DIY Natural Insect Spray
While searching around for the latest in mosquito repellant products
and tips, I came across a product called Bite Blocker that claims that
this product gave more than 97% protection against Aedes mosquitoes
under field conditions, even 3.5 hours after application. During the
same period, a 6.65% DEET-based spray afforded 86% protection, and
Avon Skin-So-Soft citronella-based repellent gave only 40% protection.
This sounded pretty good to me and then I read the ingrediants:
Soybean Oil, Coconut Oil, Glycerin, Lecithin, Water and Vanillin
This sounded like something that was possible to make much more
frugally than the price of $8.50 for 4oz.
I wonder if anything would be a good substitution for Lecithin, maybe
Vit E?
Anybody care to make a stab at a recipe?
-Just mix a couple of tablespoons of Hawaiian salt in about a 1/2 cup of
vinegar (I use white vinegar) and rub some on you! You'll smell like a
tossed salad for a very brief amount of time but the stuff works and
the smell dissipates to the human nose! I use it all the time
now...esp. since we've had a small outbreak of dengue fever and
mosquitos consider me a 5 star restaurant. I have not been bitten by a
mosquito since using it. I'm sorry, but I don't know what the
equivalent of Hawaiian salt is outside of Hawaii? I have a package of
the "fine" grain which is very course and doesn't dissolve (completely,
at least!) in the vinegar. Even the fine grain can't be used in a salt
shaker. The label says "sun evaporated from sea water". Health food or
Asian grocery stores might have something equivalent. I don't know
what's so magic about this simple combination but it sure seems to
work.
You can also place containers (yogurt cup works really well) of the
mixture near where you're sitting or sleeping.
-You can get lecithin at health food stores. Eat what you don't use.
I suspect that the magic ingredient is vanillin, though. The rest look like
they're there only to make the product lotion-like. Get some cheap imitation
vanilla and see if it works.
When I smoked, the smoke kept the little buggers out of reach.