Homemade Insect Repellent: Safe DIY Recipes and What Really Works

Note: We get commissions for purchases made through links in this article. This guide is for general information and isn’t medical advice.

Making a homemade insect repellent is a fun, budget-friendly way to keep bugs off during a backyard barbecue or a quiet evening at camp. You choose every ingredient, and a good blend smells far nicer than most store-bought sprays. I’m allergic to insect bites myself, so I’ve spent years experimenting with natural blends.

Before we get to the recipes, though, it’s worth being honest about what homemade repellents can and can’t do. They can reduce bites for a short time in low-risk situations. They aren’t a reliable substitute for EPA-registered repellents when you’re in areas with ticks or disease-carrying mosquitoes. This guide covers both, so you can make a DIY spray that’s safe and know when to reach for something stronger.

Do Homemade Insect Repellents Work?

Homemade repellents can help, but their protection is short and less predictable than registered products. Here’s why:

• Essential oils evaporate quickly. Most DIY blends protect for roughly 30 minutes to an hour before they need reapplying.
• Homemade blends aren’t tested. Concentrations vary from batch to batch, and no one has measured how well your specific mix works.
• Many natural ingredients aren’t EPA-registered. The EPA exempts many essential oils from registration, which means their effectiveness hasn’t been reviewed.

That makes DIY repellents a good fit for short periods outdoors where bites are a nuisance rather than a health risk, like a patio dinner or a short walk. For hiking in tick country, camping in heavy mosquito areas or traveling where mosquitoes spread diseases such as West Nile, dengue or Zika, use an EPA-registered repellent.

Oil of lemon eucalyptus vs lemon eucalyptus essential oil

This is the most common mistake in DIY repellent recipes. Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) is a refined product rich in a compound called PMD. It’s registered with the EPA and recommended by the CDC, and products like Repel Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus can protect against mosquitoes for up to six hours.

Lemon eucalyptus essential oil is a different product. It hasn’t been tested or registered as a repellent, and it doesn’t offer the same proven protection. If you want the benefits of OLE, buy a registered OLE repellent rather than mixing the essential oil yourself.

Best Natural Ingredients for Homemade Insect Repellent

Research on natural repellents is limited, but these ingredients have the most evidence or traditional use behind them:

• Citronella: the classic bug-repelling scent. It works, but evaporates fast, so it needs frequent reapplication.
• Lemongrass: closely related to citronella, with a similar fresh scent.
• Catnip: contains nepetalactone, which studies suggest can repel mosquitoes. A good choice if you don’t have cats nearby.
• Geranium: often used in natural blends, especially against ticks.
• Lavender: mild and pleasant smelling, useful in blends.
• Peppermint: a strong scent that many insects dislike.
• Cedarwood: popular in tick and flea blends.
• Soybean oil: used in some registered natural repellents, and a useful base oil.

For dried herbs, lavender, peppermint, spearmint, lemongrass, catnip, basil and rosemary are the most popular choices.

Oils to avoid on skin

Some oils commonly listed in DIY recipes can cause irritation or burns:

• Cinnamon and clove oil: strong skin irritants, so avoid them in skin sprays.
• Lemon, lime, bergamot and other citrus oils: many are phototoxic, which means they can cause burns or dark patches when skin is exposed to sunlight.
• Tea tree oil: can irritate sensitive skin and is toxic to pets.

When in doubt, stick to the gentler oils listed above.

Why Dilution Matters

Essential oils are highly concentrated. Using too little does nothing, while using too much can irritate your skin or trigger allergic reactions. For a spray or oil you’ll put on your skin, aim for about a 2% dilution. That works out to roughly:

• 20 to 25 drops of essential oil per 1 oz (30 ml) of liquid
• About 100 drops per 1 cup (8 oz or 240 ml) of liquid

For sprays you’ll use only on clothing, gear or around your campsite, you can go up to about 3%.

Recipe 1: Essential Oil Bug Spray

This is the easiest homemade insect repellent and a good all-round blend.

