I have been buying natural insect repellent for years now, since we all know how toxic Deet is. I have been happy with the results of natural repellents, but in a bad summer we go through several bottles, especially since my husband works outdoors, and we frequently go camping. At $9 a bottle, that gets quite pricey for a family on a budget! I finally decided to research making my own. I started Googling and found many recipes, but they were all different. The 4 essential oils I saw again and again in the ingredients, were citronella, lemongrass, cedarwood, and lavender, so I ordered them. I ordered mine from Plantlife Natural Body Care, because I had a good coupon, but they have good prices & excellent customer service, but you can find essential oils like these in most health food stores. Since I wasn't sure how much of what to put in my spray bottle, I just added 10 drops of each of them, and poured vodka in the rest of the bottle. You can also use witch hazel or grain alcohol instead of the vodka. Rubbing alcohol is not as safe, and water will make the oils separate. It smells wonderful, I just tested it, and it works great! How do I know it works? I went by my raspberry patch (I always get swarmed by them there), and stood still. A mosquito hovered near my bare arm (where I sprayed), but didn't land, then finally landed on my shirt (where I didn't spray). I swatted that one, then another one came & did the same thing.
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