Lavender oil can be used as an insect repellent.
Lavender oil is often considered to be a scented oil used in making lotions, shampoos, perfumes, soaps or many other varieties of personal care products. You may not realize that it can also be used to repel insects, such as mosquitoes.
How It's Used
Lavender oil can be used in different ways to repel mosquitoes and other insects. It can be dabbed on the pressure points, such as the wrists or behind the ears, or mixed with other natural oils, such as eucalyptus oil or citronella oil to make a spray-on herbal bug repellent. If one does not have lavender oil on hand, the flower petals may also be rubbed on pressure points to get the oil on your skin.
How Long it Lasts
Unlike strong chemical insect repellents, lavender oil does not usually repel insects for several hours at a time. Since this is a natural botanical, the scent will evaporate and fade about 20 minutes after it is applied. It will need to be reapplied every 20-30 minutes during the time that you're outside and in danger of being bitten by insects.
Special Precautions
Never apply lavender oil to a child that is 2 years old or younger. Lavender oil does have the potential to cause an allergic reaction, especially to those with sensitive skin. It is a good idea to do a small test area of the skin, before applying it to larger areas.
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