How to Make Natural Bug Spray!

If bugs think you taste sweet, this natural bug spray recipe is for you!

Plants and bugs have a love-hate relationship.

On one hand, plants need certain insects for pollination. On the other hand, some insects really cause the plant harm.

Some plants are better than others at creating their own natural bug repellents. Like Citronella Java (Cymbopogon winterianus), which has a very distinctive, sharp scent.

Patchouli oil from the leaves of the plant (Pogostemon cablin) is another plant oil that’s so good at keeping away pests that we can use its essential oil as an ingredient in natural bug repellent.

I’ve used Patchouli essential oil successfully in sprays to keep bugs off my body, and in incense to keep them out of my general area. The oil is effective, and has been used through the ages to get rid of moths, mosquitoes, ants, bed bugs, flies, and lice.

Here’s one of my favorite ways to make natural bug spray with Patchouli essential oil.

This Summer Relief Bug Spray has a very warm, fresh, earthy scent that I just love!

Summer Relief Bug Spray

• Just under 2 oz (60 ml) Frankincense hydrosol (Boswellia carterii)
• 16 drops Patchouli essential oil (Pogostemon cablin)
• 10 drops Juniper essential oil (Juniperus communis)
• 4 drops Lemongrass essential oil (Cymbopogon citratus)
• 1 tsp aloe vera gel
• 4 ml Solubol dispersant

These essential oils really are so effective!

Just blend all your ingredients together in a 2 oz (60 ml) glass spray bottle. Shake it up, then spray it.

I don’t spray it on my face. It is in a water base and not preserved, so I recommend making this product fresh every few weeks. If your skin is sensitive to essential oils, spray this around you and on your clothing rather than on your skin.

This natural bug spray has some side benefits! It’s easy on your skin — Frankincense hydrosol and Patchouli oil are excellent ingredients in skin care blends.

It’s also great to use in the evening by the campfire as it has a deep, warm, comforting aroma that can help you relax. Lemongrass is very calming to the nervous system, so much so that I’ve used it in insomnia blends. Frankincense is another calming scent that helps to still the mind’s chatter so it can actually get some rest.

If you tend to get bit a lot, this blend is a must-have! Just be ready to pass it around when everyone else asks to use it, too.