to human skin, EPA requires proper precautionary labeling to help assure safe use. Therefore, if used according to label instructions, citronella is not expected to pose health risks to people, including children and other sensitive populations.
How do you make mosquito repellent for your body?
You'll need half a cup of distilled water, half a cup of witch hazel, rubbing alcohol, or vinegar, and 30 to 40 drops of essential oil of your choice. (Rubbing alcohol may be irritating if sprayed on the skin, and witch hazel is the gentlest option for sprays.) 2. Create a custom scent.
Can I mix citronella oil with water?
Uses. Diffuse to ward off insects, especially mosquitoes. Combine with carrier oil and rub onto skin as a topical insect repellent. Mix with water in a spray bottle and spritz onto surfaces as a natural surface cleanser.
How Does Citronella Oil Repel Mosquitoes?
So it’s popular, but how does citronella oil help to keep the mosquitoes off my skin?
What is citronella oil?
Citronella oil can be found as an active ingredient in products ranging from sprays and lotions to even scented candles. Citronella oil protects against not just mosquitoes but even other tiny pests like flies and fleas. In recent years the use of citronella oil in insect repellent products has increased tremendously.
How long does it take for a mosquito to get rid of a citronella mask?
For instance, Citronella oil masks the scent of carbon dioxide and lactic acid, naturally released by humans, making it difficult for mosquitoes to find us! Scientific evidence suggests different mixtures of Citronella oil can ward off mosquitoes from 2 hours, if diluted, to even 12 hours, when undiluted.
How much alcohol is needed to make citronella oil?
The simple ingredients required to make citronella oil spray are: 4 ounce spray bottle. 2 ounces water (boiled or distilled) 1.5 ounces alcohol (vodka) Pure citronella essential oil.
What are the three molecules in citronella oil?
Citronella Oil consists of three biologically active molecules which are known as ‘Citronellal’, ‘Citronellol’ and ‘Geraniol’.
Where does citronella oil come from?
Citronella oil is an essential oil extracted from Lemongrass ( Cymbopogon ), an herb plant native to Southeast Asia.
Can you make mosquito repellent with citronella oil?
It’s super easy to make a homemade citronella oil mosquito repellent lotion.
How to make citronella spray effective?
One way to increase the effectiveness of your homemade citronella spray or lotion is to add essential oils from another plant identified to repel insects. Some suggestions are basil, catnip, cedarwood, juniper, lemon, lemon eucalyptus, myrrh, pennyroyal, rose geranium, and rosemary.
How to make citronella lotion?
A lotion is basically an emulsion of water and oil. Place 2 oz. of water in a deep mixing bowl. Drizzle in 2 oz. of oil slowly, whisking with a wire whisk until the two are combined into a creamy, white lotion. Stir in 120 drops of citronella oil. Place the lotion in a bottle and label.
How long does citronella repellent last?
Many chemical insect repellants are good for hours. It is recommended that citronella repellants be reapplied every 30 to 60 minutes. Some purchasable repellants with citronella have been tested to repel insects for two hours, but even then the effectiveness decreased after 40 minutes.
How to keep mosquitoes out of garden?
An option for keeping mosquitoes out of your garden is to light citronella candles around the space. Alternatively, there is citronella infused oil for tiki torches if you want a party atmosphere, and there are incenses being made with citronella oil. The smell from the burning end of the candle, torch, or incense will repel the insects to some degree, but none are as effective as a direct application of the citronella to the skin. The closer you are to the candle, the safer you are.
How to make a spray on repellent?
Make a spray-on repellant by combining citronella essential oil with a liquid base. Witch hazel, olive oil, vodka, or rubbing alcohol are all possible bases to use. Some will dry skin, others will moisturize. Experiment to find which suits you best.
What is the best insect repellent for mosquitoes?
Water. Wire whisk. Spray bottle. Citronella oil is a natural insect repellant, especially for mosquitoes. Tests have shown it to be less effective than the standard chemical used in repellants, DEET. However, those same tests indicate that it is an effective, natural deterrent against insects.
