I am allergic to most of the store-bought mosquito sprays. I have sensitive skin areas with mild psoriasis, and spraying on these areas is a challenge with burning and itching. So I had to develop my own good-for-the-skin mosquito repellent. So I did research and studied some National Institute of Health scientific papers and even some patents of mosquito repellents. So here is my recipe. First, I thought of manufacturing and selling this, but I didn’t see the point of commercializing things that are good for everyone and especially since I needed it more than anyone due to my own skin condition.
I use four oils in the following proportions, simply mixed into a spray bottle or glass bottle.
1. Citronella oil – 50%. It’s a strong, pungent smell to repel the bugs that approach you.
2. Mustard oil – 20%. It has a pungent and spicy smell and taste when bugs bite.
3. Neem seed oil – 20%. Strong bitter smell and taste that any bug hates. Even used in plant bug repellents.
4. Karanja oil – 10%. Mostly added to moisturize your skin.
1. If you stored the oil in a spray bottle, simply spray it directly on your skin. Otherwise, pour some into your palm and directly rub it on your skin like a lotion. Do not apply to your clothes. So do this at home before stepping out rather than carrying the bottle with you.
2. Apply before the first mosquito bite. There is something to applying it before any mosquito bite, as that stops mosquitoes from discovering you.
1. The oil on your skin moisturizes and protects it at the same time.
2. Oils tend not to evaporate easily as oil’s boiling point temperatures are very high.
3. Oils don’t wash off with sweat and water on your skin.
4. Doesn’t leave any dry patches on the skin as oil spreads evenly.