Up north in Minnesota, outdoor annoyances are pretty much everywhere – I remember many times to my childhood having to constantly put calamine lotion after we spent time outside.
Whether we were at fireworks or… at the park, or at the lake, they always seemed to be incredibly bad – am I alone? Are you from up north and do you remember the horrific bites you used to get as a kid?
Ok… so maybe not “horrific”… but I do remember scratching them until they bled.
Oh those days ;)
One of the first things I remember when we first got stationed in Arizona was that there wasn’t quite as many annoyances around – in comparison, it seemed like Arizona was heavenly. Fast forward to now, years later, I still think that Arizona is much better than Minnesota in that aspect, but we’re not completely “free” of annoyances either. They are there… and they always come around when you least expect.
Spending time outside is pretty important – the kids have energy to release, and the weather here is so gorgeous that it makes you want to soak up the sun. When it comes to protecting yourself from annoyances, most people turn to sprays and lotions with DEET.
While the safety of DEET is often times disputed… lets just remember one thing – just because the EPA says it’s safe, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s something you should use. That goes for everything really.. not “just” DEET. Remember that many of the studies you see are done by the very people the studies are against.. not to mention that with many products out there, money truly moves the needle – in more cases than you realize.
In reading about DEET, you’ll quickly notice that most sites tout the chemical as being generally safe for most people, under normal circumstances. Organic Consumers states:
“The skin is like a million mouths. Whatever you put on your skin is like eating it . . . and going straight into your bloodstream.”
Summarizing a Duke University study, the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides said, “With heavy exposure to DEET . . . humans may experience memory loss, headache, weakness, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, tremors and shortness of breath.” The stuff is also linked to skin and eye irritations.
When it comes to DEET, products carrying must specify the following:
-Do not apply over cuts, wounds, or irritated skin.
-Do not apply to hands or near eyes and mouth of young children.
-Do not allow young children to apply this product.
-After returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water. (how many people “really” do that?)
-Do not use under clothing.
Yikes and yikes. Sure.. they may say it’s fine (in moderation..) — but eh, I’ll pass! One more thing to worry about, and it’s frankly just easier to make your own.
One of the best things to do is to ditch the DEET products, and use your own items for keeping you safe outside. It’s cheaper to make your own anyways, so you’ll save money and your skin at the same time.
There are many plants that you can incorporate in your yard to keep pests at bay – and making your own annoyance free spray is really very simple to put together. With just a few simple ingredients and a spray bottle you can have your own.
Annoyance Free Spray
- 4 oz spray bottle (these work well here)
- 1 oz Witch Hazel + 1 tsp Vegetable Glycerin (non petroleum based)
- Top off with Distilled Water
- 10 Drops each Lavender, Rosemary & Peppermint
- Optional: Or, alternatively — Citronella, Purification or Basil Essential Oils
To make: Mix the items, above, together in a spray bottle. Reapply often – not just before you go outside but during your time outdoors as well. Use caution when applying and keep away from eyes and ears, and after using, wash your hands to avoid getting essential oils in your eye.
My favorite oils to use are Lavender, Peppermint and Purification – but you can also use Basil, Citronella.. or even Geranium. Purification has Citronella in it so it’s great because it’s a combination of many popular oils in one blend, and it works for many other areas of the house beyond annoyance free spray (ie. laundry, stinky shoes, stinky bathrooms that my boys use and even dishwasher funk.. )… Basil works well but I’m not a fan of the smell! And Peppermint is an oil we use a LOT of around our house so I run out fairly fast – I always seem to have Lavender and Purification laying around.
Wondering what oils we recommend? We love Young Living Essential Oils. In fact, we got started with the premium starter kit, because picking up the kit allows you to get wholesale cost on essential oils {for life!} It’s a great investment in your wellness.
Read more below:
- See more Essential Oil recipes HERE and HERE
- Find out how to buy Essential Oils at Wholesale Cost (24% OFF)
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