• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • DIY Projects
    • Homemade Bath and Body
    • Sewing - Fabric Crafts
    • Flower Crafts/Decor
    • Thrift Store/Vintage
  • Gardening
    • Flower Gardens
    • Container Gardening
    • Houseplants
    • Indoor Gardening
    • Landscaping
    • DIY Garden Art
  • Decorate
    • Spring Decor
    • Summer Decor
    • Fall Decor
    • Winter Decor
    • Home Decor Projects
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast Recipes
    • Lunch Recipes
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Dessert
    • Salad Recipes
    • Soups and Stews
    • Side Dish Recipes
    • Appetizers and Snacks
    • Healthy Recipes
  • Holidays
    • Valentine's Day
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
Hearth and Vine
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • DIY
    • ...Flower/Gardening Crafts
    • ... Bath and Body
    • ...Sewing/Fabric Crafts
    • ...Thrift Store/Upcycle
  • Gardening
    • ...Flower Gardens
    • ...Container Gardening
    • ...Indoor Gardening
    • ...DIY Garden Art
  • Decorate
    • ...Home Decor Projects
    • ...Spring Decor
    • ...Summer Decor
    • ...Fall Decor
    • ...Winter Decor
    • ...Room Makeovers
  • Recipes
    • ...Appetizers and Snacks
    • ...Dinner Recipes
    • ...Side Dish Recipes
    • ...Salad Recipes
    • ...Dessert
    • ...Drinks
  • Holidays
    • ...Valentine's Day
    • ...Easter
    • ...Mother's Day
    • ...Halloween
    • ...Thanksgiving
    • ...Christmas
  • Subscribe
  • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • DIY
      • ...Flower/Gardening Crafts
      • ... Bath and Body
      • ...Sewing/Fabric Crafts
      • ...Thrift Store/Upcycle
    • Gardening
      • ...Flower Gardens
      • ...Container Gardening
      • ...Indoor Gardening
      • ...DIY Garden Art
    • Decorate
      • ...Home Decor Projects
      • ...Spring Decor
      • ...Summer Decor
      • ...Fall Decor
      • ...Winter Decor
      • ...Room Makeovers
    • Recipes
      • ...Appetizers and Snacks
      • ...Dinner Recipes
      • ...Side Dish Recipes
      • ...Salad Recipes
      • ...Dessert
      • ...Drinks
    • Holidays
      • ...Valentine's Day
      • ...Easter
      • ...Mother's Day
      • ...Halloween
      • ...Thanksgiving
      • ...Christmas
    • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » DIY Projects

    Homemade Essential Oil Insect Repellent

    by Patti Estep · Jun 24, 2025

    Jump to How-to Card
    Cobalt blue roller bottles with labels that say "bug off."
    A row of cobalt roller bottle with two bug off labeled ones in front over two bug off bottle on their side.

    Perfect for the summer, try this easy recipe for a homemade essential oil insect repellent in roll-on bottles to deter pesky insects.

    Two small roller bottles with bug off label.

    When summer gets really hot and buggy, a little insect repellent is a must. Here's an easy craft of essential oils and jojoba oil in a roller bottle to help deter the bugs, especially the mosquitoes.

    Years ago, my older sister swore by perfumed lotion as a good way to keep bugs away. I believed her then, and I do now, but I rarely buy perfume anymore. I have made my own perfumed oil with essential oils, and I thought the same idea would work well to keep the bugs away.

    Essential oils poured into cobalt blue roller bottle.

    Homemade Insect Repellent Oil

    The perfume oil blends are probably fine for this, however, I tried doing a little research to see if some essential oils are better for deterring bugs.

    It turns out that there is no great evidence that essential oils deter bugs. Especially when you stack them up with commercial products like DEET.

    However, for my occasional need at a picnic or out in the garden, I really don't want to put those chemicals on my skin. So, I came up with a recipe that I like, and hopefully, it's strong enough to keep the bugs at bay.