Is citronella a rash?
Whenever trying a new repellent, apply a small amount to a spot on your arm in advance. If there is no rash or reaction, then use your new repellant in good health.
What oil to use for citronella?
Dilute citronella oil in a carrier oil, like jojoba oil or coconut oil.
What is citronella oil?
Share on Pinterest. Citronella oil is an essential oil that’s made from the distillation of the Asian grass plant in the Cymbopogon genus. This fragrant grass got its name from the French word meaning “lemon balm,” due to its floral, citrus-like aroma. Like many essential oils, citronella oil has certain benefits, ...
Why do you need to reapply citronella oil?
Because citronella oil has a shorter time span of effectiveness than repellents like DEET, you will need to reapply more often if you’re using it as an insect repellent.
How long does citronella oil last?
It concluded that using citronella oil together with vanillin (found in vanilla beans) provided mosquito protection for up to three hours.
What is the effect of inhaling citronella?
Lavender was found to have a relaxing effect and rosemary was found to have a stimulating effect on the brain. Citronella, on the other hand, had a more complex in-between effect.
Does DEET protect against citronella?
The study also found that DEET provided protection for a much longer period of time than just citronella oil on its own.
Does citronella oil help with wound healing?
Wound healing. Based on recent research, citronella oil may have the potential to speed up the healing of wounds. This may be of particular importance for people with diabetes, as wounds tend to heal more slowly with this condition. In a 2016 animal study. Trusted Source.
How to make citronella oil?
Boil 1 cup of water. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of fresh or dried citronella. Mix well. Cover the liquid and let it cool. If you leave it uncovered, the oils from the citronella will dissipate into the air and be lost. Strain the cooled mixture and discard the used citronella solids.
How many drops of citronella essential oil to spray?
Use the dropper to add between 30 and 50 drops of citronella essential oil. Place the top of the spray bottle on tightly and shake well.
Does citronella repel mosquitoes?
Citronella spray can keep mosquitoes away from pets as well as people.
Can you mix essential oils with water?
Essential oils do not mix with water -- witch hazel and rubbing alcohol are emulsifiers that help the mixture blend. You can combine other essential oils with citronella essential oil to increase potency or for fragrance. Try rosemary, lavender, mint or tea tree oil.
Is Citronella oil toxic?
Citronella essential oil is not toxic, but it can irritate the throat and cause coughing if swallowed or inhaled.
Can you spray citronella grass?
A spray made with essential citronella oil is simple to mix in a spray bottle and is ready to use immediately. You can also make an insect repellant spray using citronella grass, or lemongrass, clipped from the garden, or the dried version sold at natural food stores. Advertisement.
What is a citronella plant, exactly?
You’re probably familiar with citronella as a scent that shows up in a lot of mosquito-repelling candles and torches, but that scent actually comes from a plant called Cymbopogon nardus. This plant is a member of the geranium family, and they kind of look like spiky ferns.
What plants repel mosquitoes?
One popular method? Many people invest in certain plants that are said to repel mosquitoes, like citronella grass.
How to prevent mosquito bites in summer?
That usually means protecting yourself with more obvious tactics, like applying an insect repellent and avoiding peak mosquito hours (dusk and dawn).
What are the breeding grounds for mosquitoes?
Blow-up pools, bird baths, or even water sitting around your plants are breeding ground for mosquitoes. Clear your yard of any standing water to keep them from hovering around.
Can you spray your yard with insecticide?
If you can’t stand the amount of mosquitoes hanging around during your backyard barbecue, hiring a professional to spray your yard with insecticide can take the burden off your shoulders.
Can citronella repel mosquitoes?
Translation: Unless you want to plant a citronella field in your backyard, its repellent properties simply aren’t strong enough to completely keep mosquitoes out of your yard. (Bummer, we know.)
