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For outdoor use, it is most practical to use a small spray bottle. The 100 ml. bottle is just about the right size for a simple insect repellent. You will need about 70 drops of essential oil and at least two carriers for this size bottle. Most of the carrier is just pure water, distilled or boiled, just a little shy of two ounces. Then, you will need a bit over one ounce of witch hazel or vodka. You can also add a tiny bit of a carrier oil such as jojoba oil, one teaspoon of oil. Then, you add your preferred essential oils.

We have the beautiful violet glass bottles with spray caps. They come with a long tube that you can cut to fit whichever size bottle you are using. These can be found on this page. Witch Hazel is on another page. The essential oils can be found on yet another page.

Since essential oils are volatile, they will dissipate quickly. This means that if you are hiking in the Adirondacks, you should wear long sleeves and slacks and spray the oil directly on your clothing, probably every 20-30 minutes.

If you want to diffuse the oils, do not use any carrier. Practically speaking, diffusers are mainly for indoor use.

Fleas: citronella, eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, orange, tea tree oil

Mosquitoes:  basil, citronella, clove, eucalyptus, geranium, lemon, lemongrass, peppermint, thyme

Ticks: rose geranium, juniper, thyme, oregano

 

For your reference, some oils are not suitable for prolonged exposure or internal use. We have a red stripe on the labels of oils that must be used cautiously. Since the labels are very small, we cannot put all the warnings on the label, but do not ingest any of the oils with the red stripe on the label and do not inhale these oils for long periods of time.