What you need

• 1/2 cup (4 oz) alcohol-free witch hazel or high-proof vodka
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) distilled or boiled and cooled water
• 1/2 teaspoon vegetable glycerin (optional, helps the oils disperse)
• About 100 drops of essential oils in total, for example 40 drops citronella, 30 drops lemongrass, 20 drops geranium and 10 drops lavender. An essential oil set makes it easy to try different blends.
• An 8 oz amber glass spray bottle, since sunlight breaks down essential oils and some oils degrade plastic

Instructions

1. Add the essential oils and glycerin to the empty spray bottle first.
2. Add the witch hazel or vodka and swirl to mix. Alcohol helps the oils disperse better than water alone.
3. Top up with the water and screw on the lid.
4. Shake well before every use, because oil and water separate.
5. Label the bottle with the date and ingredients.

Recipe 2: Repellent Body Oil

An oil-based repellent stays on the skin a little longer than a water-based spray and doesn’t need shaking. It’s ideal if you have dry skin.

What you need

• 1/2 cup (4 oz) carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil, jojoba, sweet almond or soybean oil
• About 50 drops of essential oils in total, for example 20 drops citronella, 15 drops catnip, 15 drops lavender
• A small amber glass bottle or roller bottles

Instructions

1. Pour the carrier oil into the bottle.
2. Add the essential oils.
3. Cap and roll the bottle between your hands to mix.
4. Rub a thin layer onto exposed skin, avoiding your eyes and mouth.

Recipe 3: Herbal Repellent Spray

If you’d rather skip essential oils, you can make a gentle spray from dried herbs. It’s milder than the essential oil versions, so expect to reapply often.

What you need

• 1 cup (8 oz) witch hazel or high-proof vodka
• 3 to 4 tablespoons of dried herbs, such as lavender, peppermint, catnip and lemongrass
• A clean glass jar with a lid
• A fine strainer or cheesecloth
• A spray bottle

Instructions

1. Put the dried herbs in the jar and pour the witch hazel or vodka over them.
2. Seal the jar and leave it in a cool, dark place for one to two weeks, shaking it every day or so.
3. Strain out the herbs through the strainer or cheesecloth.
4. Pour the liquid into a spray bottle. You can dilute it with up to an equal amount of distilled water.

Steeping in alcohol or witch hazel extracts more of the herbs’ aromatic compounds than a quick hot-water tea, and it also helps the spray keep longer.

How to Apply Homemade Insect Repellent Safely

Do a patch test first

Essential oils are a common cause of skin allergies. Before using a new blend, apply a small amount to the inside of your forearm and wait 24 to 48 hours. If you see redness, itching or swelling, don’t use it.

Application tips

• Apply to exposed skin and clothing only, never under clothing.
• Avoid your eyes, mouth and any broken or irritated skin. For your face, spray onto your hands first and apply carefully.
• Reapply often, usually every 30 to 60 minutes, and after sweating or swimming.
• Spray clothing and gear too. Treating your hat, socks and the hem of your pants adds protection without extra skin contact.
• Wash it off when you’re back indoors.
• Stop using it if you notice any irritation.

Homemade Insect Repellent for Babies and Kids

This is where extra caution matters most. We don’t recommend homemade essential oil repellents for babies or young children. Their skin is more sensitive, they’re more likely to rub their eyes and put their hands in their mouths, and some oils can cause breathing problems in young children.

Instead, follow these guidelines:

• Babies under 2 months: don’t use any insect repellent. Use mosquito netting over strollers, carriers and cribs, and dress them in lightweight long sleeves and pants.
• Children 2 months and older: use an EPA-registered repellent made for children and follow the label. The CDC lists DEET and picaridin among the options.
• Under 3 years: don’t use oil of lemon eucalyptus or PMD products.
• Always: apply repellent to your own hands first, then to the child, keeping it away from their eyes, mouth and hands.

If you have any questions, ask your pediatrician before using a repellent on your child.

Keep Pets in Mind

Many essential oils, including tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint, cinnamon and citrus oils, are toxic to cats and dogs. Cats are especially sensitive. Don’t spray homemade repellents on pets, and avoid spraying near them or where they rest. Ask your vet about pet-safe flea and tick prevention instead.

