Psoriasis DIY: Bug Repellent

Psoriasis by its nature is an itchy business. Adding mosquitoes to the mix can be a pretty lethal combination. Mosquito bites historically have been known to trigger a flare for me.

Keep those mosquitoes at bay!

Keeping mosquitoes at bay at night is a task unto itself. If I am going to manage to keep a flare at bay and keep some of my sanity intact, having an effective bug repellent is vital. Naturally, having psoriasis also means that I cannot use half of the products on the market. So I've found my own ways to combat the flying bloodsucker.

Find the best place to apply

So half the trick to fighting this fight is application. With not being able to apply the creams all over my skin, finding key spots has worked a trick. Ankles and wrists I have found are the most effective and under my feet.

For some reason, the mosquitoes love my toes and the bottom of my feet. I cover this area carefully. I apply just before I go to bed and I keep the bottle on hand should I need to reapply at night.

The benefit of a diffusers

Please note that you should be very careful when handling diffusers and essential oils. They should be stored in a dark cool place away from pets and children. Also, keep them away from your eyes. I am not even kidding, it will burn and this is from direct experience. Please handle them with care.

I do not have chest issues, I am able to use burners also known as diffusers with relative ease. Importantly, they work rather well too. I use aromatherapy burners and use citronella oil in them. You can also use peppermint, lemongrass, and eucalyptus. Not everyone likes the smell, I have come to really enjoy them over the year and find them soothing and refreshing.

A moisturizer mix

I take my normal moisturizer - which is the child’s form for sensitive skin. I sacrifice and mix one bottle as a mosquito repellent.

Each bottle is 500 ml. I add 6 drops lemongrass essential oil and 6 drops of citronella oil. Ensuring that I use pure and organic oils, this ensures that there is nothing mixed in that will aggravate my skin. I mix this well and store it in a pump-action bottle.

To be sure your skin does not react, do a patch test beforehand. Do not apply to raw and open skin, it will burn.

Vicks VapoRub

There is a funny meme I saw some time ago about when your life is going wrong, you should just dip it in a pot of Vicks. Being South African, this is something that really rings true for me. Vicks is widely used here for all sorts of ailments. It is always on hand and ready for a cough, sniff, or mosquito bite.

Believe it or not, I have found it to be a rather good mosquito repellent. I rub it on the bottom of my feet and it cools them down and keeps the mosquitoes at bay too. I do not have psoriasis on my feet so I do believe that it helps as the skin on my feet is pretty tough.