Bug Repellent Spray

[kagey]

Thank goodness that it is supposed to be effective against mosquitos in low doses (according to my research so far- 1% to 3%), and that the addition of other EO's such as the much lovelier smelling Lemon Eucalyptus greatly helps to tone it down.
According to my book Essential Oil Safety by Tisserand/Young, nepetalactone (the active insect-repelling component of catnip) can range anywhere from 12.7% to 84%. And according to a handful of corroborating sources that I've read so far, the catnip grown in colder regions/Canada is supposedly known for having the highest % of nepetalactone. For what it's worth, the one I bought from Liberty has 79.9%, if I am reading its CoA (certificate of analysis) correctly.


IrishLass

@IrishLass - I was wondering if you ever created a soap with catnip or other insect-repelling ingredients.
and if you did, if they were ever effective?
I hear that neem oil used in high percentages works as well.

 

[IrishLass]

Hi Kagey!

No, I have never made an insect-repellent soap.


IrishLass

 

[Relle]

Something to think about other than bug repellent spray. Years ago I had been taking vitamin B complex for a few months and we went to area with lots of mozzies, the people around me were being bitten and had to go inside, they left me alone, so that's the only thing I can think of that kept them away. I presume it would have had to be in your system for a while and not just take it before you went outside. Normally I get bites all over.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

@Relle Interesting. But I can't help wondering if you showered with a lemon or eucalyptus scented soap that morning?

 

[AliOop]

Something to think about other than bug repellent spray. Years ago I had been taking vitamin B complex for a few months and we went to area with lots of mozzies, the people around me were being bitten and had to go inside, they left me alone, so that's the only thing I can think of that kept them away. I presume it would have had to be in your system for a while and not just take it before you went outside. Normally I get bites all over.

At the recommendation of his neurologist, my husband tried the keto diet for a few months. Naturally I did it with him. We lived at the time in a highly mosquito-infested area, and the previous summer, I had been constantly covered in itchy bites. However, the summer that we ate keto, I didn't get bitten AT ALL. The difference in my diet was the only change for me, and when we quit eating keto, the mosquitoes started biting me again.

 

[Relle]

@Relle Interesting. But I can't help wondering if you showered with a lemon or eucalyptus scented soap that morning?

No, have never used either and Dh also uses same soap and he was one of the ones that ran inside because he was bitten.

 

[DeeAnna]

...created a soap with catnip or other insect-repelling ingredients.
and if you did, if they were ever effective?
I hear that neem oil used in high percentages works as well.

The problem with making an "insect repellent" soap is that there isn't enough of the insect repelling ingredient(s) left on the skin after bathing to be useful. Or not for long at least. That goes for neem oil as well as EOs.

A lotion or spray is going to be way more effective for two reasons -- there will be more active ingredients on your skin from a lotion/spray, and you can re-apply the repellent as needed.

 

[lsg]

Avon's Skin So Soft works great for a bug repellant.

 

[kagey]

The problem with making an "insect repellent" soap is that there isn't enough of the insect repelling ingredient(s) left on the skin after bathing to be useful. Or not for long at least. That goes for neem oil as well as EOs.

yeah, I've read many of the past posts here that discussed this.
But also heard of a company selling soap high in neem oil to folks in Middle East, who are pestered by sand flies.

I understand that soap is a "wash off" product -- but in the same way folks tell us that shea or cocoa butter conditions the skin, why wouldn't some of the benefits of EO or neem also remain?
(BTW - not trying to be combative or debate this... just trying to understand.)
Was simply wondering if anyone has ever done it and what results did they have?

Logically - some of the EO and neem should remain, and maybe even flavor the skin.
I know my hands smell lemony after using my lemon kitchen soap.

Obviously, showering with a "bug off" soap will be less effective than using OFF (deet) spray. (I also noticed the Bug Off FO has be relabeled... probably because of what you're saying.) But for those who don't want that chemical smell or prefer all natural...

I realize this will probably be something that I'll just have to do and see for myself. Will report back once I'm done with my research.

BTW - the neem soap used in the Middle East supposedly works well.

 

[DeeAnna]

I'm not saying the EOs and neem don't work. Just that there needs to be enough of these ingredients left on the skin to have a decent amount of insect-repellent action. Compared with bathing using a soap with EOs or neem, a lotion or spray can deliver more active ingredient to the skin for better effectiveness and can be reapplied as the repellency fades.

But there's no harm in testing the idea -- I agree you should give it a try and see how it works for you.

"...I understand that soap is a "wash off" product -- but in the same way folks tell us that shea or cocoa butter conditions the skin, why wouldn't some of the benefits of EO or neem also remain? ..."

I will never say soap made with cocoa butter or shea butter is able to "condition" the skin. Soap can clean gently or harshly, but cleaning is all it does. If a person wants to moisturize or condition the skin, it's best to use a lotion or other leave-on product where the active ingredients stay on the skin in larger amounts, rather than be rinsed and toweled off.

"... BTW - the neem soap used in the Middle East supposedly works well. ..."