How to Store Homemade Insect Repellent

Homemade repellents don’t last forever, and water-based sprays can grow bacteria and mold.

• Water-based sprays: make small batches, keep them in the fridge, and use within about two weeks.
• Alcohol or witch hazel based sprays: last longer, typically a few months, in a cool, dark place.
• Oil-based repellents: keep for several months in amber glass, away from heat and sunlight.
• Throw it out if it looks cloudy, smells off, or the scent has faded.
• Label and store safely out of reach of children and pets.

When to Use a Store-Bought Repellent Instead

Homemade repellents are fine for low-risk evenings outdoors. In these situations, choose an EPA-registered repellent:

• Tick country: where Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses are common.
• Heavy mosquito areas: marshes, wetlands and peak mosquito season.
• Travel to disease-risk regions: where mosquitoes spread dengue, Zika or malaria.
• Long days outdoors: hiking or camping where reapplying every hour isn’t practical.

Good options include Sawyer 20% Picaridin, which protects for up to 12 hours and won’t damage gear, and Sawyer Permethrin for treating clothing and gear (never skin). If you prefer a plant-based option, registered oil of lemon eucalyptus is the one the CDC recommends.

DEET is often treated as something to avoid, but it has been used for decades, and the EPA considers it safe when used according to the label. Whichever product you choose, the EPA’s repellent search tool helps you compare registered products by active ingredient and protection time.

Want to understand how mosquitoes find you in the first place? Read our guide to how far mosquitoes travel and how they detect you.

Other Ways to Keep Bugs Away Naturally

• Cover up with long sleeves, long pants and socks, especially at dawn and dusk.
• Choose light-colored clothing, which attracts fewer mosquitoes than dark colors.
• Remove standing water around your home and campsite, where mosquitoes breed.
• Use a fan on a patio or porch. Mosquitoes are weak fliers and struggle in moving air.
• Use mosquito netting over beds, hammocks and baby carriers.
• Pick your campsite carefully, away from still water and in a breezy spot.

Find more projects in our Do It Yourself section, and use our camping gear checklist to pack everything you need.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best homemade insect repellent?

A blend of citronella, lemongrass, geranium and lavender at about a 2% dilution in witch hazel or a carrier oil is a good starting point. Expect to reapply every 30 to 60 minutes.

How long does homemade insect repellent last on skin?

Usually around 30 minutes to an hour, because essential oils evaporate quickly. Reapply more often if you’re sweating or swimming.

Is homemade bug spray as effective as DEET?

No. Homemade blends offer shorter, less predictable protection. In areas with ticks or disease-carrying mosquitoes, use an EPA-registered repellent such as DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus.

Is lemon eucalyptus essential oil the same as OLE?

No. Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) is a refined, EPA-registered repellent. Lemon eucalyptus essential oil hasn’t been tested or registered for repelling insects.

Can I use homemade insect repellent on my baby?

We don’t recommend it. Don’t use any repellent on babies under 2 months, and for older children, use an EPA-registered repellent made for kids. Ask your pediatrician if you’re unsure.

How long does homemade insect repellent keep?

Water-based sprays should be refrigerated and used within about two weeks. Alcohol and oil-based versions keep for a few months in a cool, dark place.

Are essential oil repellents safe for pets?

Many essential oils are toxic to cats and dogs. Don’t spray homemade repellents on pets or near where they rest.

Wrapping It Up

A homemade insect repellent is a simple, rewarding project, and the right blend can keep bugs at bay for a relaxed evening outdoors. Keep your dilution around 2%, patch test new blends, reapply often and store your sprays properly.

Just remember the limits. Homemade repellents aren’t a substitute for EPA-registered products when you’re in tick country, heavy mosquito areas or places where insects spread disease, and they’re not suitable for babies. Match your protection to the risk, and you’ll enjoy every trip with fewer bites.

Have a favorite homemade blend? Share your recipe in the comments.

This article is for general information only. If you have sensitive skin, allergies, are pregnant, or are protecting young children, talk to a doctor or pharmacist before using essential oil products.