Shoo! Shoo! Shoo! There are only so many times you can get bit and bothered by bugs before you want to know which is the best essential oil for bug repellent.
You itch. You scratch. You let bugs ruin your summer bash with friends. This is when many people reach for DEET-based, engineered bug repellent that makes them smell unappealing to people as well as bugs.
Not you! You want to enhance your mood, lift your spirits, and above all protect yourself from hungry mosquitos, buzzing flies, and pesky pests of all kinds.
You know you are not looking for an unnatural product, an unpleasant chemical after-glow, or lab-made hazard to you, your family, or your pets.
The ideal solution for you is essential oils—a natural, organic, and green fix to bothersome bugs—which has been used for thousands of years. Read more about essential oils and what makes them the best at repelling bugs below.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are powerful and pure forms of botanicals made from the cold-pressing and steam distillation of organic plants.
Used to ease pain, soothe the mind, and repel bugs, essential oils made from a blend of citronella, peppermint, and lemongrass add a fresh fragrance to your body when applied.
While repelling bugs, you can also attract feelings of calmness and satisfaction. Review our list of the best-smelling and most effective bug-repelling brands below.
The 5 Best Essential Oil for Bug Repellent
1. doTERRA TerraShield Essential Oil Repellent Blend
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Made completely from natural ingredients, doTERRA’s proprietary TerraShield blend holds biting bugs at bay with the essence of eucalyptus, vanilla bean, cedarwood, tamanu, and more.
Easy to use through a diffuser or on-body application, this essential oil blend can provide hours of shielding protection from unwanted pests. You can use it outdoors as a bug shield as well as indoors for a refreshing scent with real depth.
Effective against bugs and environmentally-friendly, the TerraShield blend—through conscious sourcing of materials—also improves the lives of its harvesters in Madagascar.
An all-in-one solution, this organic, sustainably sourced, and profound protector against bugs is our top choice. It is the most complex and complete formula on this list.
2. Pure Body Naturals Peppermint Essential Oil
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This 100% pure and concentrated peppermint oil has been recognized since ancient times to repel pests, create focus, and diminish muscle pain. Pure Body Naturals increases the virgin power of this essential oil by choosing a hybrid species (mentha piperita) for its focused formula.
Coming with a dropper, this robust bottle of peppermint essence is simple to use by application directly to the neck, arms, and legs or in a diffuser for an outdoor bug barrier. If its power is too strong and bold for you, it is also easily diluted to your desired fragrance and effectiveness level.
Never chemically derived or synthetic, Pure Body Naturals brings emotional, physical, and environmental relief without the danger of DEET-based repellents. Pure Body Naturals delivers this essential oil in a robust glass bottle that will last for many summers to come.
3. Skedattle Natural Insect Repellent
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Promising a satisfaction guarantee, this biodegradable and eco-friendly blend says “Goodbye!” to bugs of all kinds. Using a blend of citronella and vanillin, Skedattle is 16 times as effective as a poisonous DEET-based repellent.
With no dilution or preparation needed, this natural insect repellent comes read-to-spray while never being tested on animals or polluting your environment with a harsh odor.
DEET-based brands will never advertise their cruelty to animals in the creation of their chemical barriers, but Skedattle is not afraid to say you can use this product with a clear conscience.
Form a barrier against mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and more while adding the sweet perfume of citronella and vanillin to your evening ambiance.
Made locally in the US and certified vegan, this repellent does not compromise your health or your belief in animal rights while protecting you from diverse ailments like bug bites and tension headaches.
4. Plant Guru Shoo Fly Synergy Blend
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Made with strict quality control, Plant Guru’s Shoo Fly blend contains citronella, lemongrass, and rosemary oil at the highest possible concentration.
Shoo Fly is a therapy-grade oil which never compromises on superior quality and strength. So powerful, customers should dilute this blend before applying it to the body, clothes, or diffuse indoors or outdoors.
In an oil burner or campfire, this essential oil blend by Plant Guru offers an aroma that humans will adore—and bugs abhor! At the same time, its combination of lemongrass and rosemary will sharpen your senses and clear your mind for an enhanced summer outing.
5. UpNature’s Best Lemongrass Essential Oil
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Pure and powerful, green and gentle—UpNature delivers a bug-repelling experience with the added benefits of reducing pain, inflammation, headaches, and sore muscles.
While repelling bugs, this Best Lemongrass Essential Oil enhances the mood of the room, refreshes you, and provides an energetic boost outdoors with every deep, delightful breath of it.
You can use this oil as you prefer: add it to your skin, your clothes, your diffuser. Immediately, you will feel the lifting energy of this blend and see bugs flee from its pleasant scent.
Offering a risk-free purchase and 365-day money-back guarantee, your satisfaction is not up to chance. UpNature knows their premium and pure lemongrass oil will fight bugs and give you peace of mind.
Final Thoughts
During all of your activities in the bug-heavy summer, spring, or winter (in some regions), you can rely on thousands of years of human experience that show the effectiveness of essential oils against bugs and body ailments.
While protecting your home, family, and pets, from bothersome bites, you can de-stress, relax muscles, soften joints, and soothe headaches using any one of these masterful blends and essences.
If you need a bug repellent that is better than the polluting, toxic, and chemical concoctions made for DEET-based repellents, you can safely choose any one of the essential oils on this top five list.
