The Magic of Essential Oils: 7 Easy & Effective Ways To Battle Bug Bites

“My favorite part of summer is getting eaten alive by mosquitos.”

~Said no one, ever

Bug bites, well…bite. Nothing says summer quite like a big old welt on your leg from last night’s campfire. We’ve got a quite a few battle wounds from our evening escapades. My #1 gets the worst of it – something about the sweet blood of a cheeky 4 year old that sends those mosquitos over the top. Poor girl. 

Breaking it down for my fellow science nerds, bug bites are essentially your body’s immune response when your histamine activity, leaving you with a pretty bad itch that you just can’t scratch {or shouldn’t, at least}. 

Instead of treating the itch with conventional {and potentially} toxic remedies loaded with hormone-disrupting and potential carcinogenic parabens, petroleum, and phthalates, why not opt for a natural alternative that kills the itch, ditches the rash, and gets you back on the path to enjoying your summer? That’s what I thought. 

Essential oils get the job done without the worry of crazy side effects.

Essential oils are plant-based and contain concentrated quantities of aroma compounds extracted from the plants themselves. They contain the “essence” of the plant. 

The benefits of essential oils are numerous and have been in use for thousands of years {since ancient Egypt, y’all!}. One such benefit is the treatment of insect bites, alleviating itchiness, redness, and infection that can come as a result of those pesky buggers taking a bite out of you. 

How do you use essential oils to treat bug bites?

My typical M.O for using all essential oils is to dilute it with about 1:1 parts essential oil to a carrier oil like coconut oil, olive oil, or almond oil. Not only does this save you money {because you’re buying high-quality, therapeutic-grade essential oils, right?}, but it also provides a good medium for the oil to absorb into the skin and spreads the oil over a larger surface of your skin for more effect. Read more about how to safely dilute oils {particularly in children} here. 

Top 7 essential oils for treating bug bites

Please note: not all essential oils are suitable for young children. Please refer to this list when using all oils on children. It is a great resource to add to your bookmarks list and my “go to” whenever I’m unsure what to use on my littles.

1. Lavender: Appropriately termed “The Swiss Army Knife” of the essential oil family, this bad boy does it all {except mop your floors}, including treating the itch and inflammation of insect bites. Buyer beware, though: true lavender is often adulterated with hybrid lavender {lavandin}, synthetic linalol, and linalyl acetate, or synthetic fragrance chemicals like ethyl vanillin {learn how to buy therapeutic-grade essential oils at wholesale prices here}. Lavender is my favorite mosquito bite remedy. The soft scent of lavender pairs very well with its therapeutic effects on the skin, keeping you itch free and smelling great! This is also your safest bet for children. 

2. Frankincense: Frankincense dates back to the time of Christ for its anointing and healing powers, and was actually one of the gifts given to him at his birth. Used to treat every conceivable ill known to man, frankincense was valued more than gold during ancient times. Can you imagine? Its anti-inflammatory and immune-stimulating properties are ideal for bug bites. What would Jesus do when faced with the unstoppable itch? Apply frankincense diluted with a carrier oil 3-5 times a day, that’s what.

3. Geranium: Geranium has been used for centuries for regenerating and healing skin conditions, so it’s a natural fit for bug bites. The floral fragrance is also a great way to relieve stress, while still combating the inflammation from bites.

4. Basil: Besides being an ah-MAZING addition to your Caprese salad, basil actually has some incredible medicinal properties, including…you guessed it…bug bites! In fact, its specialty is spider bites, where it does a great job slowing down the venomous effects that spider bites have on your skin, reducing swelling and redness. 

5. Peppermint: Peppermint is one of the oldest and most highly regarded herbs for soothing digestion, but the awesomeness doesn’t stop there. It is also used for pain relief, inflammation, and skin conditions, making it a great addition to your bug bite treatment arsenal. 

6. Purification: This is a blend of Citronella, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Melaleuca Aternifolia, Lavandin, and Myrtle. Besides disinfecting the air {and your laundry}, it also disinfects and cleans cuts, scrapes, and bites from spiders, bees, hornets, and wasps. 

7. Thieves: This is the gold standard when it comes to a highly effective blend of antiviral, antiseptic, antibacterial, and anti-infection essential oils, including Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary. Besides preventing infection, it also doubles as an anti-inflammatory agent.  

Directions: Apply 1-6 drops {depending on the size of the area} of the diluted oil mixture of your choice on your bug bites 3-5 times a day. 

That’s’ it. Easiest home remedy ever, right? 

Not all essential oils are created equal

Now {like everything else}, not all essential oils are created equal. Like lavender, some brands are adulterated with synthetic ingredients – ingredients that may actually do more harm than good. This is why I exclusively use Young Living Essential Oils for all of my family’s needs.  Young Living sets the standard for purity and authenticity. They carefully monitor every step of the production of the oils from beginning to end through a unique seed to seal process, ensuring the purity of each essential oil and protecting nature’s living energy in every bottle. This means that you can be confident that Young Living essential oils are both safe and effective. I trust their essential oils above all others because they are pure and unadulterated and are manufactured for therapeutic use not just for smell. Click here to learn more and how to purchase Young Living Essential Oils at a 24% discount. Who doesn’t like to save a bit of moolah?

Even better, all of the oils listed above {except Geranium and Basil} come in the Young Living Premium Starter Kit, which is discounted above and beyond the already super low wholesale price.  This bad boy has 11 everyday essential oils, a home diffuser, and so many other goodies. When I first got started on my essential oils journey, this was a no brainer because of the deep discount {I like saving money, you know}. However, if I’m going to be honest, I thought I would never use all 11 oils.  I was wrong. Dead wrong. I use them every day and am ALREADY putting my list together to replenish my stock {#addicted}. Learn more here. 

So now that you’ve got treating insect bites covered au naturale, here are a few of my top picks for non-toxic DIY repellent recipes {sans the nasty DEET} from my favorite blogger friends: 

• DIY Non-Toxic Bug Spray

• Homemade Salve for Bug Bite Relief {that doubles as a repellent}

• Easy Homemade Bug Repellent with SPF

• DIY Bug Repellent Spray

• Homemade Non-Toxic Mosquito Repellent

Tell me, what’s your favorite natural remedy to treat bug bites?

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