Deema Al Huqail

DIY Anti-Bug Balm

It's that time of the year, Summer is here and all I want is for these bugs to be gone! Fruit flies, ticks, mosquitos... everything in between and beyond. Whether you've got critters making home in your kitchen or you're looking to deter and soothe bug bites while on your outdoor adventures, this recipe is for you.

Crafting your own wax balm/salve is very simple and worth the effort. Follow through this journal entry to get started.

What You'll Need

double boiler

beaker or heat-proof canning jar

carrier oil of choice (ie. sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, jojoba oil etc)

beeswax or any vegetable wax of choice (ie. soy wax, jojoba wax, coconut wax etc)

bug-deterring essential oils of choice

metal tins or small jars to package the balm

Anti-Bug Essential Oils

Here are some essential oils you can choose from to craft a bug-deterring product.

Lavender
Citronella
Lemon
Peppermint
Eucalyptus
Patchouli
Rose Geranium
Cloves
Cedarwood
Cinnamon
Lemongrass
Tea Tree

For this anti-bug formula, I have chosen Lavender, Eucalyptus, Rose Geranium and Lemon essential oils to deter mosquitos, flies, ticks, spiders and gnats. These essential oils may also relieve the inflammation and irritation caused by bites while the aromatic properties shoo critters away. Which is why I prefer to make an anti-bug balm versus a spray, that way it can deter bugs while also soothing the skin and offering bug bite-relief.

Anti-Bug Balm

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Author:

Deema Al Huqail

This anti-bug balm infuses the properties of nourishing beeswax and an herb-infused oil with the bug-deterring properties of eucalyptus, lemon, lavender and rose geranium essential oils. I formulated this recipe to create an extremely smooth ointment by freezing the melted preparation for 15-30 minutes. Once it hardens in the freezer, remove it and stir the preparation to create a cream-like ointment. You could say this is a somewhat whipped body balm!

Ingredients

1 cup carrier oil (ie. jojoba, apricot kernel etc) or an herb-infused oil (ie. lavender infused in sweet almond oil)
1/4 cup beeswax or vegetable wax of choice
10 drops eucalyptus essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops lemon essential oil
10 drops rose geranium essential oil

Directions

prepare a double boiler: place heatproof jar of carrier oil and beeswax in the middle of a stainless steel pot, cover with around 2-3 inches of water. The jar should stand firmly at the centre of the pot. Make sure water never enters the jar of oil and wax.
Gently heat the preparation at low temperature and stir occasionally until all the wax is metled.
Once the beeswax has fully dissolved, cover the jar with plastic clingfilm and transfer it to your freezer for around 15-30 minutes.
Once the wax has somewhat hardened (it doesn't have to be fully hardened), remove the preparation from the freezer and add the essential oils.
Stir the preparation with a spoon or whisk to whip it by hand. Keep stirring until you have a very smooth, creamy and ointment-like texture and the essential oils are fully dissolved.
Scoop the balm into a small jar or metal tin. The balm will harden a bit as it cools but you will still have a very creamy texture.

How and When to Use the Balm

Rub the balm on your legs and hands to deter bugs away. Or massage the balm on bug bites to soothe any redness and irritation.