How to Prevent and Treat Insect Bites

While school may be starting back for many, the summer heat is still in full force, and many fall activities are right around the corner. With outdoor activities, it seems there are always insects trying to spoil the fun. 

Today’s post can be divided into two parts. The first is how to PREVENT bug bites, and the second will show you how to TREAT them. Sometimes we simply forget to bring it, or we find ourselves in a place where we didn’t expect bugs to be a problem. I find this is true especially in the evenings when you’re out later than you expected and the mosquitos come out for their evening meal. YOU!  

Avoiding insect bites can be a challenge. Most commercial insect repellents contain the chemical DEET. Although some studies report DEET as being “generally” safe for use, others do not agree. This is what we know, DEET is a pesticide that KILLS insects, as opposed to a REPELLENT which does not actually KILL the insects, but REPELS them. You see the difference? DEET has been shown to impair cell function in the brain and affect muscle control. It can cause headaches, fatigue, and muscle and joint pain.

To make matters worse, most commercial bug sprays don’t only contain DEET, they contain as much as 75% inert ingredients. I wonder what THAT means?  If it is water, why don’t they just say water? Just like last week’s post that talked about ‘fragrance’ in deodorants and other products, these inert ingredients are likely not as benign as manufacturers would like us to think. Third party testing has shown them to contain neuro-toxins, carcinogens, and hormone disruptors. It is NOT worth taking the chance when it comes to MY family. I (like you) want my children to live healthy, vibrant lives and one day FAR in the future, to provide me with beautiful, healthy grandchildren.  I'm not taking chances by slathering them with unknown 'inert' chemicals on a regular basis.  

So, what are we to do? Provide an all you can eat buffet for a million mosquitoes and wait to die from West Nile or Malaria? NO! Fortunately, God has given us natural ways to protect our families. There are essential oils that naturally REPEL insects. It is not that they are TOXIC and KILL everything that comes in contact with it. It just so happens that bugs don’t care for the particular SMELL of these oils.  Fortunately, they smell just fine to humans. I actually enjoy the smell of many of them. One thing to note, is that different insects are repelled by different scents, so it is a good idea to use several to cover all your bases. If you live in area where you are plagued by a particular pesky bug, make sure you use plenty of THAT oil in your mix. You may need to do a little research.

Like many of you, I grew up in this modern age of medicine where we believed that "science" has figured out all the mysteries of the universe and if we listen to our doctors and do everything they tell us, we will live long healthy lives. When you look around, do you see people living long healthy lives? I see people, YOUNG and OLD, who are SICK! All these advances haven't made us healthier, have they? I urge you to consider just a few generations ago, when people died of old age and not cancer. Diseases that once only affected the elderly, are now being seen in children. I believe we need to learn from our grandparents and great-grandparents.  They knew how to use plants and herbs to treat disease.  For thousands of years, that is all there was!  okay... I'm sorry, as you can see I am quite passionate about this subject.  

Back to the insect repellent: 

Some oils to consider in your mix are patchouli, basil, lavender, lemongrass, cedarwood, eucalyptus, and thyme. Some companies make blends that are specifically formulated to repel insects. 

Now let’s talk about how to make your spray. There are a couple of options for bottles. You can use the 2oz spray bottles found in the travel section at places like Wal-Mart and Target. You can rinse and reuse any spray bottle that you might already own, but my FAVORITE option is to use a glass Dr.Enuf bottle. The label peels right off and you can add a spray nozzle to it. Simply recycle one you already have or you can order one HERE, although shipping is a little pricey.  Using a glass bottle is a great option because over time essential oils can break down the plastic in certain kinds of bottles. 

So, now that you have your bottle?  What are you going to put in it?  I put in 25 drops of my favorite pre-mixed blend, and then added 15 or so drops each of citronella, lemongrass, lavender, and peppermint.  Then fill the bottle about halfway with witch hazel and the rest of the way with water.  It is a good idea to gently shake the bottle before you spray, because the essential oils will separate in the water. Click  HERE  to print out my label.

