COKATO, MINNESOTA — Avni Irwin is terming her home blend of essential oils a smashing success after she returned from her latest hike. She created the mix of peppermint, cinnamon, basil, and lavender to keep the summer insects at bay, and she reports that this is her best mix yet.
“I only got 17 bites while I was outside!” Ms. Irwin said with obvious glee. “I went out for a sunset hike along the creek, which usually means I’m more insect bite than skin. With this new blend, I only had a fraction of what I usually get!”
In addition to the annoyance factor of insect bites, there are serious health risks from insect-borne illnesses such as malaria, West Nile virus, and the recent headline grabbing Zika virus. Ms. Irwin seeks to avoid those dangers while being committed to lessening risks from harsh chemicals such as the common insect repellent DEET.
“I have this one friend I knew in eighth grade who keeps talking about how many uses there are for essential oils. I thought I’d give it a try, so I got the starter kit and found a recipe for an insect repellent. I’ve been tweaking those over the past few weeks, and now I think I’ve found a winner,” gushes Ms. Irwin.
The Hiking Times 