Insect Repellent: Citronella Oil

Insect repellents have gained even more popularity recently since the recent out breaks of dengue. The market has recently been flooded with citronella oil insect repellent products. While citronella is an acclaimed insect repellent, not much is known about it by the general users. Taking advantage of this a lot of fake and subpar products have found their way in the market and are being  We have come up with a short manual on citronella oil insect repellent to help you make an informed choice to keep your little ones safe from both mosquitoes and the diseases they spread.

Citronella oil is extracted from different species of citronella oil. Citronella grass in itself does not contain sufficient essential oil to repel mosquitoes so planting your garden with citronella grass is not going to be of much help to keep the little ones safe. That being said, highly concentrated citronella oil does act as an effective insect repellent.

Citronella oil is a versatile oil and can be used in various ways to tackle insects like pesky mosquitoes. Here are some ways in which citronella oil is used in insect repellent.

1. Bands: Lots of companies have come up with bands coated with citronella oil to keep mosquitoes away. The High concentration essential oil is filled in the cavity inside the bands and is slowly diffused in the air through the small holes to keep the wearer safe from mosquitoes.
2. Patches: Mosquito repellent patches work on the same principle as the bands but instead of bands these are stick on's to be used on clothes and other accessories to keep the mosquitoes away. In case of both bands and patches, a high concentration of citronella oil is a must, in absence of which the patches will remain ineffective.
3. Candles: Citronella candles work well when used in closed environments and tend to be useless when used in open grounds with ventilation and strong breeze. A lot of debate is going on about how effective the candles actually are.
4. Diffusers: Citronella oil can be used in diffusers to keep insects at bay. However good quality essential oils need to be used for it to be effective enough.
5. Creams and lotions: Citronella creams and lotions are effective as well. However, they need to be reapplied very often and get washed away in sweat and rain. For small duration of time, these lotions and creams come in very handy.

Citronella oil is usually considered safe for general use and side effects are almost non-existent. However, being an essential oil citronella oil should not be used directly on the skin as it may cause irritation and inflammation due to its high concentration. That being said, citronella is amongst the safest of mosquito repellents available in the market. Its best to read up on the products that you plan on buying and using for the kids.

Source : articlesbase.com