Mosquito repellent: which one to choose?

How to Make a Mosquito Repellent

The topic of

is as common as it is thorny. There are very few that are not unpleasant or too complicated to implement in everyday life. Let's look at some tricks that are usually applied by those who choose natural solutions:

- half an onion with a few cloves stuck in it, to be kept outdoors;

- foods based on garlic and spices that alter the smell of sweat;

- an infusion of mint and basil (boil for 15 min.) to be sprinkled on the body;

- a plastic bottle - cut just below the neck and covered with black adhesive tape, into which a mixture made with (boiling) water, 4 tablespoons of sugar, and a block of brewer's yeast is poured and allowed to dissolve without stirring. If placed in a dark corner of the house, it will be a catalyst for mosquitoes that buzz around in our rooms.

As you may have noticed, none of the techniques mentioned above are particularly practical or fast. But is a truly natural mosquito repellent possible? Of course, it is. Among the most effective and widespread remedies - also for their pleasant scent - are essential oils. But how best to use them? Let's find out together in the next paragraphs.

Vinegar as a mosquito repellent

Vinegar is an extremely effective natural mosquito repellent. Just like with lice, the intense smell of this condiment drives away small insects and inhibits them from buzzing around us. A dish of wine vinegar with a few slices of lemon will make our summer nights quieter, but it certainly won't delight the sense of smell. If you opt for this natural remedy, use a few drops of Lavender essential oil on your pillow to lessen the intensity of the vinegar smell during sleep.

For dogs and cats

Our four-legged friends particularly suffer from the presence of mosquitoes: in addition to the risk of dangerous diseases, such as

, insect bites cause intense itching and consequent discomfort that prevents good rest. To keep ticks, sandflies, mosquitoes, and fleas away from dogs and cats, an extremely economical and effective homemade remedy can be used.

Spray with anti-parasitic essential oils for dogs and cats:

Pour 2/3 water and 1/3 apple cider vinegar into a spray container. Add a few drops of Tea Tree, Peppermint, Lavender, and Thyme essential oil to the mixture. The recommended dilution for essential oils is between 0.5% and 1%. Therefore, in 100 ml of the mixture, there will be a maximum of 1 ml of essential oil (20 drops). Spray the solution on the animal's coat up to 3 times a day. We recommend doing this before an outdoor run or in the evening hours, when the danger of ticks, mosquitoes, and parasites is greatest. A secret: pour a few drops of essential oil on the collar or into the product you use for coat cleaning (even better if it is Lavender hydrosol).

For the garden

To keep mosquitoes away from your garden and prevent swarms from forming, it is advisable to thoroughly clean plant saucers, buckets, and all areas where water can stagnate: in this habitat, eggs are laid and the first stages of the mosquito's life take place. Obviously, mosquitoes can fly several hundred meters, so these preventive measures do not definitively protect us: it is enough for a neighbor not to take the same precautions or for there to be rivers, ponds, puddles, and canals nearby. If there is an electrical outlet, the ideal is to use an essential oil diffuser with a repellent blend inside. At the same time, it is advisable to wear a

on skin and clothing.

For clothes

Fabrics absorb and retain odors longer than skin. Spraying mosquito repellent on clothes is therefore an optimal choice, although not all spray products lend themselves to this use. Essential oil-based sprays can be used on fabric with great effectiveness: if adequately diluted, they do not stain or damage textile fibers. Essential oil is, in fact, a dry oil, which in no way risks greasing. A few drops of pure essential oil on socks can be extremely useful: if it leaves a slight ring, this will be removed with the first wash.

For infants

Children have an extremely more sensitive sense of smell than adults, which must be respected and treated with care. It is advisable to choose a

to spray on clothes (especially socks), sheets, feet, and knees. Zanzarep - Olfattiva's spray based on Geranium, Citronella, Lavender, and Peppermint essential oil - was created precisely for those who want to protect children's skin with a completely natural product. The use of repellents containing DEET or other toxic substances is usually not recommended for young children or infants: this information can also be found on the labels or leaflets of many chemical products on the market.

DEET-based

Several scientific studies have shown that

, contained in most commercial chemical repellents, could cause damage to the nervous system and beyond. It is a toxic component with which it is best to come into contact as little as possible, especially in the presence of animals or very young children. Below, for those who wish to delve deeper, are some reliable sources on the research carried out:

Read the articles:“On the toxicity of insect repellent sprays”

“Is the insect repellent DEET neurotoxic?”

For cars

The ideal

, which allows you not to intoxicate yourself with chemical products of dubious nature, is certainly a mixture of essential oils in spray form. If nebulized in the car's interior, the synergy of oils acts safely for those who breathe it. A pure and integral product, without any synthetic additives, that can be worn on the skin, diffused in environments, and used on seat fabrics, to ensure that buzzing critters do not disturb our journeys. If you have an essential oil diffuser for your car, a mixture of for mosquitoes can also be used inside it.

Which is the best?

The

is certainly the effective one. However, it is important not to underestimate the dangers that a chemical repellent can pose to health and the environment when making your choice. Furthermore, for greater practicality, the ideal would be to always have a versatile product on hand, which can be used both on the skin and on fabrics, as well as in the environment. Versatility, effectiveness, and naturalness are the cornerstones of the ideal product: Zanzarep, Olfattiva's essential oil-based spray, is a product that for over four years has scented and protected families most attentive to , , and the .