Plant Therapy Nature Shield Essential Oil Blend

The best Essential Oil Blend for making citronella candles and a safe but yet Extremely effective DIY bug repellent! I'm very satisfied and happy with this product as it's exactly as described. I tested an oil blend i bought at a big box craft store against this one just to see how "pure" it really was and I was shocked at the difference. I paid 8.00 for half the size bottle (from that local big box craft store) I recieved from plant therapy and it claimed the to be also made of 100% Essential Oil blend.No, It was not. I know this because you can test the quality and purity out by simply adding a few drops directly at a lit candle flame ( outside!!!) and if it goes out, then it's not 100% and has other fillers and it's certainly not "pure" EO. I then did the test with this essential oil and the flame sparked and lit up because it's a TRUE EO... 100% will behave like adding lighter fluid to a camp fire... I think you get the picture. So it's a blend that's true to the 100% essential oil claim and very concentrated at that. You only need about 5 drops to make an 12oz bottle of the best bug repellent you can make at home. The bottle says to use on skin, dilute to 5%. So using a binder of Dr. Bronner's organic Castile peppermint (some bugs hate mint) soap, I added 5 drops to an 8oz bottle then added distilled water and a splash of vinegar... Swirled it around and it was perfect! But you can make it the strength of smelly you like and this worked for us. I have auto-Immune illnesses and no immune system that works properly so I can't use anything that contains " deet " and this has catnip EO which has been found to be 10x more effective than deet and 100% less toxic. Plus I hate the smell and the sticky icky feeling of commercial bug sprays. I cannot use them and why would you use a chemical like that when there's catnip oil! So I've already used half the bottle making bug spray for everyone and Citronella candles and use the oil undiluted in an outdoor tea light oil warmer. I hear the oil up with the candles I made from this oil lol so boom, double my oil fun. It keeps the bugs away from us, smells pretty darn good for bug spray/repellent with NO toxicity to me, the kids and dog. Happy customer, I'll be purchasing more! Shipping was longer than the two day prime but it was worth the wait as the quality is what it says it is and it works for me.

I bought this for a trip to Costa Rica because it was all natural and I knew I would be doing a lot of hiking in sensitive eco systems where they advise against the use of DEET. Another benefit in my scenario was that I was traveling by plane with a carry on only and I was trying to bring as little liquid with me as possible due to TSA Regulations. It also packs incredibly light, another absolute bonus in my book! I personally mix the oil in 2.5oz spray bottles as I need to and have found each mix(roughly 15-20 drops) lasts through several days while applying it regularly.As for its ability to repel bugs, I can vouch that it certainly did the trick for me with fairly regular applications every two hours or so as needed in HEAVILY infested areas by bugs(Costa Rica, Guyana, and my home state, Michigan). This item worked so well that I have since recommended it to friends and family and they all have grown to know and love this product as well. I am currently on my second bottle...I would estimate that with fairly regular use, one bottle should last a season or two depending on how much you are outside!

I know the instructions say to dilute this product but honestly, I find it's far more effective when I simply put a few drops in my hand and disperse it through hair and on exposed skin. I have sensitive skin but don't experience any sensitivity to this product, so this method works for me. I still have to reapply about every hour per the instructions, but I live in an area with a lot of wetland and am apparently one of those people who smell extra nice to black flies and mosquitoes. My daughter only has to apply it once and she's good for up to four hours. It's great to be able to work out in the garden again!

As dictated by my wife, the actual user of the product: We live in the South and each summer can be an experience in being 'eaten up' be mosquitoes and 'no-see-ums'. Synergy Essential Oils has dramatically improved that. One of the most noticeable changes using it, is that it isn't 'sticky' and doesn't have that chemical/medicinal smell. It does require, as the instructions state, needing to be mixed with a diluting medium like Witch Hazel for application, but dilution also extends the use of the Essential Oil. It can be applied directly to your skin (and won't stain clothes either) and IT WORKS! Depending on how long you spend outside (i.e. long nights on the deck) it may need to be reapplied and it isnt' a guarantee against getting any bites at all, however, the one or two (literally) bites I have had while using this are nothing compared to what it was like with other, harsher products and it's now actually pleasant to sit outside and enjoy grilling out or a glass of wine!

After reading up on this and several other synergy blends I went with Nature Shield, and I am so, so glad! I followed a fellow customer’s recipe, and used with hazel and the nature shield blend. We keep it in the refrigerator, and it’s wonderful not a very overwhelming scent. Light citrus and citronella smell. Just apply every two hours. We are very pleased!!!!