You’re not alone if you’re tired of chemical mosquito repellants like DEET. A lot of people are shifting to natural repellants. So many side effects come with chemical repellants, and therefore you need to keep off such.
This article outlines a few natural repellants you can use to avoid DEET and other chemical repellants.
Citronella
This is a common mosquito repellant, and studies have shown it’s more effective than DEET in repelling mosquitoes. However, it has one undoing: it evaporates so fast, meaning its effectiveness is short-lived.
Some schools of thought argue that its volatility is significant because if there are side effects like skin irritation, it will last for a short while.
Applying 100% citronella natural mosquito cream protects against three main types of mosquitoes and can last for 120 minutes.
Citronella is also available in the form of candles and essential oils that can be bought online.
Lemon Eucalyptus
This essential oil contains 85% of citronella and is popular in the cleaning and cosmetic industries for its fresh scent. In addition, laboratory studies have proved that lemon eucalyptus oil can protect against several mosquito species that carry malaria and yellow fever.
A 2014 American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA) study observed that a formula containing 32% lemon eucalyptus oil could offer up to 95% protection from mosquitoes for over three hours. You can buy this in natural health stores or even online.
Clove
Clove is a common ingredient used alongside cinnamon in baking and an aromatic addition in drinks with sugar and lemon. Still, cloves can be used as mosquito repellants. The clove essential oils are mixed with coconut oil and bases of olive and then applied to the skin.
The mix can protect you from yellow fever mosquitoes for up to 96 minutes.
Basil
The basil essential oil has 100% protection for over 6 hours against the yellow fever mosquito. Many cuisines are made of this ingredient, and it’s also a mild mosquito repellant. A study done in Kenya in 2011 revealed that Basil has 40% protection against any malaria carrier mosquito.
You can purchase basil products from a local gardener or even online.
Need
A study compared neem oil repellant properties with DEET mosquito repellant, and a neem concentration of 20% offered 70% protection for close to three hours between dusk and dawn.
Burning neem leaves can also offer 76% protection against mosquitoes for over 2 hours.
Mosquito repellant creams
When used over time, chemical mosquito creams adversely affect the skin. In addition, most of the components in these insect-repellant creams are unsafe, so you must choose a natural-repellant cream.
A natural mosquito cream is made from Lavender, cinnamon, thyme, soybean, and such.
You don’t have to continue using the chemical mosquito repellants like DEET, which have side effects. Instead, natural repellant creams and sprays are a perfect option to keep the notorious insects off and leave you healthy.
