Summer is the season of days by the pool, nights by the barbecue, and (queue scary music) mosquitoes! Keep the bugs away without synthetic chemicals this summer by making your own all natural “bug off” lotion bar. We’ve custom blended some essential oils to keep bugs away and keep you smelling great all summer long. Apply the lotion bar to your legs and arms and let the bugs beware!
Buy everything you need in the click of a button!
(remember you can always add or delete items from your shopping cart if needed)
Lotion Bar Recipe:
4 oz Avocado Butter
4 oz Yellow Beeswax
4 oz Sweet Almond Oil
1 oz Meadowfoam Oil
1 tsp Essential Oil Blend
12 Push Tubes
Essential Oil Blend:
2ml Black Pepper Essential Oil
1ml Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
0.5ml Clove Leaf Essential Oil
0.5ml Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil
Recipe Yields 12 Lotion Bars
Step 1: Melt all your butters and oils together. I would recommend a double boiler for this step due to the beeswax. Beeswax and microwaves can be a dangerous mix, as we learned while making lip balms in this post. The avocado butter will melt very quickly, but keep stirring in the beeswax until everything is liquid.
Step 3: Pour the mixture into the lotion bar containers and allow to cool before putting the cap on.
Tip: If you have small cracks or a divot in the center of your lotion bars after they’ve cooled, don’t worry! A short burst from your heat gun will remelt the top of your balm so your bars are picture perfect.
Rosemary and Lavender have been used traditionally as bug repellents for centuries. Both common herbs were used as either dried herb bunches or as hydrosol sprays to keep linens and clothes free of bugs in medieval Europe. They also soften this essential oil blend, so you’ll smell bad to bugs but not to your friends!
Clove, Cinnamon, and Black Pepper lend a warm, spicy note to this blend, but did you know they can repel mosquitoes? In fact, Cinnamon essential oil can be used as a natural way to kill mosquito larvae! Cinnamon and Clove are both really strong, so we’ve used a tiny amount in this blend. Remember, usage rate for both of these is under .5% because they both can be irritating to skin. Note: Please remember to research essential oils on your own before use as some may not be appropriate for pregnant women or certain health conditions.