    Jojoba oil poured into a funnel in a cobalt roller bottle

    You do need a carrier oil for your base. I used jojoba oil because it's actually a wax and will take a long time to go bad. Other substitute carrier oils like sunflower oil and grapeseed oil are good too because they don't have a strong scent of their own and are very light. However, they will not last as long.

    Newsletter Signup
    Join Our Newsletter List!

    Be the first to receive new posts and get access to our Subscribers Only Page.

    Two blue bottles with bug off labels, flowers and more plain blue bottles and essential oils in background.

    The cobalt blue roller bottles are pretty, and the dark color will help shield the product from exposure to light. You can also buy them in an amber color.

    click for PDF page

    Feel free to use my little label shown above for your own bottles. Just click on the label, and it should open up a PDF of labels for you to print.

    Vase with flowers behind a line of homemade insect repellent oil in cobalt blue bottles behind two bottles with a bug off label.

    If you already love using essential oils, then this is a no-brainer. And it would make a nice gift for someone too.

    Patti signature

    More Essential Oil Crafts

    • Make Your Own Perfume Oil
    • Homemade Room Spray
    • Foaming Hand Soap with Essential Oils
    • Homemade Hand Sanitizer

    Blue roller bottles with insect repellent oil
    Print

    Natural DIY Insect Repellent

    Here's an easy roll-on homemade essential oil blend bug repellent with natural ingredients that you can use to deter insects all summer long.
    Active Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time20 minutes mins

    Materials

    • 1 10 ml roll-on glass bottle
    • jojoba oil
    • 10 drops lemongrass essential oil
    • 10 drops lemon eucalyptus essential oil
    • 5 drops rosemary essential oil
    • 5 drops lavender essential oil
    • 5 drops geranium essential oil

    Instructions

    • Remove the ball and stopper from the bottle.
    • Place all the essential oils into the roll-on bottle.
    • Fill the remaining space with jojoba or other carrier oil.
    • Snap the ball and stopper back into place, and cover tightly with the cap.
    • To use, shake the bottle and roll it on areas of your skin that you are concerned about, such as mosquito bites, ants, fleas, spiders, and ticks.

    Notes

    Caution: Essential oils can be irritating to some people and should not be used on children under the age of 3.
    I searched for a leak-proof bottle, but it seems like they are not to be found. Just be careful if you pack these in a bag on a trip. Perhaps wrap them in plastic first, just to be safe.
    Other good essential oil choices are peppermint, thyme, cedarwood, tea tree oil, and cinnamon oil.
    Tried this project?Tag @hearthnvine on Instagram
    Cobalt blue roller bottles with "Bug Off" labels.
    « Perennials in Container Gardens
    Grilled Corn Avocado Salad »

    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maria Solis

      March 07, 2024 at 5:58 pm

      Thanks for sharing . Is the recipe blend for a single 10 ml roller bottle ?

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        March 08, 2024 at 8:28 am

        Yes, Maria. Sorry if that was confusing. I changed the wording to say 1 10 ml bottle.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Patti Estep Profile Picture

    Hi!

    I'm Patti

    Join me to create lots of fun DIY projects, including crafts, gardening, home decor, and tasty recipes

    More about me

    Popular Posts

    • Baked zucchini bite on a slated tray with a bowl of horseradish sauce.
      Make Tasty Zucchini Bites in Under an Hour
    • Three tin cans in descending sizes hanging from twine.
      DIY Wind Chimes with Tin Cans
    • Blue jean crossover bag
      DIY Crossbody Bag from Jeans
    • Ham barbecue sandwich on plate
      Chipped Ham Barbecue Sandwiches - A Pittsburgh Favorite
    • Echievera planter
      What to do With a Stretched Succulent
    • Make a Mason Jar Oil Candle Lamp with botanicals and essential oils. ~ gardenmatter.com
      DIY Oil Candle - Gifts for the Holidays

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About
    Contact
    Privacy Policy
    Disclosure Policy

    Sign Up Here!
    for our
    newsletter &
    special offers

    Follow Me

    facebook
    Pinterest
    instagram

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. i.e. as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Hearth and Vine

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required