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!
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.
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.
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 1/2 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!)
We get a lot of bugs around here, so I am excited to try this. I hate bugs and want them GONE!
I absolutely love this idea! Can’t wait to try and make it myself!
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.
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
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!
Sure a generous giveaway. Good luck for all the entries! This bug balm is a mustfor every insect bites.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
Anything that keeps those darn mosquitos away sounds good to me. I hate getting bitten.
Ah, thank you! I DESPISE no-see-ums – they’re awful creatures! Anything that keeps them away from me is a godsend!
We do a lot of camping and are outdoors a lot so this would be great. I will have to keep this recipe handy.
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
I have been searching for a bug repellent using essential oils! Thank you so much for sharing!
This is a great idea! Especially if it doesn’t have the yucky smell of normal bug spray.
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!