Contents:
- Medical Video: Natural Mosquito Repellent
- 1. Lemon eucalyptus oil
- 2. Lavender flowers
- 3. Cinnamon oil
- 4. Thyme extract oil
- 5. Greek catnip oil
- 6. Soybean oil
- Be careful if you want to make a solution of mosquito repellent at home with the ingredients above
Medical Video: Natural Mosquito Repellent
Mosquitoes really suck. Especially if you are a person who is easily bitten by a mosquito. Wow, until you are annoyed maybe you see skin bumps and itching due to mosquito bites. Well, to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, you can usually protect yourself by using mosquito repellent products. Artificial mosquito repellent products contain DEET chemicals. Although indeed the world health institutions recommend the use of DEET, sometimes DEET can cause health and environmental problems.
But, don't be sad, you can also stay free of mosquitoes without having to use artificial mosquito repellent ingredients. Here is a list of natural ingredients that can also protect you from mosquito bites.
1. Lemon eucalyptus oil
Already used since the 1940s, lemon eucalyptus oil is one type of natural material that is popularly used as a natural mosquito repellent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has acknowledged and ratified that lemon eucalyptus oil can be used effectively as a mosquito repellent. Recent research shows that a 32% solution of lemon eucalyptus oil can provide 95% protection against mosquito bites for 3 hours.
Interestingly, this oil can be mixed with other oils for the same use. You can also make your own mosquito repellent solution by mixing the following two solutions:
- 1/10 of the solution consists of lemon eucalyptus oil
- 9/10 of the solution consists of sunflower oil
You can also buy this oil at the supermarket. However, make sure that the lemon eucalyptus oil you buy is oil for mosquito repellent, not pure lemon eucalyptus oil, because the two oils are different.
In addition, to be aware of, scientists from the University of Florida do not recommend using lemon eucalyptus oil for children under 3 years old.
2. Lavender flowers
Destroyed lavender flowers produce fragrances and oils that can act as mosquito repellents. Here's how to make mosquito repellent ingredients from lavender:
- Crush the lavender flower until the oil comes out
- Apply the oil to areas of your body that are often bitten by mosquitoes, such as the arms or legs
- You can also drip lavender oil into a sneeze cloth and rub it on your skin
As a bonus, lavender also has analgestic and antiseptic qualities. Which means, besides being able to repel mosquitoes, lavender oil can also make your skin feel cool and soft.
3. Cinnamon oil
Aka cinnamon cinnamon it turns out it's not just food ingredients. According to research conducted in Taiwan, cinnamon oil can also kill mosquito eggs. In addition, cinnamon oil can also act as an anti-mosquito ingredient that fights adult mosquito bites. The following recipe for making mosquito repellent from cinnamon oil:
- Take about ¼ teaspoon (or 24 drops) of cinnamon
- Mix into 100 ml of water to produce 1% cinnamon oil solution
- Spray this cinnamon oil solution onto the skin or items around you
Keep in mind that cinnamon oil that is too high in concentration can cause your skin to become irritated. Therefore, be careful in making cinnamon oil solutions especially those that will be applied to the skin.
4. Thyme extract oil
To get rid of malaria-causing mosquitoes, thyme extract oil is one of the oils that has proven its greatness. How to make:
- Mix 4 drops of thyme extract oil into one tablespoon of olive oil or jojoba oil
- To make more thyme extract oil solutions, you can mix 5 drops of thyme extract oil into 200 ml of water.
5. Greek catnip oil
Greek catnip oil is oil taken from a flower plant named Nepeta parnassica. Nepeta parnassica are plants belonging to the tribe Lamiaceae and dealing with catnip plants. This flower is white and pink which can grow up to 45 cm in diameter. However, this oil extract from plant leaves is useful for mosquito repellent.
A study shows that this oil can keep mosquitoes away from you effectively for 2 to 3 hours. In fact, scientists from Iowa State University found that this oil can work 10 times more effectively than DEET in repelling mosquitoes.
6. Soybean oil
According to researchers from the University of Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, soybean oil-based anti-mosquito products can provide long-term protection from mosquitoes compared to mosquito repellent products containing citronella (the most common ingredient for mosquito repellent). To make a mosquito repellent solution with soybean oil at home, you can mix soybean oil with lemongrass oil. The combination of the two oils has been proven to protect you from several types of mosquitoes.
Be careful if you want to make a solution of mosquito repellent at home with the ingredients above
Although all the ingredients mentioned above come from plants, they can be dangerous if used in high concentrations. Therefore, follow the instructions to dissolve the oils with water or other ingredients as explained.
To make sure you are not allergic to these ingredients, do a small test by dripping a few drops of the solution onto your skin a day or two before using it. If you see any signs of allergies, stop using them, flush the area of the skin that you have dripped clean, then if necessary, contact your doctor.
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