This spray SMELLS GREAT and is SAFE and EFFECTIVE.  I love that you don’t have to worry about what chemicals might be in it, especially when applying it to children who are still growing.  You can even use it on babies.  Because it is non-toxic, you can apply as often as necessary.  I recommend keeping a bottle in your vehicle so you always have it when you need it. 

Now that we have addressed how to prevent getting bitten by insects, lets talk about what to do IF and WHEN you DO get bitten. Let's face it. None of us have seen our last bug bite. Most don’t cause any real harm and will get better on their own, but to alleviate the itch and prevent chance of infection there are several natural remedies you can try. First, wash it with water or soap and water. You can try putting ice on it, or milk, or a mixture of baking soda and water. The baking soda does work. Oatmeal is another option when you are at home, but my FAVORITE option is to make an Itch Stick! They are FUN and EASY to make. You can even get your kids involved. Because I make a lot of my own products I already had everything I needed, but as we go along, I will tell you where you can get the products you might not have on hand. 

First you will need something to put your ointment in. I use lip balm containers that I bought HERE. You can also clean out an old lip balm container, or even a glue stick. My friend Traci gave me this idea.  The labels peel off easily so you can make your own cute one so people don’t think you’re putting glue on your mosquito bites.You also need almond oil which you can get at the grocery store or HERE. Coconut oil, also from the grocery store or HERE, and beeswax pellets found HERE. I have heard they are also sold at Hobby Lobby, but I've never looked. The closest one is almost thirty minutes from me, so I just use Amazon. It is just so convenient. The last thing you will need is some soothing essential oils. I used melaleuca, lavender, and peppermint. All these oils are both analgesic and antibacterial as well as soothing so it will help prevent the bites from getting infected. The other nice thing about these, is that they're not JUST for insect bites.  They can be used on ANY itch.  Did I mention it smells great?

So, here is how you do it. 

2 tbsp almond oil

4 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp beeswax pellets. 

15 drops lavender essential oil

15 drops melaleuca essential oil

15 drops peppermint essential oil

Melt the first three items either using a double boiler, or in the microwave in a glass bowl. Let cool. After it is cool to the touch, but still liquid, add your essential oils. I used 15 drops of each of my three oils. I poured the whole cup into an old Pampered Chef measuring cup that has a lip that allows me to pour it into the tubes with more accuracy.

Just pour the melted concoction into your tubes carefully all the way to the top and even slightly above the top as it will shrink as it cools.

TIP: I have found it VERY helpful to take a paper towel and wipe out your measuring cups/spoons while they are still warm.  Once the beeswax sets up, it can be a real pain to get off.  

You can print out a label for your Itch Stick by clicking HERE, or customize your own. I am still learning how to make printables, and hope to improve my skills GREATLY in the future. 

I ended up making using three glue stick tubes and three lip balm tubes. I actually like the glue stick tubes the best, as I think the size is better. This time of year you can buy glue sticks very cheap, so even if you roll them up and break off the glue like I did, its still fairly cheap. Plus you don't have to worry about confusing it with your lip balm, although it would be okay if you did.  The ingredients are very similar.  I didn't want to use up all my tubes because I plan on making more lip balm very soon, so I poured the rest in a glass jar. I will store it in a cabinet with all my natural "stuff" and heat it up and pour in these same containers in the future. You could easily halve this recipe by using one tbsp almond oil, 2 tbsp coconut oil, and 1 tbsp of beeswax and just use half as much oils.  

The great thing about this is that you can carry it with you in your purse and always have it with you. Since you will be making several, you can also give them as gifts, which is always fun. I love surprising someone with an unexpected gift and feel good knowing that it is not only useful, but helps them live a healthier life by avoiding the toxic ingredients found in many commercially available products. 

Thank you for reading my post.  I hope you found it helpful.  

Kristy