Natural Mosquito Repellents
Natural mosquito repellents are ideal for people who are opposed to using synthetic mosquito repellents, and would prefer to use more natural methods of keeping biting mosquitoes away. Nowadays manufacturers are wising up to the fact that not everyone is keen to put products such as DEET insect repellents onto their skin. The result has been a new wave of effective repellents making their way onto the market that are based on more natural substances. A good example is MozzyOff Natural Mosquito and Midge Repellent, which is made from plant oils.
Here are some ingredients of natural insect repellents to look out for:
Catnip oil
The essential oil, nepetalactone, extracted from the perennial herb Catnip (Nepeta cataria), has been found to be naturally effective at repelling mosquitoes by researchers at Iowa State University. Catnip oil is available as a spray solution, and can be sprayed onto the skin. Remember, cats love this herb, a worthwhile point if you don’t like cats!
Citronella oil
Citronella oil, an essential oil of Citronella Grass (Cymbopogon), is a widely recognised natural mosquito repellent. It is a common ingredient in mosquito repellent sprays and in scented candles.
Lemon eucalyptus oil
Eucalyptus oil, an essential oil extracted from the leaves of eucalyptus trees, has natural mosquito repellent properties. Lemon eucalyptus oil (extracted from the eucalyptus plant Eucalyptus citriodora) is found in some spray mosquito repellents, the active ingredient of which is known as PMD (p-menthane 3,8-diol).
Soybean oil
Soybean oil is made from soybeans, and as well as occurring in a vast variety of foods, has been found to be a natural repellent against mosquitoes.
Clove oil
Cloves are a popular spicy ingredient in Indian cuisine and have a very strong aroma. Studies have shown that clove oil, the essential oil extracted from cloves, is an effective natural mosquito repellent.
---
While not marketed as a mosquito repellent, there are reports that Avon's Skin So Soft dry oil body spray does a good job of repelling mosquitoes.
Some people do find that natural mosquito repellents offer varying degrees of protection, so they may be worth a try, but not all natural mosquito repellents work on all species of mosquito. Also, if they do work, it is possible they will need to be reapplied more often than chemical mosquito repellents in order to be effective.
Word of caution: It is widely accepted that the chemical mosquito repellent DEET is effective at repelling mosquitoes, and using this may be a more preferable option to being infected by a disease-carrying mosquito. Choose your options carefully.
If you are not willing to put your trust in a natural mosquito repellent, there are many products on the market containing mosquito repelling ingredients proven to help keep mosquitoes from biting.