If you live in a hot and humid area, then I’m 100% sure you’re more than familiar with the sharp bites and irritating whines of the pesky little bugs called mosquitoes! These creatures can almost ruin your life if you do nothing to repel them! They can turn your peaceful nights into nightmares, ruin your happy camper mood and make your body an itchy mess.
Instead of turning to OTC (over the counter) chemical-laden creams to deter those persistent bugs, why not try making your own totally cheap shea butter mosquito repellent cream that’s all natural plus works so well?!
DIY Shea Butter Mosquito Repellent Recipe
Shea butter is touted as a highly anti-inflammatory substance that is excellent in reducing inflammation and redness in mere seconds! That’s why more and more people are using it to soothe their bug bites and skin irritations including poison ivy rashes.
This shea butter mosquito repellent recipe creates an easy-to-apply balm that won’t melt on you during hot days. If you want more of a cream than balm, then reduce or completely remove beeswax from the recipe. But it’s gonna melt then, which is awfully inconvenient.
Ingredients
- 1 oz beeswax pastilles (where to get it)
- 1 oz pure shea butter (where to get it)
- 2 oz coconut oil (where to get it)
- 30 drops citronella oil (where to get it)
Directions
- Melt your shea butter, beeswax pastilles and coconut oil in a double boiler. You can make a fake double boiler by placing the ingredients in a heatproof jar like a mason jar (it’s best to use the jar you’re going to be storing your mosquito repellent cream in). Now rest the heat proof jar in a pan or pot on the stove top containing enough water to reach up to the middle of the outside of the jar. The water shouldn’t enter the jar! Now heat over a medium-low flame while stirring the ingredients.
- Once the ingredients have liquefied, turn off the burner and let the liquid cool off for 2 minutes.
- Now add your essential oil and stir well with a disposable chopstick or the back of a long spoon.
- That’s it, folks! Store your shea butter mosquito repellent in a cool and dry place for it to completely set up to a solid balm-like form. The shelf life is 2 years plus – but of course it’s going to get used up way before then coz once mosquito season arrives, you’ll take this balm everywhere with you!
Essential Oils are the Bomb in Repelling Mosquitoes
The secret to why this bug balm works is because of the citronella, there’s no doubt about that. This oil is a POWERFUL mosquito fighter, people! If mosquitoes are wrecking havoc in your sunny and summery life, then you have got to get this oil by all means.
Other essential oils that I love using to repel bugs & mosquitoes are:
- Lemon eucalyptus oil (where to get it)- Not a mix of lemon oil and eucalyptus oil, lemon eucalyptus is an entirely different oil that is derived from the citriodora or lemon eucalyptus trees, related to lemon grass, not one bit a citrus oil and smells like a milder version of citronella: to me, it smells sweet and fresh with a tiny hint of fresh citrus – I love it)
- Lavender oil (where to get it) – a natural pesticide, lavender is a must-have for summer: it soothes burns, helps quell anxiety, promotes peace and calm, etc. It’s a great oil to keep around because of its versatility.
- Geranium oil (where to get it) – if you’re not a fan of the citronella scent, use geranium! It smells floral and nice while being a great bug repellent!
- Lemongrass oil (where to get it) – this one has a fresh and spicy scent that’s amazing. It’s an amazing masculine scent.
How to Use this Shea Butter Mosquito Repellent
Slather generous amounts of it on your exposed skin before heading out. Or, if mosquitoes live with you in your house like how they do with me sometimes (don’t worry I’m armed to the teeth with my lemon eucalyptus oil – I have two big bottles of it that I keep sprinkling around), then apply it all over your body after a shower like a body lotion.
Leave a Reply