I don’t know what it is, but it has been absolutely beautiful here lately! With record-breaking temperatures in the 80s this weekend (I know, what month is it again and in what state??), I’ve been spending lots of time outside playing with Jamisen, catching up on some reading outside, and even hosting a baby Sprinkle party for our new Bramble girl (more on that coming soon).
But unfortunately with our wet Pacific Northwest climate we get a ton of mosquitos, and bites can ruin summer fun pretty quickly (now imagine a two year old with mosquito bites… that’s DEFINITELY a fun-ruiner). That’s why I’ve come up with a few natural bug sprays to keep your summers bite-free.
Both contain a simple mixture of non-greasy, quick absorbing fractionated coconut oil and two different blends of essential oils that have been specifically selected  for their bug repelling properties. Now onto our sprays — or as I’m calling them, our Bug Away Bouquets!
Lavender Bug Bouquet – Spray #1
This first spray smells fantastic and contains lots of lavender essential oil, which is sometimes used as a natural repellent. As an added bonus, it also soothes bites! Cedarwood oil and Clove Leaf oil are also excellent natural repellents.
What you’ll need:
8 oz. Fractionated Coconut Oil
7 mL Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil
1 mL Peppermint Essential Oil
1 mL Clove Leaf  Essential Oil
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart! And remember, you can always remove anything you don’t need.
ONE:Â Begin by measuring out the Fractionated Coconut Oil.
TWO: With the coconut oil poured, now you can add the essential oils. Because I’m working with oils in such small amounts, I used a plastic dropper to add the oils. I started with Hungarian Lavender first.
THREE:Â Now add the Peppermint 2nd Distillation.
FOUR: Then the Cedarwood.
FIVE: And finally the Clove Leaf.
SIX: Give your oils a good stir to fully incorporate them into the coconut oil.
SEVEN:Â Using a funnel, pour the mixture in an 8 oz. bottle. Bugs, beware!
Catnip & Citronella Bug Bouquet – Spray #2
Use this spray if you need some serious bug be gone power! Citronella and Catnip are bug repelling heavyweights, and Geranium oil gives the mixture a little added strength.
What you’ll need:
8 oz. Fractionated Coconut Oil
4 mL Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil
2 mL Catnip Essential Oil
2 mL Egyptian Geranium
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart! And remember, you can always remove anything you don’t need.
ONE:Â Just like in the first mixture, measure out the Fractionated Coconut Oil.
TWO:Â Start with the Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil. Be careful, there is slightly less in this recipe than in the last one.
THREE: Now for the Citronella. A little bit goes a long way!
FOUR:Â Our catnip comes in itty-bitty bottles, and just like the Citronella, a little bit goes a long way.
FIVE:Â Finally, add in the Egyptian Geranium.
SIX: Give the mixture a good stir and then using a funnel, slowly pour the mixture into an 8 oz. bottle.
All done! Now you’re ready for some bug-free summer adventures =)
Wondering how we figured out which essential oils to put in here? A lot of research! Here are some patented natural bug recipes that I found browsing the patent library – here, here and here. That, coupled with copious reading in essential oil books and magazines led me to these blends. Need more bug fighting power? Take a look at our Bite Me Not Bar and a Bug Be Gone Candle. Finally, you can certainly experiment with different combinations of essential oils. There’s a great thread on the Teach Soap forum with some ideas. Got a favorite combination? Tell us about it in the comments below. Until then, here’s to hoping that your summer is bug free!
