How to Make Natural Bug Spray with Essential Oils

Ever since my family started a small essential oils company, we’ve been making our own bug spray using essential oils. And let me tell you, I would never go back to the toxic synthetic sprays!

Not only is it really easy to make and really effective, it also has some other advantages! It doesn’t leave your skin all sticky, or make you smell like bug spray for the entire day.

Essential oils are natural VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which means that they evaporate. In body care products where essential oils are used, carrier oils or carrier liquids are mixed with the essential oils to dilute the essentials oils, but also to prevent them from evaporating too quickly. Eventually though, the scent will dissipate, and you will need to reapply. I think this is a good thing though! Most people don’t want to smell like bug spray all day!

This recipe uses witch hazel, apple cider vinegar, and essential oils. The witch hazel provides a shelf-stable base for diluting the essential oils (as opposed to water, which is not shelf-stable), and it’s also great for the skin. Apple cider vinegar is also great for the skin, and is a bug repellent ingredient all on its’ own. If you don’t want to use the apple cider vinegar, you can substitute more witch hazel instead. The vinegar scent is pretty subtle though!

Many essential oils are effective at repelling bugs, so you can customize this spray and make it smell exactly how you want! See the recipe notes below for more information on substituting essential oils.

DIY Natural Bug Spray

Easy and effective natural bug spray using essential oils. You can customize the essential oils to make the scent exactly what you want! See the notes below to make a spray that's safe to use on your dog, and notes for using on children and pregnant women.

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Total Time:5 minutes mins

Keyword: body care, bug spray, summer

Servings: 30 uses

Equipment

• 1 amber glass spray bottle 4 oz
• 1 funnel
• 1 glass measuring cup

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup witch hazel
• 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 10 drops citronella essential oil
• 5 drops eucalyptus lemon essential oil
• 5 drops cedarwood essential oil
• 5 drops lavender essential oil

Instructions

• Add the witch hazel and apple cider vinegar to your spray bottle.
  1/4 cup witch hazel, 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• Then add your essential oils.
  10 drops citronella essential oil, 5 drops eucalyptus lemon essential oil, 5 drops cedarwood essential oil, 5 drops lavender essential oil
• Add the lid back on your bottle, and give it a good shake.
• Shake before each use.

Notes

– The recipe as written will give you a 4 oz. bottle that is just over half-full. If you want to make a larger amount, increase the ratios as needed.

– The proper dilution rate for essential oils is 12 drops per 1 oz. of liquid for a 2% dilution (the recommended dilution for most people and most applications). The amount in the recipe is a 2% dilution. It is recommended to use a 0.5-1% dilution for young children and pregnant women* (reduce essential oils to half the amount in the recipe for a 1% dilution). *Not all essential oils are safe to use during pregnancy. Exercise caution, use at your own risk, and consult your physician if in doubt.

– You may need to reapply after a few hours of being outside.

– If you will be out in the sun, do not use citrus oils in your bug spray as they are phototoxic.

– Other essential oils that you can use are lemongrass, rosemary, geranium, and peppermint.

– A tinted glass bottle is best to protect the essential oils, but you can use a plastic bottle as well if needed.

– To make a spray that you can use on your dog: take out the citronella oil and use a 1% dilution for the other oils (6 drops essential oil per 1 oz. of liquid). Do not spray near the eyes or sensitive areas. If you’ve never used essential oils on your dog before, watch for any adverse reactions. You can test first for any sensitivities by applying the bug spray to a bandana or your dog’s harness.

If you aren’t particular about the scent of your bug spray, you can also try using a bug-repelling pre-mixed blend to make the process even simpler, like this ‘Don’t BUG Me’ blend created by my family. Simply add 25 drops of it to 1/4 cup witch hazel + 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar.

I hope you enjoy this spray and find it as effective as we have been! I would love to hear about your experience with it in the comments below!

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