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You are here: Home / Naturally Frugal Living / Natural Homemade Insect Repellent

Natural Homemade Insect Repellent

July 9, 2014 by Jody 14 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.
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How to Make Natural Homemade Insect Repellent - Use this recipe to make homemade bug spray using a few essential oils and a bottle of witch hazel.

Even on the best of summer days the  bugs are sometimes unbearable but I despise putting chemical insect repellents on the kids and myself.  I have experimented with a couple different combinations using essential oils and even plants plucked from the garden. So far the  formula below seems to be the most effective, and has the best smell.  I love using essential oils to safely replace all the chemicals in my home- they have found their way into my all purpose cleaner, homemade laundry detergent, fabric softener, tile scrub, and more.  They are great not only for their amazing smell but because they are also effective for killing germs, warding off colds, soothing upset tummies, reducing fever, and even chasing away pests-enter my homemade bug spray.  You only need a few drops of each so this leaves you with plenty of deliciously scented oils to use on other homemade concoctions.

How to Make Natural Homemade Insect Repellent

Ingredients:

  • 1 -15 oz. bottle witch hazel
  • 10 drops Lavender
  • 10-12  drops Lemongrass essential oil
  • 10-12  drops Eucalyptus essential oil
  • 10-12  drops Citronella essential oil

Additional Items Needed:

  • funnel
  • spray bottle – the ones in the hair care section are best, as they have a fine mist spray.

Directions:

I use small bottles and divide my witch hazel between them, one for outside and the other goes into the bag we grab for outings.

Fill a small bottle with witch hazel, leaving at least 1/2″ room at top.

How to Make Natural Homemade Insect Repellent - Step 1

Add each of your oils directly to witch hazel, replace lid and shake well.

How to Make Natural Homemade Insect Repellent - Step 2

Shake before each use.

This insect repellent mixture smells so good you wont mind spraying it on and is effective at warding off mosquito’s and other pests. Best of all it is all natural and safe, I even feel safe letting the kids help me make it.

More Homemade Body Care Products

  • How to Make Your Own Lip Balm
  • How to Make Sugar Scrubs
  • How to Make Your Own Body Lotion
  • Homemade Sunscreen Recipes
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Comments

  1. Gina says

    April 15, 2018 at 3:02 am

    *there*

    Reply
  2. Gina says

    April 15, 2018 at 3:01 am

    Is There’s a replacement for the witch hazel? Thanx for your response

    Reply
  3. Dianne says

    September 11, 2015 at 6:19 pm

    Do you have a recept to stop a male dog peeing inside the house?

    Reply
  4. Kathy says

    July 16, 2015 at 7:26 pm

    do you have a natural ant repellant. I have a problem with all sizes of ants in my kitchen and just when I think I’ve got rid of them, there’s another crawling across my counter top. My concern is that I have a cat and dog.

    Reply
  5. Brittney says

    June 18, 2015 at 9:00 pm

    Add essential orageno oil!!! Mosquitos HATE it !! This is coming from someone that one night last summer, came home with over 30 bites. 22 being in one place on my thigh (i was wearing jeans.).

    Reply
  6. annette says

    June 18, 2015 at 9:43 am

    Can I substitute the whitch hazel with – ex: rose water, alcohool, vodka?

    Reply
  7. Caitlyn says

    January 15, 2015 at 9:54 am

    Thanks so much for this “recipe”! I’m slowly transitioning into replacing any chemicals with essential oils and I’m so thankful you posted this! I did read that plastic bottles are okay for oils when they are highly diluted, like in this case. My question is, at what age is this safe to use on children? You mentioned your littles but not sure of age. I know chemical bug spray can’t be used on children under 2, is this safe at a younger age?

    Reply
  8. Susie says

    July 9, 2014 at 4:20 pm

    I’ve heard you should use a glass bottles so the oils don’t leech out into the plastic.

    Reply
    • Jody says

      July 11, 2014 at 6:33 am

      Susie glass is a better alternative to plastic, but with two little’s who like to help make and spray this, plastic was just a better choice for us.

      Reply
    • Christine Bell says

      June 20, 2019 at 7:43 am

      Hi – this is probably a silly question. After dividing the witch hazel into the two bottles do though then put 10 drops of the oils into each bottle?

      Reply
      • Pat says

        July 5, 2019 at 1:12 pm

        I wanted to ask the same question. I ended up putting the full list of essential oils into EACH bottle. If too strong I will add some more witch hazel. That part of the recipe is not too clear is it. We are having an outdoor kids birthday this Sunday and wanted to make sure they and parents had a chemical free option. It will out in our grassy garden.

        Reply
  9. Heather Hernandez says

    July 9, 2014 at 2:18 pm

    Smells wonderful too I bet – better than the bug spray you buy at the store!

    Reply
  10. Jonelle says

    July 9, 2014 at 11:41 am

    I’m terribly allergic to eucalyptus. Do you think it would work if I omitted that oil? Any suggestions on an alternative?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jody says

      July 11, 2014 at 6:38 am

      Cedar, Tea Tree, Cinnamon, and Cloves are also great for repelling mosquito’s. Try using one of these in place of eucalyptus.

      Reply

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Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.

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