It’s Summertime! You step out with your sunglasses riding around with the top down, it’s gorgeous out! You then notice a mosquito, swat! The bugs are out in full force and you don’t want to be at the next blood buffet. Whether you are enjoying a weekend at the lake or camping in the woods, there’s no avoiding those pesky mosquitos. What’s our instinct? Reaching for the OFF or insect repellent, but have you ever looked at the ingredients to know what you’re putting on your body? Your skin as an organ, it absorbs what you put on it.

Store-bought insect repellents are filled with dangerously toxic chemicals. One of the most vital ways to live a long healthy life is to reduce toxic exposure. One of bug spray’s most active ingredients is DEET. This chemical was developed in the 1940’s during WWII for jungle warfare. DEET is highly effective at repelling mosquitoes but at what cost to your health? A 2009 study found that DEET interferes with the nervous system by disrupting vital enzyme pathways in insects. These pathways are essential in delivering messages from the brain to muscles. If it has such a negative effect on the bug’s nervous system, what can it be doing to the mammals, to you? DEET, when used frequently, will have side effects. The biggest one of nerve damage as previously noted, which in turn can cascade into seizures, slurred speech, and coma. Skin rashes can occur in low doses. It’s no surprise Canada’s recommendations are to not expose children 6 months to 12 years of age to no more than 10% of DEET.

Remember that feeling of having to take a shower right after that smelly crap was sprayed on you. It’s sticky and smells atrocious. Avoiding DEET at all costs is the safest, most assured way to live a healthy, longer life.

So if you’re not one to spray chemicals on your body, there are bug spray recipes available. Check out the one we made right here.

Here are some other helpful hints to keep mosquitoes at bay this summer:

· Avoid wearing strong scents

· Wear loose fit clothing

· If possible, stay indoors at times of sunrise and sunset

· Have a fan set up outside, if on a patio, blowing mosquitoes in the direction away from you and company

If you don’t make a homemade repellent, opt out for DEET and go for a plant-based repellent. Choose something made from Neem, citronella, natural oils (preparation containing glycerin, lecithin, vanillin, coconut oil, and geranium), or essential oil based (usually eucalyptus or pine)