[HeatherKae]

I posted this in Healthy forum but haven't gotten any responses so I thought I'd post it here, too.

I hope this is the right place to post this.

My family and I are going to Vietnam for a week. The malaria risk is fairly low, but yet still present where we plan to visit. Obviously, we are NOT going to take any probiotics. But I would like a good, effective insect repellent.

Suggestions?

My children are 4 and 2 and I am 15 weeks pregnant. Basically, I need something safer than DEET, but I need something I can trust to do the job. I'm actually considering spraying the OUTSIDE of our clothing lightly with a DEET spray (our guides said to ONLY use DEET, but I cannot do that directly on our skin) and using something else on our skin. I remember using that Skin So Soft goop as a kid and getting eaten alive. Also, I've tried Burt's Bees (when my daughter was an infant and getting bit up at night while she slept) and it didn't seem to have any effect.

Is there anything else?

 

[heabrook]

If it were me, I would mix my own spray with Neem oil, Tea Tree oil and Lemon Eucalyptus oil.

Best of luck!

I also find this recipe, but I would not make one without the neem or the lemon eucalyptus since those seem to be the most effective against mosquitoes.

Making Your Own Natural Insect Repellent

Herbalist Debra Nuzzi-St. Claire suggests combining the following essential oils to make a natural insect repellent:

1/2 ounce citronella oil

1/4 ounce lavender oil

1/8 ounce pennyroyal oil

1/8 ounce tea tree oil

1/8 ounce jojoba oil

Do not use this blend undiluted on your skin. Follow these instructions for diluting:

To make an insect repellent oil that can be used on your body, add 16 ounces of jojoba or almond oil to the base oil mixture and blend thoroughly. For an insect repellent spray, add 16 ounces of vodka to the base oil mixture, pour into a spray bottle, and shake before using.

 

[mom2mimi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by heabrook For an insect repellent spray, add 16 ounces of vodka to the base oil mixture, pour into a spray bottle, and shake before using.

Now that could be interesting, spraying vodka all over yourself!

I have some all natural stuff but it looks like it's main ingrediant is citronella so not much different than what you can get with the skin so soft, I think. I remember dealing with this when I was pg with my son, we were at my family's cabin in the deep woods, and I just covered as much of my skin as I could with clothing. I did spray my clothes lightly with deet stuff and I do my kids as well every time we are there. I used the all natural stuff on the parts that clothes didn't cover like my face and hands.

 

[Kelleybug]

We use Sting Free from gardensalive.com It's active ingredient is soybean oil, and it works very well for us!

 

[anabellee]

go to www.hugadubdub.com and get the so long skeeters! it's awesome! ds and i use it all the time and it worked great. i love all their products. all yummy organic/all natural stuff.