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Home » Healthy Living » Essential Oils » DIY Bug Balm with Essential Oils

DIY Bug Balm with Essential Oils

Published: Jun 19, 2017 by Wendy Polisi Modified: May 1, 2020 · 597 words. · About 3 minutes to read this article. This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

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This DIY Bug Balm with Essential Oils is a heavy-duty natural insect repellant that works on mosquitoes, no-see-ums, biting flies, bees and more!

DIY Bug Balm with Essential Oils

This DIY Bug Balm with Essential Oils is the only thing that saved our weekend!

There are a lot of things that I love about being in the mountains.

The sound of the waterfall in the distance.

The solitude of not seeing anyone for days at a time.

Watching the birds and bunnies with the kids. (We have baby robins in a nest right off of our deck! It has been so fun for Skye to watch from nest-making to hatching. I can't wait until they start to fly.)

But the bugs. Wow. I thought bugs were bad in Florida. Up here, it is insane. We've got everything from wasps and bees to mosquitos.

And a lot of them.

The worst, however, are the no-see-ums. Even if we had a screened deck (which we don't), I think they would still be an issue. I can remember one year we were at the beach in Alabama and although it was beautiful out we couldn't open the screens because they came right through.

DIY Bug Balm with Essential Oils

How something so tiny can be such a nuisance and cause so much pain is beyond me.

I am particularly sensitive to them, and when they first came out this year, I ended up with so many bites that I was up all night scratching. It took several weeks for the itching to subside fully.

I tried several oils to keep them at bay, but nothing was working.

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So I came up with this DIY Bug Balm with Essential Oils, which is a heavy duty natural bug repellant for those times when you need something powerful.

I am going to warn you. This bug balm is thick and a little goopy. That is intentional because it prevents the need to reapply and is the only thing I have found that is 100% effective with no-see-ums.

DIY Bug Balm with Essential Oils

On the plus side, it is a great moisturizer for your arms and legs.

If you want something lighter, you could use this lotion as a base. (Or even just mix the oils into a plain purchased cream.) You could also use a witch hazel/aloe vera base like in this DIY Bug Spray.

 

If you like this DIY Bug Balm with Essential Oils You May Also Like:

  • DIY Bug Spray
  • Natural Pest Control with Essential Oils
  • Motion Sickness Inhaler with Essential Oils
  • Get in the Groove Workout Blend

DIY Bug Balm with Essential Oils

Ingredients

30 drops citronella essential oil

25 drops lemongrass essential oil

25 drops cedarwood essential oil

25 drops lavender essential oil

6 ounces unrefined coconut oil

2 ounces shea butter

1 ½ ounces beeswax

Directions

Measure out essential oils in a small glass container

Heat the coconut oil, shea butter and beeswax in the top of a double boiler.  Stir to combine as it melts.  Once fully melted, transfer to a glass measuring cup and quickly stir in oils.  Add to a 9-ounce glass or oil safe plastic container.  (The mixture will begin to harden fast, so you need to move quick!)

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About Wendy Polisi

Hi, I’m Wendy! I’m a cook, author, blogger, natural health enthusiast…and most importantly a mom. My boys are 10 & 11 and my late life princess is 3. Firm believers in lifestyle design, our family has been location independent since 2008. Join me to read about our adventures in the kitchen…and out!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. robin rue

    June 20, 2017 at 1:22 am

    We get a lot of bugs around here, so I am excited to try this. I hate bugs and want them GONE!

    Reply
  2. Cassie

    June 20, 2017 at 2:08 am

    I absolutely love this idea! Can't wait to try and make it myself!

    Reply
  3. Heather Johnson

    June 20, 2017 at 3:23 am

    I am all about keeping bugs away from me and my kiddos. I like to use a combination of bug repellents to hedge my bets against bites.

    Reply
  4. tara pittman

    June 20, 2017 at 4:16 am

    I need to make this for my boys. I love that something natural can keep the bugs away as I hate the chemicals on their skin

    Reply
  5. [email protected]

    June 20, 2017 at 6:16 am

    No-see-ums are just the worst! I'm with you, I don't know how something so tiny can cause such misery, but they sure do! This bug balm looks fantastic and I love that it is all natural. I would love to give this a try!

    Reply
  6. Blair villanueva

    June 20, 2017 at 10:53 am

    Sure a generous giveaway. Good luck for all the entries! This bug balm is a mustfor every insect bites.

    Reply
  7. Claudia Krusch

    June 20, 2017 at 1:59 pm

    This is a fantastic giveaway. I have been using essential oils for years. I will have to make some bug balm for this weekend. We are going camping and the bugs drive me crazy.

    Reply
  8. Jason

    June 20, 2017 at 2:33 pm

    I have got the essential oils but generally I would just rub some citronella or tea tree oil to deter the bugs. But, as summer approaching, I think I have to get my hands dirty and make this balm. I think it will be the ultimate saviour. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    Reply
  9. Carol Cassara

    June 20, 2017 at 4:17 pm

    The summer can be especially harsh and this is the season when insects come out to play as well. I think this is awesome and it's definitely what you'd like to have in your bag when you're off adventuring outdoors!

    Reply
  10. Jen Temcio

    June 20, 2017 at 4:49 pm

    This is a crazy generous giveaway! I am going to make this for my daughter who gets bit often and the bites swell badly and leave scars. It is worth a try for sure!

    Reply
  11. Natalie

    June 20, 2017 at 5:48 pm

    I love coming across DIYs, and will have to give this natural bug repellent a try! Not a fan of the conventional ones found at the store.

    Reply
  12. Helene

    June 20, 2017 at 5:57 pm

    Anything that keeps those darn mosquitos away sounds good to me. I hate getting bitten.

    Reply
  13. Kristen from The Road to Domestication

    June 21, 2017 at 3:45 am

    Ah, thank you! I DESPISE no-see-ums - they're awful creatures! Anything that keeps them away from me is a godsend!

    Reply
  14. Clint

    June 21, 2017 at 10:08 pm

    We do a lot of camping and are outdoors a lot so this would be great. I will have to keep this recipe handy.

    Reply
  15. Krystel | Disney on a Budget

    June 21, 2017 at 11:05 pm

    This is so great. I spend a lot of time outside on the porch during the summer and this is going to be super helpful

    Reply
  16. Jennifer Rollins

    June 22, 2017 at 3:29 am

    I have been searching for a bug repellent using essential oils! Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
  17. Jasmine Eclipse

    June 22, 2017 at 8:49 pm

    This is a great idea! Especially if it doesn't have the yucky smell of normal bug spray.

    Reply
  18. Alayna

    June 23, 2017 at 4:30 pm

    I absolutely love essential oils! It seems like there are always new uses for them popping up. Bug bites are the worst and can make a beautiful summer night dreadful. This is definitely something i am going to have to try. Thanks for the great tip!

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Wendy! I’m a cook, author, blogger, natural health enthusiast…and most importantly a mom. My boys are 10 & 11 and my late life princess is 3. Firm believers in lifestyle design, our family has been location independent since 2008. Join me to read about our adventures in the kitchen…and out! Read More…

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