Insect Repellent Essential Oil Blend Recipe for Repelling Mosquitoes

Discover two simple essential oils you can use to create an insect repellent essential oil blend for a roller blend or spray on insect repellent. Plus a brief overview of essential oil safety and what to realistically expect when using essential oils as an insect repellent to naturally repel mosquitoes.

Insect Repellent Essential Oils

Lemon Eucalyptus Essential Oil

If I were to choose a single insect repellent essential oil, it would be lemon eucalyptus essential oil. I love the citronella like scent of lemon eucalyptus. However, I really love that mosquitoes and other biting insects aren’t a fan. Lemon eucalyptus does more than just repel mosquitoes, however.

Living in Southwestern Virginia surrounded by the mountains, ticks are also a issue. Lemon eucalyptus not only repels mosquitoes and other biting insects, it also repels deer ticks, known transmitters of Lyme disease. In fact, research suggests that a concentration of 30% lemon eucalyptus oil can be as effective as DEET at keeping you safe from insect bites. It’s why I used it to formulate my own mosquito repellent body butter recipe.

In addition to lemon eucalyptus essential oil being effective as an insect repellent, I also like that it’s safe to use when pregnant. Additionally, it can also be used on kids as young as two when properly diluted. It’s also safe to use around dogs, though cats are another story.

Adding additional essential oils to a single oil to create an insect repellent essential oil blend, such as one containing lemon eucalyptus, can help improve its effectiveness as an insect repellent. However, creating a more complex blend with of multiple insect repellent essential oils can get expensive quickly. This is especially true if you are starting your essential oil collection from scratch. That’s why I love the monthly Simply Earth essential oil recipe box so much. It’s an affordable way to grow my collection over time so I have all the oils I need to craft my favorite essential oil blends.

Like every monthly box, the September Simply Earth recipe box features four essential oils. Not only does this box include lemon eucalyptus essential oil, it also includes another insect repellent essential oil to create a simple insect repellent essential oil blend. That essential oil is clove.

(Grab the current month’s box, score a free bonus box AND get a coupon for $40 off your next purchase of ANYTHING when you use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE and shop now!)

Clove Essential Oil

Like lemon eucalyptus essential oil, clove is another proven insect repellent essential oil. A major compound found in clove oil is eugenol, which has shown effectiveness at repelling mosquitoes. A study in the Journal of Medical Entomology shows that clove oil is one of several insect repellent essential oils for repelling mosquitoes. (The other essential oils cited being geranium, cedarwood, peppermint, and thyme.) Pure, undiluted clove essential oil worked against several varieties of mosquitoes, repelling them for two to four hours based on another study from 2004. 

Clove essential oil is perfect not only for the end of summer in an insect repellent essential oil blend recipe, it also makes a great addition to fall pumpkin spice diffuser blends. You can also try it in your fall body products such as this DIY pumpkin spice body spray or this pumpkin spice essential oil perfume. (Just keep in mind, that if you have pets, clove essential oil is not safe for use on dogs or cats. It’s also not safe to use if you are pregnant.)

Essential Oil Safety

We all want a natural product that repels insects. What you don’t want, however, is to resort to using unsafe concentrations of essential oils in your formulations to fulfill the end desire. This is why many individuals ultimately turn to highly concentrated or synthetic chemicals to repel mosquitoes and ticks. They tend to work better than natural alternatives, especially if you’re a mosquito magnet. However, they can also cause health concerns due to the compounds used to create them. So really, you have to decide if natural is best in your situation.

As stated previously, studies indicate lemon eucalyptus requires a concentration of 30% to be effective at repelling mosquitoes and ticks. While a separate study shows a 50% concentration of a combination of thyme, clove and geranium is required to prevent mosquito bites. It’s important to note here, that the proven ability of essential oils to repel biting insects and mosquitoes, is based on a high concentration of these essential oils in the final product. The percentages reflected in these concentrations, though, are not skin safe. While they may work well to repel mosquitoes and other biting insects at these levels, if used on skin, they can cause severe irritation.

Clove oil, like cinnamon oil, can be a sensitizing skin irritant. Therefore clove oil has a low, maximum usage rate of just .5% when used in a leave on, skin care product. Other essential oils, such as lavender and patchouli essential oils, have higher usage rates for skin care products. And that’s where it all gets really confusing rather quickly.