If you can provide a reference to studies that show how neem soap is an effective insect repellent, I would be interested to read it and learn more about what people are discovering.

 

[IrishLass]

Something to think about other than bug repellent spray. Years ago I had been taking vitamin B complex for a few months and we went to area with lots of mozzies, the people around me were being bitten and had to go inside, they left me alone, so that's the only thing I can think of that kept them away. I presume it would have had to be in your system for a while and not just take it before you went outside. Normally I get bites all over.

My family and I have experienced the very same thing. A friend of our family (a seasoned camper and all-around outdoor adventurer) was telling us that one or two months or so before going on any of his weeks-long outdoor adventures, he would always make sure to take a vitamin B-complex daily in order to keep the mosquitoes away while he was out in the wild. He swore by it 100%. My hubby and I took his advice and started taking a vitamin B complex tablet for about 6 weeks or so before we were to go on a summer trip to visit my family in Massachusetts. While there, we had a cook-out at my Aunts house which is out in the boonies in the thick of mosquito country, and were totally amazed at the results. We were the only ones able to stay outside from dusk onward into the night without getting a single bite when the gazillion mosquitoes came out to snack on the gathering. Everyone else either sprayed OFF-brand mosquito repellent on themselves or else ran inside the house to escape. lol.


IrishLass

 

[Relle]

My family and I have experienced the very same thing. A friend of our family (a seasoned camper and all-around outdoor adventurer) was telling us that one or two months or so before going on any of his weeks-long outdoor adventures, he would always make sure to take a vitamin B-complex daily in order to keep the mosquitoes away while he was out in the wild. He swore by it 100%. My hubby and I took his advice and started taking a vitamin B complex tablet for about 6 weeks or so before we were to go on a summer trip to visit my family in Massachusetts. While there, we had a cook-out at my Aunts house which is out in the boonies in the thick of mosquito country, and were totally amazed at the results. We were the only ones able to stay outside from dusk onward into the night without getting a single bite when the gazillion mosquitoes came out to snack on the gathering. Everyone else either sprayed OFF-brand mosquito repellent on themselves or else ran inside the house to escape. lol.


IrishLass

Glad to know that someone else had the same result. Better a preventative than being bitten and having to sooth the bite area.

 

[violets2217]

So, now I wonder.... those of us that get eaten alive by the mosquitoes, are we vitamin-b deficient? Definitely gonna try this. Living in Florida I get swarmed as soon as I walk out the door! I'm pretty tasty!

So I once made a soap with all the EO I put in my homemade bug repellant spray (which worked pretty well & smelled like fruit loops!) and the soap #1 didn't hold the fragrance long after curing and #2 the fragrance didn't last long on me after showering so was pretty ineffective as a bug repellant, but still a good bar of soap...
Good luck in your trials!

 

[kagey]

If you can provide a reference to studies that show how neem soap is an effective insect repellent, I would be interested to read it and learn more about what people are discovering.

here are a few places that talk about this (some of it used as spray on):
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8245951/https://skinbynaturestore.com/products/neem-oil-soap-shampoohttps://www.thesprucecrafts.com/qualities-of-soap-making-oils-517120

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@Relle @IrishLass Thanks for this tidbit! We live on the edge of a salt marsh, which can be challenging at all hours of the day and night during the summer.

 

[DeeAnna]

Thank you for providing the links, @kagey. I read them and appreciate your sharing this information.

Only the first PubMed abstract qualifies as serious science. It's a study about applying 2% diluted neem oil directly to the skin as a leave-on product, however. This study did not test the idea of using neem oil soap as an insect repellent, so it provides no support for the idea that bathing with neem oil soap might provide useful insect repellency.

The other two webpages aren't science based at all -- they're more along the lines of "I read it on the internet so therefore it must be true".

The Spruce article states, "...We know of one soap maker who uses neem oil at about 25% of the recipe and sends it to soldiers in the Middle East to repel sand flies. It evidently works very well...." with no links to factual reports. They're sharing hearsay, not verifiable fact.

The Skin by Nature website is also reporting the same sand-fly factoid as well as making other medicinal claims without any proof of efficacy.

here are a few places that talk about this (some of it used as spray on):
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8245951/https://skinbynaturestore.com/products/neem-oil-soap-shampoohttps://www.thesprucecrafts.com/qualities-of-soap-making-oils-517120

 

[kagey]

yeah @DeeAnna - agree that nothing backs up the notion that you can shower with Neem and it will work.
that's why I'm still curious.
but as a spray... that's a different animal.

As discussed earlier -- soap is a wash-off product, so its effectiveness will be diluted.
I'm not making any claims that it will work.
But I am intrigued. And tracking down any leads.
That's why I asked @IrishLass if she had any success.

A soap would be a heck of a lot easier than changing your diet!

 

[AliOop]

A soap would be a heck of a lot easier than changing your diet!

AMEN and AMEN!!

 

[wilymama]

In addition to using an insect bar soap on the body, you can use it to wash your clothes, wash your dog & even throw a bar into your tent to double down.