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Home » Herbalism » Herbal Bath and Skincare Recipes » Salves and Creams » DIY Herbal No Bug Balm (with Lemon Balm)

DIY Herbal No Bug Balm (with Lemon Balm)

May contain affiliate links or sponsored content. Please see my privacy policy and affiliate disclosure.

Originally published on June 21, 2017. Last updated on March 15, 2022

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Herbal infused oil in a glass jar, and a tin of diy no bug balm on a wood table.

Summer is the time for bugs, and not always the good kind! There’s nothing worse than going on a relaxing camping trip near a beautiful river or lake, only to get eaten alive by mosquitoes the whole time. The only problem with commercial bug spray is that there is often toxic chemicals in them that many of us don’t want to put on our skin. But, thankfully, there is a natural alternative, as there are many plants, herbs, and flowers that repel unwanted bugs! I have come up with this herbal no bug balm recipe to share with you.

Three tins of diy herbal no bug balm on a wood table.

Bug Repelling Herbs and Flowers

There are many plants that naturally repel bugs, some you probably already have out in your garden!

Here are a few that are particularly good at repelling mosquitoes:

  • Lemon Balm
  • Citronella
  • Peppermint
  • Lavender
  • Lemongrass
  • Catnip
  • Basil
  • Lemon Thyme
  • Lemon Verbena

a handful of fresh lemon balm

No Bug Herbal Infused Oil

The first step in making this herbal no bug balm is to make an infused oil with any combination of the herbs above. I used lemon balm, lemongrass, lavender, peppermint, and catnip.

If you need to purchase them, Mountain Rose Herbs is my favorite place for organic, high quality dried herbs.

It’s best to use completely dried herbs when making your infused oil so that it doesn’t go rancid. Simply fill a pint or quart sized jar â…“ to ½ full with dried herbs, then fill it with a carrier oil of your choice.

I like to use a blend of equal parts olive, coconut, and sweet almond oils. Cover the jar with a lid and place in a cool and dark place for about two weeks, then strain out the herbal material when ready to use.

a jar of lemon balm infused oil

How to Make Herbal No Bug Balm

When you’re ready to make the balm, strain out the herbs from the oil.

Then create a makeshift double boiler by putting a small bowl or a glass Pyrex measuring cup over a pot with about an inch of simmering water.

Put the infused herbal oil and beeswax into the small bowl or Pyrex, and heat until the beeswax completely dissolves into the oil, stirring occasionally.

melting beeswax in oil

Add the shea butter (if using) and stir until it completely dissolves, then stir in the essential oils.

Carefully pour the mixture into small jars or tins and let sit until the balm sets up completely.

How to Use Herbal No Bug Balm

This herbal no bug balm does have a bit higher concentration of essential oils than I usually use in my herbal salves, but they are necessary to help keep the buggies away!

Before using it on children, or for those of you with sensitive skin, I recommend doing a small patch test on the back of the hand before use.

finished herbal no bug balm with lemon balm and lavender

A thin layer is all you need to help keep bugs at bay. As with many natural no bug products, you may need to reapply more often than you would a chemical product.

herbal no bug balm in a tin

I hope you make this herbal no bug balm so that you can keep those annoying mosquitoes away naturally! It’s pretty awesome what herbs and flowers can do for us, isn’t it?


My Favorite Herbal Salves

Nourish and restore your skin with these other homemade salve recipes!

