Mosquitoes in Lake Charles are a different kind of awful than I’m used to encountering. Applying a little bug spray before an evening cookout always got the job done in Mississippi. Here, I’ve been getting bitten throughout the day and through my pants while covered in my go-to bug spray. That isn’t to say Burt’s Bees Herbal Insect Repellent doesn’t help at all (I get twice the bites when I forgo wearing it), but it definitely isn’t providing optimal protection. And since my supply is dwindling, I thought I’d do a little research on what to buy or make next.

The following five natural bug sprays have very low hazards scores in the Cosmetics Database (either a 0 or a 1):

• Vidoma Naturals Out & About Insect Repelling Spray

Ingredients- Distilled water (Aqua), witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), and neem oil (Azadirachta indica), with cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica), peppermint (Mentha piperita), organic lavender (Lavandula augustifolia), manuka (Leptospermum scoparium), lemon (Citrus limon), and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citriodora) essential oils.

This spray contains witch hazel, neem oil, lavender essential oil, and eucalyptus essential oil, all of which are absent from Burt’s Bees Herbal Insect Repellent ingredient list.

• Chartreuse Natural Bug Spray

Ingredients-Natural Essential Oil Blend (Lemon Eucalyptus and other natural essential oils), Saponified Organic Oils of Coconut, Olive & Jojoba, Organic Aloe.

Maybe the coconut, olive, jojoba, and aloe would at least make this spray more soothing, if not more effective.

• Zosimos Botanicals Bug-Away Spray

Ingredients- Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel); Organic Apple Cider Vinegar; Organic Cymbopogon Nardus (Citronella) Essential Oil.

Apple cider vinegar is a miracle worker.

• Badger Anti-Bug Shake & Spray

Ingredients- 23% *Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, 10% *Ricinus Communis (Castor) Oil, and Essential Oils of 4% *Cymbopogon Nardus (Citronella), 2% *Cedrus Atlantica (Cedar), 2% *Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass), 1.5% *Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary), and 1% *Mentha Piperita (Peppermint), Water and 0.5% *Gaultheria Procumbens (Wintergreen).

I’d like to smell this bug spray before buying it. Sometimes wintergreen is a little too much to handle, you know?

• Jason Natural Quit Bugging Me! Spray

Ingredients- Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil — 2 %, Geranium Oil —- 2 %, 96.00%, Aqua (Purified Water), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Lecithin, Citric Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Benzoate.

I wonder what purpose the baking soda serves.

Some of the above ingredient lists are similar to my current bug spray, but I’m not writing them off immediately since it’s reasonable to assume that different proportions can result in varied performance.  I wish there were more reviews of these products online, but I had a lot of trouble finding any reviews at all for most of them.

Homemade Options:

According to one article I came across (5 Homemade Chemical Free Bug Repellents That Work), vanilla extract and lavender flower both repel mosquitoes. You can also mix witch hazel with a few drops of tea tree, lavender, and peppermint oils for an all over spray repellent. I plan on trying all three of these suggestions!

This article on Natural Homemade Mosquito Repellent lists plants, oils, and vitamins that all act as mosquito deterrents and ends with its own recipe for natural insect repellent.

How about you guys? Do you have a favorite natural insect repellent? Have you tried making your own?

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Kirby has been working diligently on a chunk of land in our back/side yard that will soon become our fruit and vegetable garden. I CANNOT WAIT.

He also recently rescued the tiny fallen baby bird pictured above. I was reminded of why I date him.

p.s. If you haven’t entered my giveaway yet, there’s still time! Remember: each entry requires a separate comment.

p.p.s. Speaking of giveaways, this Strawesome (Glass  Straw) Giveaway is pretty great. If you ask me, the only thing better than a big straw is a big straw that’s BPA free!

I tried this first. I always put tea tree oil on anything and everything that looks suspicious.

When I realized that the rash was likely Poison Ivy, I immediately used this stuff. It's been in my bathroom closet at home for years.

Luckily, I found some of this in a toiletry bag of mine. It's helped a good bit with the itching, but gross is all I have to say about the ingredients.

I made a paste with this and the vinegar pictured below, let it dry on my hands, and then scrubbed the rash with it.

The paste needs a few tablespoons less vinegar than it does baking soda. Otherwise, it'll be too watery.

I poured this all over both of my hands, and the smell was so strong that it actually made me feel a little light-headed.

The tea tree oil and the anti-itch lotion help with the itching.  The soap is obviously preventing spreading, for the most part.  The paste dries the rash out a little, and the alcohol burns a lot. Still, nothing seems to be making it go away. Any suggestions? I hate poison Ivy.

the highlights:

Winter time is hat time.

I got to spend time with two of my sisters. They are big fun.

Would you look at those ears?!

Clementine had the time of her life.

His sad face is the reason he gets so much loving from strangers.

Winston was climbing on everything within reach of his stubby little legs.

We discovered a phallic rock.

Amidst all the beautiful nature, we found this rock that looked suspiciously like a penis.

He was higher up than the picture suggests.

Kirby got stuck on a rock wall for a minute.

She fell over and couldn't get up because of her dog backpack.

Yes, she has a dog backback. It carried her treats, portable bowl, and a small amount of water.

Our butts got dirty.

We got a chance to rough it like big strong men.

This cobbler was off the chain.

It consisted of blueberry pie filling, cherry pie filling, yellow cake mix, and butter. Yummm trans fat!

My boyfriend is a cutiepie.

He was totally posing for that picture.

Dismals Canyon was an impressively beautiful place. I took a number of pictures in an attempt to convey that, but they did not do it justice. For that reason, I have omitted said pictures from this post.