What You Need to Know About Natural Supplements for Repelling Mosquitoes
Most people have had a mosquito bite and know how itchy and annoying they can be. What some people do not realize is how dangerous a mosquito bite can be.
Why Should You Worry About Mosquitoes?
Flaviviruses are commonly carried by mosquitoes and can cause flu like symptoms, although in young children, the elderly, or pregnant women they can become very dangerous.
Some of the common flaviviruses carried by mosquitoes are:
- Yellow Fever
- Dengue Fever
- West Nile Virus
- Zika Virus
Encephalitis
Encephalitis is another health concern when it comes to mosquitoes. It is a illness that causes inflammation in the brain. It is commonly started with a viral infection and can have similar symptoms as the flu.
Several strains are carried by mosquitoes, which include:
- Eastern Equine Encephalitis
- Louis Encephalitis
- LaCrosse Encephalitis
- Western Equine Encephalitis
Many of the diseases that mosquitoes carry are not only dangerous, they have no cure. Furthermore many do not have a vaccine therefore prevention is the only solution.
These are just some of the dangerous mosquito-borne illnesses that you or your family can contract if you are not careful.
Natural Mosquito Repellents From Supplements
You now know that many of these diseases have no cure so prevention is your only solution. The CDC recommends DEET as your number one protection against mosquito bites.
However, as with any chemicals, there can be major drawbacks to using DEET.
Here are just some of the dangerous side effects that can happen when you use a chemical solution versus a natural mosquito repelling supplement…
- Skin rashes
- Breathing difficulties
- Illness
- Possible coma
Luckily there are quite a few natural solutions to help you and your family combat these little bugs.
ALOE
Aloe Vera, commonly known as Aloe, is a cactus that has quite a few uses. Many of us know the use of aloe for a natural treatment for sunburns, what you may not realize is that aloe can also help with keeping mosquitoes away from you when applied to the skin.
ANDIROBA
Andiroba is a fruiting plant that you may not be familiar with. It grows in tropical regions such as South America and the Caribbean. The seeds are often processed into Andiroba fruit oil. Studies show that when applied directly to the skin Andiroba fruit oil repels mosquitoes.
CASSIA CINNAMON
Cassia Cinnamon is a specific kind of cinnamon extracted from evergreen trees that grow in certain parts of Asia. Cassia Cinnamon is the most common kind of cinnamon sold in the United States. Research suggests that when applied directly to the skin, Cassia Cinnamon can help repel mosquitoes.
CATNIP
If you are a cat owner then odds are that you are familiar with Catnip. Many people do not realize that Catnip has a wide variety of uses for humans also. When drank as a tea, Catnip has shown to help ward off mosquitoes.
CELERY
Celery is a fibrous plant in the vegetable family. You may already have some in your fridge, which has a number of health benefits. However, raw celery won’t do the trick for mosquitoes. Rather, it can be dried or pressed into an oil for medicinal uses. What most people don’t realize is that using a gel with 5 percent to 25 percent can repel mosquitoes for about 4 hours.
CITRONELLA OIL
Citronella oil is an essential oil derived from several species of lemongrass. The most common species of grass used are Jowitt grass and Rendal grass. Many candles that are used to repel insects have citronella oil infused into them. In addition, when you apply citronella oil directly to the skin it can help prevent mosquito bites for about twenty minutes.
CLOVE
Clove is an herb that you can get in many different forms. Clove is most commonly processed into an oil and then used unless being used in cooking. Studies have shown that Clove oil or Clove oil gel that is applied directly to the skin will help protect you from mosquito bites.
COCOA
The Cocoa plant has many different uses, although the first one to pop into your head is most likely chocolate. Cocoa is turned into many other things such as cocoa butter and cocoa oil. When cocoa oil is applied to the skin it helps to protect against mosquito bites.
JOJOBA
Jojoba is a shrub that is growing in popularity in both hair and beauty supplements. Jojoba grows in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. Jojoba is most commonly processed into either an oil or a wax. Early studies show that natural mosquito repellants with Jojoba oil in them work for about three hours after being applied to the skin.
LAVENDER
Lavender is a plant in the cotton family. It comes in two varieties, white which is commonly used for cooking and purple which is usually used for its fragrance. Lavender is also commonly made into an essential oil with many uses. When lavender buds are rubbed on the skin they have been found to deter mosquitoes from biting you. You can also apply lavender essential oil to pulse points to help combat mosquitoes.
LEMON BALM
Lemon balm is a plant that comes from the mint family. Lemon balm can grow pretty much anywhere but prefers drier climates. When applied to the skin lemon balm oil, or the crushed leaves themselves, help to repel mosquitoes as well as other biting insects. When grown in your garden, lemon balm can actually help keep mosquitoes out of your yard. A word of warning when growing lemon balm, it is considered an invasive species so make sure to keep up on your growing plant.
LEMON EUCALYPTUS
Lemon eucalyptus is a tree that grows most commonly in north eastern Australia, but is shipped around the world and commonly used as a beauty and medicinal natural supplement. Lemon eucalyptus essential oil is extracted from the leaves and twigs of the lemon eucalyptus tree. When applied directly to the skin, lemon eucalyptus will help to repel mosquitoes.
NEEM
Neem is a tree that is native to India but can grow in many tropical regions. The fruit and seeds from the Neem tree are commonly processed into Neem oil. Applying creams that have Neem oil in them have shown to repel certain types of mosquitoes.
SOYBEAN OIL
Soybean oil is extracted from the seeds of the soybean plant. Soybean plants are most commonly grown in Asia, although recently soybean has been able to be grown in many parts of the world including the United States and Brazil. When soybean oil is applied directly to the skin it helps to repel mosquitoes, as well as other bugs.
Get Your Natural Mosquito Solution Today
As you can see there are many reasons to protect you and your family from mosquitoes but DEET and other chemicals can be just as dangerous. Luckily there are many natural supplements on the market to help give you and your family a protective barrier against mosquitoes. Use them so you can avoid itching, scratches, and even worse. Get the right supplements now to make a difference this mosquito season.