  • Comfrey Salve
  • Calendula Salve
  • Dandelion Salve
  • CBD Salve
  • Herbal Diaper Rash Salve

 

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4.62 from 13 votes

Herbal No Bug Balm

Learn how to make this DIY homemade herbal no bug balm to keep unwanted bugs away! Made with pest repelling lemon balm.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Active Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Yield 12 ounces
Cost $13.25
Author Colleen @ Grow Forage Cook Ferment

Equipment

  • Pint Mason Jar
  • Small Glass Measuring Cup
  • Small Saucepan
  • Tins

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

No Bug Herbal Infused Oil

  • dried lemon balm
  • dried lemongrass
  • dried lavender
  • dried peppermint
  • dried catnip
  • carrier oil of choice I use equal parts olive, coconut, and sweet almond oils

No Bug Balm

  • 1 cup infused herbal oil see above
  • 1 ounce beeswax
  • 1 ounce shea butter optional
  • 36 drops citronella essential oil
  • 18 drops lemongrass essential oil
  • 18 drops lavender essential oil
  • 12 drops peppermint essential oil

Instructions

No Bug Herbal Infused Oil

  • Fill a pint or quart sized jar â…“ to ½ full with dried herbs, then fill it with a carrier oil of your choice. 
  • Cover the jar with a lid and place in a cool and dark place for about two weeks, then strain out the herbal material when ready to use.

No Bug Balm

  • Create a makeshift double boiler by putting a small bowl or a glass Pyrex measuring cup over a pot with about an inch of simmering water.
  • Put the infused herbal oil and beeswax into the small bowl or Pyrex, and heat until the beeswax completely dissolves into the oil, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the shea butter (if using) and stir until it completely dissolves.
  • Stir in the essential oils.
  • Carefully pour the mixture into small jars or tins and let sit until the balm sets up completely.

Notes

Because of the large amount of essential oils in this no bug balm, please do a patch test before use.
Before making this herbal no bug balm recipe, you will first need to make an infused oil (see instructions above).  You will also need tins or jars to keep the finished balms in.  This recipe makes approximately 12 ounces total, or six 2 ounce tins.
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Barbara says

    August 9, 2021 at 6:42 pm

    Do you need to use all of the dried herbs that you mentioned or can you just one for your no bug balm ,also can you make your own rosehip seed oil using dried rosehip from mountainroseherbs. Thanks for your great recipes

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      August 11, 2021 at 8:52 am

      Hi Barbara. Yes, you can omit some of the herbs in the no bug balm, however, it may not be as strong a deterrent as if you were to use all of them together. Rosehip seed oil is made by pressing the fruit and seeds, which can be difficult to DIY at home without an oil press machine. If you have one or are thinking of investing in one, then yes, you can make your own rosehip seed oil.

      Reply
  2. Dawn says

    June 19, 2021 at 7:21 pm

    If I add more bees wax can this become a lotion bar?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      June 21, 2021 at 9:17 am

      Yes, that will work! I would probably add an additional 2 ounces.

      Reply
  3. Jessica Lehr says

    May 21, 2020 at 10:33 pm

    Do i need the essential oils to repell mosquitos. Or will the oil that i made early on in the recipe with my dried herbs do the trick? Are the Essential oils just for aroma or for the mosquitos

    Reply
  4. Heather says

    April 26, 2020 at 8:28 am

    How much of each dried herb to you use to make the infused oil?

    Reply
  5. Dave says

    May 26, 2018 at 4:32 pm

    I have a silly question. Do you have to apply the salve to all exposed skin. I’ve heard of some ‘concoctions’ that only require a small amount to be apply to one area (as though it would transfer into the blood – like what is applied to pets, maybe).

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Jennifer Witt says

      May 5, 2019 at 1:14 pm

      I have been looking all over the I internet for that answer.

      Reply
  6. gail brewer says

    July 30, 2017 at 1:40 pm

    5 stars
    what can I use instead of shea butter could I use coconut oil instead.

    Reply
  7. Georgeanna says

    June 24, 2017 at 5:13 am

    5 stars
    This sounds great! If I’m going to add some zinc oxide to this recipe to give some SPF as well.

    Reply
  8. Ben Pierce says

    June 22, 2017 at 5:24 pm

    Where do you purchase your tins at?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      June 24, 2017 at 9:48 am

      Mountain Rose Herbs! https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/catalog/containers/tins

      Reply

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