It’s summertime in Texas!
That means pool parties, homemade popsicles, and cookouts, longer days, little tan bodies, and family gatherings… and it means more little peskies who try to interfere with all these things. This is where safe outdoor spray comes in handy so you can enjoy the great outdoors with only the guests you choose to enjoy it with!
Young Living actually JUST came out with a Bug Repellent that is WONDERFUL for those of you who don’t want to DIY. It is essential oils in a 100% oil base and was tested to be 30% more effective than the leading brand of (toxic) bug repellent. If you don’t have a wholesale account yet, you can get one set up under the “Young Living” tab on my blog. If you get it on your Essential Rewards order, you get money back for ordering. Money back + non-toxic products for you family is ALWAYS a win!
For those who do love DIY, this is for you!
We played around with different Outdoor Spray recipes when we first started using essential oils to find what worked best for us. For some people, all it takes is a little Purification oil blend to do the trick. We needed a bit more than this and discovered that Purification needs a companion because for us. It took some experimenting but we found a recipe that works great for us that we’ve been using for a few years now. I love that it works so well and is safe for our kids and dogs. I remember when we used to use commercial outdoor spray full of chemicals and always tried to keep from inhaling the strong fumes. It never felt right – drenching ourselves in those chemicals and trying not to smell them while at the same time spraying them all over our largest organ (skin). For anyone who likes to research things, you can do a quick search on two or three main ingredients in commercial outdoor spray (like Deet) and decide for yourself if that’s something you want absorbed into your body through your skin. If you know me you know my thinking is, “if it’s safer, less expensive, and works just as well or better, why not?”
Something to note about essential oils is that they work with each individual’s chemistry just slightly differently. This spray has a good combo of oils that should work for most people but if for some reason it doesn’t, try playing with the ratios or even swapping out an oil or two for something else that is known for keeping unwanted peskies away (like eucalyptus or cedarwood). We went through this when we were trying to find an oil to help our son sleep better when he was younger. It took six oils before we found The One, but it was so worth it! And since each oils highly multi-purpose, I never felt like we were wasting an oil that didn’t work – we just used it for something else!
Another thing to note in general is that we can sometimes adapt to essential oils when we use the same ones frequently – if this happens, again, just swap out an oil or two. We don’t use this spray everyday so haven’t had to change it up yet.
We used a glass spray bottle to hold this recipe but any spray bottle should work. The essential oils should be diluted enough that they won’t break down a plastic bottle but it is still a good idea to use a dark colored spray bottle if you can, or just keep the spray out of direct sunlight to protect the integrity of the oils.
This is a recipe we’ve been using and loving for the last couple years:
4 oz. purified water
4 oz. witch hazel
40 drops Citronella oil
10 drops Purification oil blend
15 drops Lemongrass oil
15 drops Peppermint oil
10 drops Lavender oil
Add all ingredients to an 8 oz. spray bottle. Shake gently before use. Re-apply as needed and store away from direct sunlight.
And enjoy your summer!