{eco beauty} bug off: 4 natural insect repellents

while cool weather is settling upon some parts of the world, summer is blooming in other parts like australia + new zealand. i'm devising a way to eventually make my way to all the exotic, warm-weather destinations across the globe, in the meantime, this little nomad is over the moon to be heading to the lush + verdant city of portland, oregon {along the pacific coast of the united states}.

and while paris + chicago are cooling down, my best friend who lives in oregon happily reports that the weather is mild + temperate: perfect hiking + mountain climbing weather. as we hit the trails, nature will offer all the beauty + majesty that i so love, but it will also offer something else: mosquitoes, ticks + other biting insects. so what are we going to do about it? read on insect warriors:

we're going to find a natural solution, of course! there are important reasons to eschew conventional products used to repel insects, specifically chemical ingredients known to be harmful to health including deet. deet is a registered pesticide; it is absorbed through the skin and passes into the blood. research shows deet affects the central nervous system, and when combined with other chemicals, can lead to learning + memory dysfunction.

here are four healthy options for all the hiking, biking, beach-going + nature-loving folks who just want to enjoy the sunshine + the great outdoors sans all those toxic chemicals:

1/ meow meow tweet: made with witch hazel, lavender water, apple cider vinegar + lemongrass essential oil

3/ intelligent nutrients: made with cedarwood bark oil, rosemary leaf oil, peppermint oil + geranium flower oil

4/ naked botanicals: made with witch hazel, lemongrass oil, cedarwood oil, citronella oil + lavender oil

5/ butterbean organics: made with neem oil, citranolla oil, lemongrass oil, cedarwood oil + peppermint oil all-natural, small-batch sprays made with ingredients that will protect you from pesky critters, that's the way to enjoy nature! for full ingredient lists, click on links.

until next time, stay green dear hearts!