Essential oil & beer as a natural mosquito repellent

With essential oils and brewer's yeast mosquitoes can be expelled

08/07/2014

Mosquitoes are one of the unpleasant side effects of summer. Mosquito bites are hard to avoid during an outdoor evening. Due to the body odor, the plague spirits are attracted, and due to climate change, more and more exotic mosquito species in Germany spread and thus the risk of transmission of infectious diseases increases significantly.

In order to avoid the mosquito bites from the outset, many different insect repellents are available, some of which, however, work with questionable chemical compositions. Alternatively, various natural home remedies are effective against mosquitoes. Here, the Vice President of the German Naturopaths, Peter Emmrich, recommends to the news agency „dpa“ a mixture of essential oils „Lemon, eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary, cedar and clove“, with which the skin can be rubbed. The essential extracts are mixed with almond oil, says the general practitioner in Pforzheim.

Apply a mixture of essential oils to the skin
According to the vice president of the Naturheilbund, ten drops of each of the above essential oils should be mixed with 30 milliliters of almond oil, with almond oil as the skin-friendly carrier. The mixture is shaken briefly and can then be applied as a natural mosquito repellent on the free body parts. For longer stays outdoors, Emmrich advises to re-apply the mixture to all exposed areas after some time. „If you are out all day, you should rub it in again every three to four hours“, quotes the news agency „dpa“ the doctor. The fragrance of the essential oils would cover the components of the body fragrance that attract the mosquitoes.

Rubbing with beer as mosquito repellent
The expert further explained that the mosquitoes can also be repelled by B vitamins, such as those contained in brewer's yeast. Thus, the body for the mosquito repellent must not necessarily be rubbed with essential oils, but „you can also rub beer“, emphasized Emmrich to the „dpa“. However, the odor associated with this could possibly also displace some people. (Fp)

Picture credits: Kerstin 197016351a2cc0b08c03p>