I heard Dr. R of NY says something about mixing Avon Skin-so-soft, garlic deodorant, and some kind of oil for the kids. But I didn't get all he said.
Anyone has good suggestions?
Posted by lymeinhell (Member # 4622) on :
Clove Oil will repel just about anything. Mix ith with some skin lotion and rub it on.
Geranium oil also repels most insects.
You can get both at www.younliving.com Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
My lyme doc said to use Avon Skin so Soft.
Now it is called Skin so Soft Insect Repellant.
Posted by jenn (Member # 21687) on :
We use Avon Skin So soft...so far so good!
Posted by peacemama (Member # 17666) on :
I mix rose geranium oil into my mosquito spray (which is all natural and from wisconsin).
Posted by buzzsflybox (Member # 26808) on :
By my own experiance (I've been treating my clothing for 4 years)the BEST is Permetherin. The stuff has been around a long time. It's the main igredient in RID the lice shampoo, by the way.
It is a chemical which you put on your clothing NOT ON YOUR SKIN!!!!!!and it n only repells but is also a contact poison so if the tick/mosquito/no-seeum crawls on the clothing it kills them. (It is used on every piece of military outerwear issued, by the way). The bottle/mfg. states it is good for up to 6 washes. It is made from the (no spellchecker here)chrysanthemum flower/plant. The wonderful thing about this stuff is you won't be annoyed by ANY biting insects while wearing the treated clothing! (Wear your treated hat too)
The Orvis company sells pretreated clothing under the label "Buzz Off". It's advertisements/product info can/should be read on it's website. Just type Buzz off into their search window. (The cost of a shirt, hat or pants is astronomical!)
I've used the most popular product which is sold under the brand name Sawyer's. Read their product info in their website. There are several way to apply it. You can buy it cheaper online at one of the 2 large outdoor online/catalog/retail outlets. (names witheld)
I spray my dog's coat lightly once a month and have NEVER (in 4 years) seen a flea or tick on him. He doesn't even scratch himself as my previous 4 Brits (and other dogs being annoyed/biten by fleas) He's a predomanatly white Brittany Sp.
A Lymey friend found a veterinary supply house in CA where it is sold as a vet. insect repellant. The cost was astoundingly cheaper. I have just re-treated all my outerwear with their product so I can't attest to it's benefits/usefullness yet.
Hope this answers your question. Buzz
Posted by nenet (Member # 13174) on :
Yes! I just put together my own a couple of weeks ago, and love it. I researched about 20 different recipes, and which ingredients work for which bugs/ticks.
I wanted to avoid essential oils that are harsher, like clove oil and citronella oil, since I am very sensitive, and also don't want to harm our cats, which are extremely sensitive to many plants and plant oils.
I tried this recipe last weekend in the backyard. My in-laws' dog had a cloud of hungry mosquitoes by its head and hovering by my purse, and I moved my arm towards them - they flew away! I kept "chasing" them around with my "treated" arm, and they kept flying away from me instead of landing and dining. It was the darndest thing.
Here is my recipe. You can change it up a little with different oils and strengths, but definitely keep the Rose Geranium/Geranium oil, and the Cedarwood oil:
for every 1 ounce of carrier oil, use:
10 drops pine oil 10 drops lemon oil 5 drops cedarwood oil 5 drops rose geranium oil (often labeled as just geranium)
Put in a dark glass bottle, with a spray nozzle - you can buy all of these supplies at a good health food store or at mountainroseherbs.com
I use Jojoba oil as the carrier oil - it is great for the skin, and unlikely to be a problem for someone with many chemical or food intolerances, unlike soy, castor, or wheat germ oils.
I use all *organic* oils, and believe that makes a big difference.
Your mileage may vary, as there are different species of mosquitoes, ticks, etc., and different regions can produce different resistance to repellents.
You also need to keep applying every 3-4 hours, or more if you are sweating or around water. Shake very well before each use, then spray and rub in, covering all exposed skin, and even inside sleeves and pants legs, and rub through hair, pat on face, avoiding eyes, nostrils, and mouth. You can also try patting onto clothing, as long as the fabric is color-safe, etc. Wash hands before eating or drinking, etc.
Posted by nenet (Member # 13174) on :
By the way, I haven't had a chance to test out my repellent with deer ticks/black-legged ticks, or other tick species, but I read a few accounts of Rose Geranium oil making them run away, so that's why it is in my recipe.
One of the active ingredients in Rose Geranium is *geraniol*, which is the same active ingredient in citronella, and HAS been shown in studies to effectively repel ticks.
It is used in many commercial natural repellent brands.
Posted by wtl (Member # 19883) on :
Sounds like a great recipe, nenet. I am gotta try that.
Thanks everyone. I wonder if I add oils to Skin so soft, it will make a useable cream as well.
Posted by lyme987 (Member # 22148) on :
Dr R.'s recipe is
1/2 ounce tea tree essential oil 1/2 ounce ecalyptus oil 1 ounce aloe vera skin so soft
I make huge bottles of it
Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :
PMID: 16360943
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
I don't make this, but I use it: Orange Guard in stores, TKO Orange as concentrate (www.organicorangetkocal.com is one site; I have no financial connections). From oranges, it's how the fruit repels bugs. Put a little in a spray bottle, fill up with water and spray on clothing, ground area and lightly rub/mist on dog/cat fur for added protection.
For skin, I've heard Herbal Armor recommended, also BioUD, from a wild tomato plant.