How to Make Natural Mosquito Repellent

Before 1957, when DEET (aka, the active ingredient in many repellent products) became available to the public, repellents made from natural ingredients were the go-to for avoiding mosquito bites. Back then, citronella was the most common ingredient in homemade mosquito repellents, but over the centuries, people have tried everything from sweetgrass and pineapple weed to garlic, mud and gar fish oil. Some of those probably worked better than others. Thankfully, today, we have sound science to clearly prove what will actually keep mosquitos away.

Before we get into some DIY solutions, I have an important disclaimer: while there are natural ingredients that repel mosquitos, the scientific consensus is that the best way to protect yourself from mosquito bites and mosquito-borne illnesses like the West Nile and Zika viruses is to buy a repellent that has been tested and approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Homemade, do-it-yourself mosquito repellents, even ones with citronella, have not been found to be as effective as brand-name products,” says Dr. Michael Greger, creator of Nutrition Facts. “DEET has been considered the most effective mosquito repellent… and has a remarkable safety profile after more than a half-century of use and billions of applications.”

If you’re traveling to or live in an area with ongoing mosquito-borne disease outbreaks, mosquito researcher Dr. Immo Hansen recommends DEET products with 25% or higher concentrations. Studies have also shown that products containing picaridin (specifically with at least 20% picaridin) and oil of lemon eucalyptus (at 40%) are as effective as DEET.

“These chemicals are highly effective against mosquitoes, which are the most important insects to prevent bites from, in terms of potential to transmit pathogens in the U.S.,” says Dr. Louisa Messenger, an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

But if you just can’t get over the lure of DIY mosquito repellent, or if you find yourself in a buggy area and need a quick fix before you can get to the store, here are some homemade mosquito repellents to try.

How to Make Homemade Mosquito Repellent

Clove, Cedar Wood and Lemongrass Lotion

This recipe was created and tested by Hailey Luker, a graduate student and lab manager at the Hansen Molecular Vector Physiology Lab at Northern New Mexico State University. Apply it as needed or at least every hour.

Ingredients

• Clove oil
• Cedar wood oil
• Lemongrass oil
• Unscented lotion

Step-By-Step

Thoroughly mix nine parts of unscented lotion with one part of the essential oil mixture. Since the cedarwood and lemongrass balance out the strong scent of the clove oil, mix those according to your scent preferences, but with clove oil being at least half of the essential oil mix.

How To Store

Store in the refrigerator to preserve its repellent properties for up to a month. The essential oils may separate from the lotion when stored, so be sure to mix well before use.

Lemon Eucalyptus Oil

Lemon Eucalyptus is one of a couple of natural ingredients approved by the CDC for efficacy as a mosquito repellent.

Ingredients

• Lemon eucalyptus oil
• Witch hazel, vodka or a carrier oil
• Vanilla extract (optional)

Step-by-Step

An often-touted combination is 30 drops of lemon eucalyptus oil and four ounces of witch hazel (or vodka or oil) in a glass spray bottle. Some people like to add a teaspoon of vanilla extract, or replace the witch hazel with boiled or distilled water.

How to Store

Keep the mixture in a glass spray bottle and store it in a dark, cool location. For a longer shelf-life, choose a carrier oil, like fractionated coconut oil or almond oil, that isn’t prone to going rancid.

Precautions

Lemon eucalyptus should not be used by pregnant women or children younger than three.

Citronella

The CDC also approves citronella for use as a mosquito repellent, though it hasn’t been proven to be as effective as lemon eucalyptus or DEET. In his research, Hansen, who studied the effectiveness of 20 essential oils, noted a 10% concentration working for about 30 minutes.

Citronella may be acceptable for brief exposure to nuisance mosquitoes, but it isn’t advised for protection if you really can’t afford to get bit, says Greger. “Despite inferior efficacy, I imagine it’s still so popular because it’s viewed as a natural alternative,” he says. Compared to a complete protection time of six hours for DEET, citronella may only last ten and a half minutes.”

Other Essential Oils and Plants

Many people have said they’ve had luck repelling mosquitoes with a host of other natural ingredients, including lavender oil, peppermint oil, tea tree oil and herbs like basil, clove and garlic. Clove oil has been shown to work for 90 minutes at a 10% concentration, says Hansen. His lab also found that 10% cinnamon oil works for 60 minutes. But in his research, other essential oils offered little to no protection.

Overall, Messenger says it’s not advisable to rely on them. “Unfortunately, we do not have enough robust, reproducible scientific evidence to currently recommend their use,” she says. “They may work for some individuals by altering the way they smell to a mosquito, but these strategies are not going to be standardized and may not produce the same effect for everyone.”

Precautions

Besides increasing your chances of getting bitten and, therefore, contracting a mosquito-borne illness, essential oils can be harmful to your skin if not properly diluted. Typically, you want no more than five drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil. Also, be sure to first test any essential oil mixture on a small patch of skin, as some people are allergic to some ingredients.

Sweet Grass

For centuries, Native Americans have used the sacred sweet grass plant to keep mosquitoes at bay, and in 2015 a study proved that there are, in fact, two chemicals in the plant that could potentially work as well as DEET.

Products using the concentrated form of the chemicals have yet to be developed, however, in the meantime it’s a pretty simple DIY, so long as you have access to sweet grass. Simply wear braids of it around your neck and hang it around your home. But remember, while this solution is deeply rooted in history, it has not yet been scientifically tested for efficacy nor approved by the CDC.

Ultrasonic Devices and Wristbands

While ultrasonic devices and wristbands aren’t DIY repellents per se, we’re mentioning them here because it’s important to know that, for the most part, these are not backed by credible scientific evidence.

“Mosquito-repelling wristbands aren’t a good use of your money,” says Greger. “DEET-impregnated wristbands repel mosquitoes only from the sliver of skin covered by the band, which I guess you could say about non-DEET-impregnated wristbands, too.”

Electronic mosquito-repellent gizmos aren’t effective either, he says. Ten out of ten studies found that there was no difference in the number of mosquitoes landing on people with or without the gizmos, and experiments out in the field confirm they have no effect on preventing mosquito bites.”

FAQ

Is homemade mosquito repellent as effective as brand-name products?

Probably not, in most cases, because it’s not possible to know for sure how well your concoction works without studying it scientifically. “There are a lot of anecdotes, but unfortunately, we do not have enough robust, reproducible scientific evidence to currently recommend their use,” says Messenger.

How often should you apply mosquito repellent?

It varies, depending on the product and if you’re sweating or swimming. In optimal concentrations, DEET and lemon eucalyptus-based CDC-approved repellents can keep mosquitoes away for up to six hours (be sure to always follow the instructions on the label).

With homemade mosquito repellents, there is no way of knowing how frequently they should be reapplied since whatever you have made has not been scientifically tested for its longevity. However, homemade repellents are likely to last a much shorter time than retail products.

About the Experts

• Immo A. Hansen, Ph.D. is a biology professor at New Mexico State University, where he also runs the Hansen MPV Lab. His specialty is researching the molecular biology and physiology of mosquitoes.
• Louisa Messenger, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she also runs the Parasitology and Vector Biology Laboratory. She has worked for more than 14 years in international public health, specializing in control of vector-borne diseases.
• Michael Greger, M.D., is creator of nutritionfacts.org, a nonprofit, science-based website devoted to sharing the latest in evidence-based health and nutrition.