Therefore, whether you’re making an insect repellent essential oil blend using essential oil for a roller to repel mosquitoes, or crafting a natural skin care product, it’s important to only use recipes from trusted sources, such as Simply Earth. Simply Earth employs a certified aromatherapist to formulate all of their essential oil recipes.

It’s also important to take the time to educate yourself on essential oil safety. Not only should essential oils be used at safe concentrations, some essential oils should be avoided completely if you are pregnant. Certain oils should also not be use on young children or around pets. Doing so can cause health issues and do more harm than good.

It is unfortunate that a formulation created to repel mosquitoes using an insect repellent essential oil blend with concentrations as high as studies dictate for proven effectiveness aren’t skin safe. That’s not to say, however, that insect repellent essential oils won’t still offer some benefit. And let’s face it. Even one or two mosquito bites is a better option than a dozen or so. You simply must be realistic in your expectations of a skin safe product, that’s free of synthetic chemicals, such as DEET. Typically they do work. They may just not perform perfectly at preventing mosquito bites for some individuals.

Should you choose, however, to make a highly concentrated insect repellent, it should be reserved for use on clothing only. You can also use your insect repellent essential oil blends to make candles for your outdoor patio. 

Learn More About Using Essential Oils

If you’re making your own unique creations, research is key. Suppliers of essential oils, as well as fragrance oils, should be able to advise you on the maximum usage rate of these ingredients. Whether you’re making soap or deodorant, a body lotion or perfume, it’s imperative you stay within skin safe usage rate guidelines to avoid damaging skin.

As I myself struggle from time to time figuring out all the numbers (made worse by the inevitable fibro fog that leaves me second guessing my math on the reg) I wanted to share a website I recently found that helps with this. Modern Soapmaking has an essential oil calculator that allows you to enter the percentages of each essential oil you’d like to create for a blend. It then allows you to choose the type of product you’d like to make with that essential oil blend and spits out the accurate usage rate for your product category according to IFRA Standards. You can check it out here.

You can also check out Simply Earth’s Essential Oil Hero Course here for an in-depth course filled with information on essential oils, including how to essential oils safely.

Insect Repellent Essential Oil Recipes to Repel Mosquitoes

Following are two simple and incredibly easy ways to make an insect repellent for mosquitoes and other biting insects using insect repellent essential oils. These insect repellent recipes are safe for kids ages 10 and up. They should not be used if you are pregnant. 

Insect Repellent Essential Oil Roller Blend Recipe:

Ingredients:

10 mL fractionated coconut oil
3 drops lemon eucalyptus essential oil
1 drop clove essential oil

Directions:

Add the drops of essential oil to a 10mL roll on bottle. Fill the remainder of the bottle with fractionated coconut oil.

Then seal the container and swirl to mix. Label your insect repellent essential oil roller blend as desired, clearly indicating the contents.

To use your insect repellent essential oil roller blend, simply apply the roll on to pulse points to help repel mosquitoes and other biting insects.

Insect Repellent Essential Oil Spray Recipe:

Ingredients:

21 drops lemon eucalyptus essential oil
8 drops clove essential oil
2 oz. witch hazel extract
2 oz. lemon thyme hydrosol

Directions:

Combine the ingredients in a 4 oz. bottle with a spritzer. Shake to combine.

To use, shake then mist over body and clothing, reapplying often.

More Insect Repellent Essential Oil Recipes

If you like the 2-ingredient insect repellent essential oil blend used in these mosquito repellent recipes, but want something more complex, try one of my other essential oil insect repellent recipes.

• Natural Insect Repellent Spray Recipe
• Mosquito Repellent Body Butter Recipe
• Pine Tar Soap Recipe to Repel Biting Insects

Essential Oils from Simply Earth

If you enjoyed these insect repellent recipes, don’t stop learning! Subscribe to the Simply Earth essential oil recipe box today. Not only will you receive the current month box, you’ll also get a free bonus box valued at $40. It’s filled with goodies like fractionated coconut oil, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and beeswax as well as roller bottles and containers for making your own unique creations.

Use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE and you’ll also receive a $40 coupon good on your next purchase. You can use this coupon on anything your heart desires, whether it’s essential oils, a storage box or even a diffuser. Sign up today! (Or check out recipes and ideas from past Simply Earth essential oil recipe boxes here.)

For more essential oils recipes you can create for a healthy lifestyle, make sure to follow me on all your favorite social media platforms. You can find me on facebook, twitter and instagram as well as Pinterest.