What's Lurking in Your Bug Spray?
Insect & Mosquito Repellent - Natural Chemical-Free Options
Did you know?
DEET sprays can melt plastic bags and fishing lines.
Doesn't that make you wonder what it can do to you?!
Commercial bug sprays contain the chemical permethrin which is a neurotoxin.
Duke University Medical Center pharmacologist Mohamed Abou-Donia spent 30
years researching the effects of pesticides.
He discovered that prolonged
exposure to DEET can impair cell function in parts of your brain.
When rats had their skin treated with the average human dosage of DEET,
they performed far worse than control rats on physical tests requiring
muscle control, strength, and coordination. This is consistent with
reports of symptoms after the military used DEET in the Persian Gulf War.
Exposure causes neurons to die in several parts of your brain including
areas that control muscle movement, memory, concentration, and learning.
Heavy exposure to DEET and other insecticides can cause eye and skin
irritation, memory loss, headaches, weakness, fatigue, muscle/joint pain,
nausea, tremors, and shortness of breath. Symptoms can appear months or
even years after use.
The following are two effective repellent recipes* using Young Living
Essential oils which are natural and will not cause brain damage:
General repellent:
6 drops of peppermint oil
6 drops of melealuca ericifolia oil
9 drops of citronella
Dilute with water 20:80 and apply to exposed skin as needed.
Avoid eyes.
Mosquito repellent:
6 drops lemon
6 drops peppermint
6 drops eucalyptus radiata
6 drops lemongrass
Dilute with water 20:80 and apply to exposed skin as needed.
Avoid eyes.
Lavender and peppermint oils reduce insect-bite-induced itching and infection.
*Substituting essential oils other than Young Living may give different results.
References:
Abou-Donia, M.B., et. al. 1996. Neurotoxicity resulting from coexposure
to pyridostigmine bromide, DEET, and permethrin: Implications of Gulf
War chemical exposures. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health 48:35-56.
Abou-Donia, M. B., et al. 2001. Effects of daily dermal application of
DEET and permethrin, alone and in combination, on sensorimotor performance,
blood-brain barrier, and blood-testis barrier in rats. Journal of
Toxicology and Environmental Health 62:523-541.
Abu-Qare, Aqel W. and Mohamed B. Abou-Donia. 2001. DEET (N,N-Diethyl-
m-Toluamide) alone and in combination with permethrin increased
urinary excretion of 6B-hydroxycortisol in rats, a marker of hepatic cyp3a
induction. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health 64:373-384.
Abu-Qare, Aqel W. and Mohamed B. Abou-Donia. 2001. Combined exposure
to DEET (N,N-Diethyl-m-Toluamide) and permethrin-induced
release of rat brain mitochondrial cytochrome c. Journal of Toxicology
and Environmental Health 63:243-252.
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