Study Finds Lemon Eucalyptus Essential Oil Is Better Mosquito Repellent Than DEET
Over 3 billion people are at risk for malaria, according to the 2014 Malaria report by the World Health Organization. This issue affects more than 97 countries, with the high-risk population involving 1.2 billion people. Members of a high-risk population are those with poor access to healthcare, which makes prevention, diagnosis, and treatment very difficult.
Eucalyptus oil has been long used to treat various conditions, including stuffy nose and joint pain. It is a very popular home remedy due its cooling sensation and soothing smell. Recently, it has been found that lemon eucalyptus oil can be used as an insect repellent as well.
Eucalyptus Oil: The Science
The first study on eucalyptus essential oil and its ability to act as an insect repellent was done in 1996. It was conducted in Bolivia and it has been found that a eucalyptus-based insect repellant protects the skin from Anopheles mosquito bites (females of this genus which transmit malaria) from 6 to 7.75 hours.
According to a 2012 study done on Aedes egypti, the kind of mosquito that is held responsible for dengue fever, essential oils from a variety of eucalyptus plants have fumigant, adulticidal and larvicidal properties.
The major ingredient in most commercial insect repellents is DEET, which stands for diethlytoluamide.
DEET is the standard by which all other repellents are judged and products range in strength from 10% to 100%, even though over 50% concentration should not be used on skin.
In 2002, a study compared the effectiveness of eucalyptus and the one of DEET against Malaria carrying mosquitoes. Eucalyptus scored 96.89% effectiveness and DEET scored 84.81%. A recent 2014 study showed that lemon eucalyptus oil is as effective as DEET, greater than with a 32% solution of Lemon Eucalyptus oil scoring 95% effectiveness, compared to a 40% solution of DEET`S 100%.
According to a 2014 study, the nanoemulsification of eucalyptus oil has larvicidal activity against the Culex genus. Celux mosquitoes cause a mosquito-borne disease called Filariasis, a disease which leads to enlargement of different body parts.
Things that Need to be Done to Protect against Mosquitoes
If you live in the tropics or other areas where mosquito-borne diseases are common, you need to get mosquito nets, repellents, and mosquito traps.
To make a natural insect repellent, you need to mix some organic eucalyptus oil with several drops of scent-free lotion. Apply this repellent onto the skin every six hours to prevent mosquito bites or to soothe any itching from bites that you may have already gotten. Eucalyptus may be harsh on the skin, so make sure you dilute it with some water.
Source: http://www.herbs-info.com/blog/study-finds-lemon-eucalyptus-essential-oil-is-better-mosquito-repellent-than-deet/