THE MOSQUITO REPELLENT DEBATE

I was a little overwhelmed when trying to find the right mosquito repellent for my family. Were the ingredients safe? I decided to do a little research on the best repellents to use on children. This research created a lot of frustration. Half of the articles I read warned that DEET was dangerous for children. The other half said it was perfectly safe. In addition to DEET, there are other ingredients being included that can be a concern. Many children’s bug sprays contain perfumes, aerosol and parabens. These I knew were a concern from previous research.

Because of the questionable ingredients, I decided to make my own bug spray. I tried many different recipes and this one is my favorite. The kids also like it, which is a huge bonus. The only drawback to a natural mosquito repellent is that it does need to be re-applied about every 20-30 minutes. Thankfully, the kids do not mind. They like the scent and find the light spritz refreshing on summer nights.

OVER THE COUNTER OR DIY

If you prefer an over-the-counter repellent, I would suggest getting one with a lower percentage of DEET. Of course, many of you may prefer to avoid DEET. Additionally, I would find one that is in a spritz form vs. aerosol. It is much easily to inhale ingredients when using an aerosol product. If you prefer to make your own, like us, check out the recipe below.