Explore ElizabethYarnell.com

Skip to content
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Health & Wellness Speaker
  • Food Sensitivities?
  • Shop
  • More…
Elizabeth Yarnell, Author, Innovator, Naturopath, Speaker
Rescue Your Health Today! 303-830-2665

There is so much to see! Go to blog navigation →

Or start with this most recent post:

Natural Mosquito and Insect Repellent Options

Posted on July 5, 2012 in Gardening, Kids, Living naturally, Natural remedies, Recommended Products | 144 Views

I know that DEET is the party-line for a recommended ingredient in insect repellent, especially in the fear of mosquito-borne West Nile virus, but it is so toxic that I shudder to consider putting it on my skin. What you may not know, is that there are alternatives to using this toxic chemical that may be as effective as DEET at repelling biting insects and keeping you safe from West Nile Virus.natural herbal insect repellent

I remember coating myself at dusk with DEET-based OFF as a camper in the Rockies in the 70s and 80s, and then reaching for my flashlight and watching my DEET-coated fingers leave clear fingerprints in the hard plastic of my flashlight. The DEET melted the hard plastic flashlight casing! Traveling through Brazil in the early 90s, I often applied Aun, a potent DEET-based repellent, before bedding down in a hammock or cot in the heat of the jungle, hoping it would repel all manner of creepie-crawlies.

Prolonged and frequent use of DEET has been linked to neurologic issues that may not manifest until years after the exposure. Could these exposures have led to my diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 1999? Maybe they helped push me over my personal toxic threshold.

I’d like to think I now know better than to put DEET on my body, but recently I was in a situation where a DEET-based insect repellent was the only option. And, I’ll admit, I used it because it seemed better than the alternative of being eaten alive, the feast of which had already begun, much to my alarm. I did try to apply it mainly to my clothing, rather than directly on my skin, but it was still on my hands.

For some reason, bugs love me. It must be my sweet blood. And they love my son, too, poor kid. And we both react to bites with large, itchy welts. My husband and my daughter seem to be less desirable, or maybe just less reactive, lucky them.

My husband took my son fishing in the mountains earlier this week, armed only with several natural, DEET-free herbal insect repellants. If I’ve learned anything in our thirteen years of marriage, it’s that fly fishermen like to hang out in the same places where the biting bugs like to hang out… I mean, swarm. That’s the main reason I’m not a fly fisher. Really, I gave it a good try, I did, and I paid for it dearly with several days of itching misery afterward. The fish had a better time than I, and I think my husband caught and released somewhere around thirty fish that day. (He’s somewhat of an uber-fly fisherman.)

My sweet-blooded son, on the other hand, remarkably emerged with fewer than ten mosquito bites after three days in the wilderness.

Accorherbal insect repellantding to my husband, as long as he reapplied the natural bug spray every 30-40 minutes, when it would begin to wear off, it was as effective as DEET.

My husband had at his disposal several natural bug repellent mixtures, including Dr. Ben Kim’s Anti-Bug Spray and Quantum Buzz Away. If pressed to pick a favorite, he names one we originally picked up at a farmer’s market and have since re-ordered online, the Herbal Insect Repellent from Green Earth Farm. He likes the small size that fits in his fishing vest pocket, because, as he stresses, you have to reapply it frequently for it to be effective. And he thinks it smells the best, while still being as effective as the others.

I have ordered some of those new repellent bracelets that last for more than a week, and will let you know when I can evaluate their safety and efficacy.

Here are another eleven creative homemade mosquito repellents to keep the bugs out of your air space, with varying results. Let us know if you have other good natural insect repellents to suggest!

→ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I also may use affiliate links elsewhere in my site.

Posted in Gardening, Kids, Living naturally, Natural remedies, Recommended Products | Tagged camping bug safety, dangers of DEET, DEET-free natural insect mosquito repellent, herbal insect repellent, natural herbal bug spray, natural mosquito spray repellent, west nile virus

Related Posts

A Natural DEET-free Insect Repellent That Works→

Missing imageClear Lungs and Sinus Naturally with a Nebulizer→

Missing imageMeditation As Effective As Anti-anxiety Drugs→

Missing imageThe Connection between Toxicity and Autoimmunity→

Subscribe to Elizabeth’s Blog

Get blog posts right to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.

Name

Email


Check out my book!

Glorious One-Pot Meals

Buy It Now! »

Effortless Topics

  • Allergy-free Foods
  • Autoimmune
  • Books
  • Cooking demonstrations
  • Effortless Eating
  • Events
  • food sensitivities
  • Glorious One-Pot Meals
  • Guest post
  • Kids
  • Living naturally
  • Mental Health
  • Misc.
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Natural Health Questions
  • Natural remedies
  • Nutrition in the news
  • Parasites
  • Recipes
  • Recommended Products
  • The Inflammation Influence
  • Uncategorized
  • Weight loss

My Multiple Sclerosis Story

The Fight MS with Food Project

What if you could change your life simply by changing your diet?
Tweets by @ElizabethYarnel

Popular Posts

  • Missing image

    Apple Juice Colon Cleanse

    52558 views / Posted August 16, 2008
  • Homemade Natural Carpet Shampoo/Cleaner for Carpet Cleaning Machines

    51238 views / Posted September 24, 2013
  • Missing image

    Playing In the Grass Makes Me Itchy: Natural Relief for Itching, Rashes

    41601 views / Posted May 22, 2013
  • Missing image

    Plantar Warts

    36808 views / Posted August 30, 2007
  • Missing image

    Oat-based Aussie Bites Are Treats for the Gluten-free Soul

    25199 views / Posted December 29, 2013

Sites I Like

  • Beautycounter clean beauty products
  • Conversations With My Mother
  • Positive Health Wellness
  • Elana’s Pantry
  • The Savory Spice Shop
verified by healthprofs.com verified by healthprofs.com Directory
natural food blogs

Menu

  • Book a Complimentary Naturopathic Health Assessment!
  • About
  • Contact
  • Elizabeth Yarnell Events
  • Natural Healthcare
  • Articles for Reprint
  • Media Room
  • Affiliate Program
  • Nutritional Counts
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimers | Terms | Policies | Site Info
  • Digistars® STEAM Programs
  • Sign up for my newsletter!
Amazon icon Book Bub icon Booksprout icon Email icon Facebook icon Goodreads icon Instagram icon Periscope icon Pinterest icon RSS icon Snapchat icon Tumblr icon Twitter icon Vine icon Youtube icon

Copyright 2023   •   Amazon Affiliate Disclaimer   •   Privacy

We use cookies in this website. Read about them in our cookies policy. To disable them, configure your browser properly. If you keep using this website, you are accepting those.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Interesting Image
Keep in touch with Elizabeth!
Elizabeth Yarnell and Pomegranate Consulting will never sell or share your information and you can unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of every email. See our Privacy Policy for more details.

Pro Tip

Our email may sometimes go to your spam/promotions tab, but there's a solution for that.
Look for your confirmation email and add info@elizabethyarnell.com to your contacts to make sure you receive the latest emails. If you use Gmail, drag the confirmation email to your "Primary" tab.


Click here to read the Privacy Policy.