If u ever need info on suppliers let me know
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@Susurrus Omg the car insurance company 
@AileyGrey Hooray for lemon balm! 
Same here- it’s such a lovely herb. I’ll def keep you updated on how it works in the spray!
@Mistress_Of_Herbs Thank you, Christeena! 
I’ve always used calendula for eczema, but I got a sunburn this weekend and have been treating it with alternating aloe vera and dandelion salve, but reading what you’ve shared here I think I’m going to add in a dose of calendula salve too! 
Herbal Bug Spray Update
Today marks one week the herbs have been infusing in the witch hazel and it’s looking like this:
The herbs are slowly losing color (a good sign that the liquid is absorbing their properties). But in this blend, I’m relying more on the fresh herbs than on added essential oils, so I’m going to give them a bit more time to absorb before straining the mixture.
A bit more time and then I’ll process it and finally put it to the test! 
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Herbal Bug Spray Update 2 :
Drained the herbal matter and stored the extract 
I need to get a good tinted spray bottle (thought I had one… left it in Poland 
) and then I’ll be ready to put it to use!
The original smell is… difficult to describe. I think it smells “lemon-y”. My partner said it smells like “meat and herbs”. My sister made a gross face when she smelled it.
So I put in 15 drops of an essential oil blend and luckily that did the trick- it smells significantly better now 
It’s very citrusy now and ready to be put to the test- as soon as I get my hands on a spray bottle!
Blessed be! 
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Meat and herbs? Yeah, glad you had that essential oil handy. Sounds like it’s going to work great though!
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Just a note on the citrus oils…They make you sensitive to the sun, but you probably already knew that! I’m sure it won’t be a problem since mosquitoes come out mostly in the evening 
I’m very excited to find out how great this is going to work!
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Super excited to the end results
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Hahaha same here! 
My partner is still learning English, so sometimes I get some very… creative answers to questions lol, but I agree- it was definitely a more neutral smell than a clearly good smell.
It seems that essential oils are either a better base or at the very least a necessary addition to any blends made with raw herbal materials (at least from what I’ve found so far!)
Thank you for adding this in, Sarall! 
I learned the hard way that my skin can’t handle too much citrus on it- I’ve had to signficatnly cut back on citrus in baths (a shame- the Citrus Attraction Bath was one of my favorites 
), and you’re right that, in addition to usual sensitivities, citrus on skin can be a nightmare out in the sun 
I’m hoping that the amount of citrus in this recipe won’t have any negative effect on sensitive skin! 
Hahaha same here!
Having not been able to find a decent spray bottle here, we went to Walmart this weekend to try to find some nice glass spray bottles and couldn’t find any 
So I ordered some online- they should be here in about a week! If I had known I would have to wait, I would have soaked the raw materials for longer Oh well, it’s a learning experience!
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I love the smell of citrus 
too, and was also disappointed about the sun sensitivity. I like the Citrus Attraction Bath as well. I took it once and I thought there were too many oranges but WOW it smelled great! I ended up with a little skin sensitivity after the bath and haven’t used it again. I think I could use less orange slices or whole oranges to adjust the amount. I think this bath is best used in the winter months when the sun is further away from us
We must need more glass stores because I have to order my glass bottles too! 
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Ohhh my gods this is so freakin’ true! The mosquitos here in Florida are just…a different breed
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I feel like it applies to all of us on the Gulf Coast! They just have survived the meteor that killed the dinosaurs. 
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Exactly. It’ll be ok. Next time
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@Sarafeena_Sage Cheers to that! I feel your pain with the orange bath- it’s a shame to have citrus-sensitive skin But that’s a very good idea to consider altering it a bit, or perhaps finding a substitute… hmm Perhaps this calls for some experimenting this winter!
And yes! Goodness, I figured it would be so easy to find just simple bottles- but alas! It seems it’s one more thing that can only be got online!
@Amaris_Bane I am terrified of the bugs you all have down South
@Mistress_Of_Herbs Thank you, Christeena! That’s an experiment- a work in progress until it works!
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Haha, they all aren’t that bad! Now Australia?? I used to want to go there until I started watching nature shows and realized everything there is designed to kill! Nope, I’ll stay here with my giant mosquitos and fire ants. I at least stand a chance against them!!
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@Amaris_Bane u aint lyin!!! Im right there with ya girl. Ill take our southern critters any day. (Like how i had to throw in the southern twang too lol)
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I immediately read this in our dialect!!
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success!!!
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Oh geez that’s gotta be it!
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There are some really beautiful things about Australia, but when it comes to deadly wildlife you are so right- I don’t think anywhere else can compete! So although I’m still terrified of southern bugs, Australian bugs have me petrified
I’ll stay right up here in the north with my little bug spray to shoo off the normal bugs
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The glass spray bottles arrived and the bug spray is all bottled up!
I decided not to dilute it with water- it’s just the herbal-infused witch hazel enhanced with the essential oil I had added before. The smell is strong but not overpowering, and it hasn’t gotten any “weird smell” comments since the essential oil was added (lol). I’ve actually had three people say it smelled pretty good! 
It seems to be working so far, but that’s just on weak Massachusetts mosquitos- I have no idea if it would hold up against the beastly beasts down south
Results from this recipe- I’m happy with it and it’s working! That being said, the next batch will be minus the mint since it didn’t seem to do much. I’ll put more citronella in the next batch as that does seem to be the strongest bug-resistant plant
Anyways, thanks for joining me on the experiment! If anyone decides to give this/a smiliar recipe a try, I’d love to hear about it
Blessed be!
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