Homemade Insect Repellant
Come summertime, insects are a nightmare as they are constantly swarming all over. Most choose to cover their bodies with bug spray to help keep the insects at bay.
Beautyberry, a common native bush throughout the southeast, has documented insect repellant properties that can serve as an alternative to store bought bug spray.
Beautyberry has been acknowledged by the USDA to have callicarpenal, intermedeol and spathulenol.
Excerpt: “Traditional folklore remedies many times are found to lead nowhere following scientific research,” he [Charles Cantrell, an ARS chemist in Oxford] continued. “The beautyberry plant and its ability to repel mosquitoes is an exception. We actually identified naturally occurring chemicals in the plant responsible for this activity.”
Three repellent chemicals were extracted during the 12-month study: callicarpenal, intermedeol and spathulenol. The research concluded that all three chemicals repulse mosquitoes known to transmit yellow fever and malaria.
You can rub the leaves over your skin or extract the insect repellant compounds from the leaves to make a spray or cream.
The following insect repellant recipes have been pulled from:
https://www.outmoreusa.com/the-5-absolute-best-beautyberry-insect-repellent-recipes/
Recipe #1 – Spray Using Rubbing Alcohol
Originally posted in Prepper Gardens, this recipe is first because alcohol is effective at extracting the necessary compounds from the Beautyberry leaves. Once sprayed, the alcohol evaporates from your skin faster than water, leaving behind the bug deterrent.
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh Beautyberry leaves, crushed
4 ounces of rubbing alcohol (isopropanol)
2 drops scented body wash or spray (optional)
Small spray bottle
Directions:
Cover the crushed leaves with the rubbing alcohol in a mason jar. Cap and let stand for two days. Strain out the leaves and add your scent of choice.
Recipe #2 – Salve Using Vodka
For whatever reason, you might prefer using some other kind of alcohol besides rubbing alcohol. This recipe is from The Grow Network and uses vodka (or any other hard alcohol around 100 proof) blended with oil to make an insect repellent cream.
Ingredients:
Fresh Beautyberry leaves
Vodka or other Hard alcohol
Coconut oil
Directions:
This recipe is based on proportions so don’t worry about measuring the exact amounts. Pack the fresh leaves tightly into a jar and add alcohol to about half as high as the leaves. Screw a lid on tight, shake for a minute, and then let sit overnight. Pour the leaf and alcohol mixture into a blender and add about 7 times as much coconut oil. Blend well for about 3 minutes. Strain the resulting oil mixture through a jelly straining bag or other mesh container.
The resulting oil mixture can be used as is but to make a salve: pour the oil mixture into a double boiler and add 1 ounce (by weight) of beeswax for every cup of oil mixture. Mix continuously until beeswax is melted and well mixed. Pour into a container and let cool.
Recipe #3 – Spray with Witch Hazel
This recipe is from Basmati and is fairly simple, provided you have some Witch Hazel. Witch Hazel is good for sensitive skin so it’s great to use if you have it. But I get the feeling you could still make this recipe without it (although I haven’t tried).
Ingredients:
2 cups Beautyberry leaves, chopped
Boiling water
Witch Hazel
1 ounce Cococut Oil
1/2 teaspoon vegetable glycerin (optional)
20-40 drops of your favorite essential oil (optional)
Small spray bottle
Directions:
Place chopped leaves in a jar and add enough boiling water to cover them. Cover the jar and let stand 4-6 hours. Strain out the leaves and add to the spray bottle until the spray bottle is half full. Add witch hazel until the spray bottle is about 3/4 full then add coconut oil. If using essential oils, add those now along with the vegetable glycerin. Let sit for a few hours before use to allow the Witch Hazel to infuse into the mixture. Shake well before use.
Recipe #4 – Cream that Includes Beautyberry Bark
Another recipe from Prepper Gardens, this recipe includes some of the Beautyberry Bark to give it an earthy, woody musk.
Ingredients:
Beautyberry Bark from the roots, chopped
Fresh Beautyberry leaves, chopped
2 cups of boiling water
1 cup of neem oil
1 ounce of beeswax
Directions:
Add chopped Beautyberry bark and leaves to the boiling water. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Meanwhile in a different pot, warm neem oil. Slowly mix in beeswax until melted and mixed. Strain the boiled water into a blender and add the neem oil/beeswax mixture. Blend slowly until it forms a well-mixed cream.
Recipe #5 – Cream with Essential Oils and Vitamin E
This is by far the most complicated recipe but the result may be worth it. Vitamin E is great for your skin and citronella has insect repellent properties of it’s own so this cream is likely more effective than using Beautyberry alone.
Ingredients:
3 cups boiling water
1 cup Beautyberry leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons beeswax or emulsifying wax
1/3 cup Grapeseed Oil
1 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil
10 drops Lemongrass essential oil
10 drops Citronella essential oil
Directions:
Gently simmer chopped leaves for 20 minutes, covered. Pour the water into a jar while straining out the leaves. Melt the bees wax and the grapeseed oil by putting them in a glass canning jar and place the jar in a pot of water on medium heat. As soon as the wax is melted, remove the jar and add Vitamin E oil. Add 1/2 a cup strained water (make sure it is still warm) to the wax/oil and mix well until it becomes creamy. Add the citronella and lemongrass essential oils, cover and shake well. If you see any separation between the water and oil as it cools, shake more until it is well emulsified.