Herbal Aromatherapy |

by Helen Jackson

Now that summer has officially arrived, nature is calling us outside. Whether our summer plans include baseball games and patio parties or strenuous hikes and rugged camping trips, we will certainly come into contact with one of the season’s more annoying features: insects. While our flying buddies certainly have their places in our ecosystems, mosquitoes, flies and ticks can be a real nuisance when it comes to lapping up the sunshine and warm breezes of summer. Luckily, we have an aromatherapy arsenal to ward off the most common bugs of the season.

For years the only insect repellent that was easy to come by was DEET, a powerful chemical that has been known to cause problems in children and pregnant women. Because DEET is so effective, and side-effects on adults are low or unknown, it is found in almost all mainstream insect repellents. Many consumers are wary of slathering this noxious-smelling chemical on their skin, however, knowing it will enter the blood stream and must be processed by the liver and other internal organs. If dealing with DEET doesn’t sound appealing this summer, get ready to learn about how essential oils can do the same job with none of the scary side effects.

To begin with, let’s consider a handful of the most powerful essential oils for warding off bugs. What’s the first one that comes to mind? Citronella, of course! This oil’s reputation truly precedes it. We’ve smelled it in patio candles and tiki torches, but the oil of this tropical grass can be mixed with other oils and applied to the skin as well. Its lemony smell rekindles memories of past summers, and insects detest it.

Citronella is not actually the best oil to use alone, however. Its power is magnified when it is combined with other essential oils, such as lemongrass, which it is related to, cedar wood, peppermint or geranium. Cedar wood, long-known for its ability to keep moths away from your wool sweaters, has a warm, pleasant scent that balances citronella’s astringent qualities. If you like the scent of peppermint, this affordable oil will also work beautifully with citronella and leave your environment smelling crisp and clean.

If you ask a gardener the number one plant to put in the garden to ward off flying insects, especially mosquitoes, the winner will most likely be the geranium. The geranium is tough, pretty and it smells great, but insects happen to dislike it. If you like the floral note of geranium, mix that with citronella. They are such perfect companions that a special species of plant, the citronella geranium, exists. Put that in your garden, and you can smell it from feet away!

Aromatic oils can be used to repel bugs in two applications: directly on the skin or diffused into the environment. If you are aiming to keep insects out of the air, say, around your patio table or on your back porch, consider buying a diffuser or nebulizer. These machines steadily disperse oils into the air, giving you constant protection from flying bugs. All you need to do is place one or more of the above oils in the diffuser and let it do its work. If you do not have a nebulizer, don’t despair. Just place twenty drops of your oil in a bottle, top it off with water, and spray the area.

Occasionally, especially if you’re traipsing around outdoors, a topical application of essential oils becomes important. This recipe, which combines the best oils listed above, can be mixed and then put in a sunscreen, mister or a lotion: 0.5 milliliters of both geranium and lemongrass, 0.75 milliliters of cedar, 1 milliliter of peppermint and 3 milliliters of citronella. If you want to use this blend on pre-teens, divide the concentration in half before placing in a carrier. Cut this blend in half once more and leave out the peppermint if you are using it on toddlers. For infants, use a 1% concentration of lemongrass and/or citronella alone. As with all essential oils, the skin should be tested prior to extensive use on the body. If your body responds well, enjoy! Also, adding witch hazel, a naturally-occurring preservative, adds a cooling quality to your misting blend.

Studies in pest management with essential oils are yielding a lot of exciting and surprising new information. While we may already be familiar with the more common insect-controlling oils, such as citronella and lemongrass, other oils are being investigated for their efficacy as well. A study conducted at Seoul National University suggested fennel essential oil might also be useful in deterring mosquitoes. This pleasant oil is not as harsh smelling as citronella or lemongrass and is easy to find. Another oil that does not readily come to mind as a mosquito repellent, but definitely shows promise, is clove. A group of researchers at Mahidol University in Thailand found that clove oil, when rubbed full-strength on the skin, provided 100% effectiveness against mosquito bites over a 2-4 hour time span. This same study found patchouli oil was a great repellent as well, giving two hours of protection when used undiluted.

One oil that comes out way ahead of the pack in terms of effectiveness in fighting insects is catnip. A recent study by the DuPont Company found that this plant, also known as catmint, is the best essential oil defense out there in the struggle with insects. If used in a 15% concentration in a carrier, catnip can fight insects for 4 to 8 hours. Research has even demonstrated that catnip beats DEET in its ability to ward off bugs. The punch line, though, is this: catnip oil is pricey. If you want to see it at work, try it in small doses and confirm that your insect neighbors hate it and that your calico doesn’t break open the bottle.

Most likely, summer will not pass without a single bite, no matter how hard you try to prevent them. When you discover you’ve got a bite the size of a dime on your foot, don’t be discouraged. Both blue tansy and lavender oils are famous for their anti-itch qualities. Lavender oil is gentle enough to put right on the skin, immediately reducing the urge to scratch. Blue tansy can be mixed in a 2% concentration in carrier oils or creams and rubbed into the offending bite. Unlike the salmon-colored calamine lotion of days past, lavender and blue tansy smell wonderful to most people.

This summer, expand your horizons. If you’re not a fan of citronella, mix it with an oil you love and enjoy the benefits of research into something as mundane, and important, as learning to live with insects. By combining what we’re learning about aromatherapy with the vast array of applications available, your summer has the potential to be relatively bug-free. And DEET-free as well. So make plans to be outdoors, grab your essential oils and keep singing the praises of summer.

About the Author:
More information on essential oil news and updates is available through Ananda Aromatherapy - an online source for therapeutic grade essential oils.