Homemade Mosquito Repellent With Alcohol

With the threat of the West Nile Virus, which is spread by mosquitoes, it's important to protect yourself from those tiny bloodsuckers. There are plenty of repellents on the market you can buy. However, some of these contain DEET. DEET is short for the chemical name
N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It's deemed by the government to be safe when used properly, but some people would rather avoid the chemicals found in DEET. A natural, homemade mosquito repellent can be made by using alcohol and essential oil.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring cups
• Bowl
• Rubbing alcohol
• Essential oil
• Bottle with tight-closing lid

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Instructions

• 1

  Pour 1 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol into a clean bowl.

• 2

  Add 2 tablespoons of an essential oil. You can choose from a variety of oils, including lemon grass, eucalyptus, castor oil, peppermint, tea tree oil, lavender and cedar.

• 3

  Pour the mixture into the bottle and place the lid on the bottle tightly. Shake the mosquito repellent well to thoroughly mix the rubbing alcohol and the essential oil together.

• 4

  Shake the bottle well before each use, according to Betterbudgeting.com. Apply the mosquito repellent to your skin sparingly. After the initial application, you can re-apply every few hours as needed.