There’s nothing worse than watching the sun go down on a lovely day and then being attacked by mosquitos. In the Northeast, we live for summer. And spending as much time out in nature is probably what the founding fathers referred to as the “pursuit of happiness.”
The pesticides industry claims that DEET is relatively harmless, however it’s been shown to be extremely powerful and toxic. The nervous system is particularly at risk and DEET has been known to cause seizures as well as other health related concerns. Children are particularly susceptible.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to choose between toxic commercial bug sprays and the diseases carried by mosquitos.
Essential oils may be the answer to this dilemma. They’re safe, natural and effective. They’re also economical. A bottle of essential oil will last much longer than a bottle of bug spray and most oils have multiple uses.
Quality is important to me. I don’t want to replace one chemical with another, so we use TerraShield by doTERRA. It’s a perfect blend of mosquito repellent. It has 15 different oils including lemon, eucalyptus, citronella and lemon grass. And every oil that doTERRA sells goes through extensive third party testing for purity. They are the only company with the designation Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils.
The best way to apply is to add 15-30 drops of TerraShield to four ounces of water and 4 ounces of either witch hazel or alcohol (unflavored vodka works best). Put in a spray bottle and apply liberally. Glass or metal bottles seem to work best because citrus oils can be corrosive to plastic. Having said that, I’ve used plastic in a pinch.
For more information on healthy living using essential oils, click healthy living.
What’s your outdoor tip for warding off mosquitos? Share it here!
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