You read it in the title... Summer is coming, and so are the mosquitoes ! We abhor them: the noise they make, the strong itching they cause...

In our article, we are going to give you the secrets of a natural routine to help you fight against these. The star products of this mosquito repellent routine are the essential oils.

Warning : essential oils have many virtues and benefits if they are well used but can also be harmful. Before using, be sure to learn about each of them and read the precautions for use. In addition, if you are pregnant, we do not recommend their use.

Good reading !

There are several types of mosquito: the so-called "common" mosquito also called the "Culex Pipiens", the named tiger mosquito"Aedes Albopictus" and his cousin the "Temples of the Egyptians". The latter is a carrier of diseases such as dengue fever, zika or even chikungunya. In France, the mosquito that we encounter the most is the first.

The mosquito appears during the hottest season, summer and is more present in certain geographical areas. On June 21, it is therefore quite natural that we remember its presence and the famous itching caused by its bites. You may be wondering why these are so unpleasant? Indeed, when a mosquito bites you, it takes your blood but also injects saliva. This contains an anti-coagulant to neutralize our platelets so that our blood remains liquid and its tube does not clog. The injected product causes a reaction on our mast cells, cells present in the lower layer of our skin. These cells produce what is calledhistamine. It is a neurotransmitter that causes a strong itch in us.

Essential oils such asYlang Ylang also called "Cananga Odorata" or even Lemongrass also called "Cymbopogon Citratrus", are those that are best known for their effectiveness. Comparable to the two most common chemical repellents (IR 3535 and DEET), they fight effectively against the traditional mosquitoes mentioned above (Culex Pipiens). However, they are less effective on other types of mosquitoes.

It is absolutely not necessary to apply these pure essential oils on the skin! For safe use, it is strongly recommended to dilute them in vegetable oil . Your mosquito repellent should only contain 5% to 10% essential oil.

To help you, we have selected a recipe composed of a mixture of ingredients to help repel mosquitoes of all types. This recipe combines classic essential oils mentioned above with other less common, but very effective, especially for the toughest of them!

Here are the ingredients you will need for this recipe:

• 80ml d'jojoba oil or coconut oil: if you live in a hot country, favor coconut oil. It allows to better associate the essential oils in case of high temperatures.

• 2ml of geranium essential oil

• 2ml lemon eucalyptus essential oil

• 1ml palmarosa essential oil

• 1ml clove essential oil

Namely : 1ml corresponds to approximately 30 drops of essential oil.

This recipe can be used for any adult or child over 10 years old.

You will first need to introduce your essential oils and then your vegetable oil. We advise you to use a pump bottle in 100ml glass. Mix your preparation to obtain a homogeneous protective oil . Once your preparation is ready, you can apply it to the areas exposed to mosquitoes. However, be sure to avoid the eye area!

Extra tip : you can turn your mosquito repellent oil into a moisturizing and soothing after-sun treatment. You just need to mix in a bowl 1/3 of this product and add gel of linen. You will get a creamy and very pleasant preparation! 

And you, what do you do to fight against mosquitoes? Have you ever used essential oils for this?