Natural insect repellent oil
This recipe has been years in the making, every year I try slightly different combinations and ratios, but I think I’m close now! That’s the joy of herbalism isn’t it? Playing in the herb garden, and the kitchen, using the senses and your intuition.
Well now that it’s been confirmed that we’ve got mozzies in this country as well as our longstanding nemeses the midges, I thought it was time to formalise and share this recipe.
As always, play around; use what you have locally or personally available. It is critical to environmental sustainability that we use what’s locally abundant, and that’s why I’ve focused on Elder leaf and buds and Pelargonium which is so easy to grow in the garden. I did keep the Neem oil and lemongrass essential oil: this repellent really needs to work! So it treads the line between local sourcing and using the most potent ingredients.
I’ve made a big batch of this, and have it available in dropper bottles in the online shop. I’ve priced it to cover materials and ingredients, because I’d like your thoughts and feedback - effectiveness, usability, application, it would be good to know how it works for you. If you’d like a great summer herbal project, give my recipe a go yourself:
1 : Prepare an infused oil of Elder and Pelargonium leaves
1 large handful Elder leaves and flower buds (Sambucus nigra)
1 large handful scented Pelargonium - also called Cranesbill - leaves (Geranium pratense)
120ml Sunflower oil
Chop up the Elder and Pelargonium leaves and pour over the sunflower oil. I use the food processor to get the leaves really well shredded and combined with the oil, this lets the oil extract as much of the aromatic compounds as possible.
Place the chopped leaves and oil in a glass jar, and set in a bain marie / double boiler to simmer for an hour until the oil goes a bright green colour.
Because fresh herb material is used, there will be a high water content in the resulting infused oil. It is important to separate this from the oil: after the herbal material has infused in the oil for an hour, sieve it out and leave the liquid to stand for at least half an hour. This will allow the water and oil parts to separate, with the water sitting in a layer beneath the infused oil. Slowly pour off the infused oil, and store in a glass jar until you’re ready to make the rest of the insect repellent oil. You should have around 100ml infused sunflower oil.
2 : Prepare a Clove infused oil
10 Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum)
50ml Sunflower oil
Prepare the Clove infused oil in a similar way, by pouring the oil over the cloves and simmering in a bain marie / double boiler, but this time for 2 hours. They need a bit longer to really infuse the oil. When you’re happy with the smell of the oil, strain off the Cloves and bottle up the oil.
3 : Combine ingredients to make the Insect Repellent Oil
100ml Elder and Pelargonium infused oil
50ml Clove infused oil
50ml Neem oil
10 drops Lemongrass essential oil
Combine all the oils in a glass bowl and stir well to combine. The resulting oil can now be decanted to dropper bottles.
To use, rub the oil in exposed areas such as the neck, ankles and wrists - a little goes a long way, it’s quite strong!
Stop using if any irritation occurs and wash off with soap and water.
Do not ingest.
Store for up to 1 year in a cool, dark place.
