Mosquitoes can be very irritating and they are dangerous too. For someone with eczema, a mosquito bite can be a very painful experience due to itchiness and scratching. There are a lot of repellents in the market, but many of them contains DEET. Eventhough DEET works great at keeping mosquitoes at bay, the active ingredient (N,N-diethly-meta-toluamide) can be absorb into the skin can cause reactions. People with eczema should be careful not to use bug sprays which consist of DEET. Try these natural bug repellents instead.

But first there are a few things you can do to keep the mosquitoes at bay:

1) Remove standing water sources. This is prime mosquito breeding ground.

2)Turn on a fan. A nice breeze will deter them and keep you cool.

3) Plan your activity accordingly. Mosquitos are most active in the early morning and early evening, so if you can, plan around these times or take extra precautions if you know you’ll be out and about.

4) Wear long sleeves. When you cover up there’s less exposed skin for the little blood suckers to feast on.

Here are some ideas if you want to make your own natural mosquitoes repellent:

1) You can mix 4oz of water and 10 drops of essential oils such as cedarwood, eucalyptus, lavender, thyme, thai lemongrass, rosemary or catnip. Lemongrass and catnip are especially effective.

2) Neem Oil - 4 oz., (Banyan)is said to be a very effective natural mosquito repellent. Mix with a little coconut oil for applying on the skin.

Alternatively, try Burt’s Bees Herbal Insect Repellent. Natural and works very well.