doTerra TerraShield Review: Natural Bug Repellent
doTerra TerraShield Review
It seems like every time I go outside I spend half the time swatting at bugs. In particular, I’m concerned about biting insects like mosquitoes. With viruses like the Zika hitting the news, I want to keep these blood-sucking insects as far away from my family as possible. However, I also want to avoid using chemically based bug repellents when possible. Here is my family’s experience with a Natural Bug Repellent from doTerra called Terrashield.
It’s that time of year. Warm humid summer nights, sunsets after 8 and the ritual swatting of mosquitoes while I walk through our garden looking for ripe tomatoes. They’re everywhere! I don’t want these little vamperous creatures making a meal out of me, or worse yet…my kids! When I’m washing their little heads of hair at night I think ‘please don’t find a tick please don’t find a tick’ because insects can carry some nasty diseases. Here is some information and some affiliate links to find this product.
So how do I keep my family bug free?
I have a bottle of ‘bug repellant.’ Off deep woods with DEET to be exact. I stare at it, I know it works…but at what cost? I’ve read about the harmful effects of DEET and even the National Institutes of Health (a government agency) has written about it’s potential for harm. So where does that leave me? I have to decide which is the lesser evil; potential side effects from DEET or going bug repellant free and potentially catching West Nile Virus or Limes Disease.
The day I found a tick on my son’s head.
My son was playing outside earlier that day. He was sitting on the couch, 3 years old, and rubbed his head. “Mom, I think I have a pimple on my head.” I came over to look and saw the rear-end of a tick wiggling on his scalp! I ran and grabbed the dog’s tick-nippers and quickly removed the tick. I made sure I had the head and dialed the pediatrician. Why the pediatrician? My husband had a positive Lyme disease titer in his bloodwork the year before and I knew the germ was local to our ticks. Not only did he have the tick, but a children’s regimen, per our pediatrician, was to take amoxicillin for 3 weeks!
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What about natural alternatives?
I have a make-up baggie full of essential oils. I love the way they smell, and I even have a blending bottle to try mixing combinations. Every so often I mix one that smells amazing, but most of the time I think….wow, this really stinks! I was so happy to find that doTerra makes a ready-to go blend to keep insects away. The TerraShield outdoor blend contains therapeutic grade (means it’s processed appropriately) oils that have been found to repel insects!
So how do you use a natural bug repellent?
The DoTerra TerraShield recommends applying 2-3 drops that lasts for up to 6 hours! Good news is that it’s safe for everyone, and if you’re unsure you can always apply the product to clothing, shoes or even the stroller or babycarrier. We took the DoTerra TerraShield with us to a local amusement park well known for being in a wooded area. I am proud to report that we left bug bite free and I didn’t need to swat any flying insects from around my family. DoTerra Reps report that some people may need a few more drops, and some less depending on your personal ability to attract bugs.
How I use DoTerra Terrashield
Most of the time, I put this on myself straight from the bottle and that’s an okay way to use it. For my kids, I use DoTerra essential oils is by placing the oil, or oil blend into a carrier. A carrier may be anything from a massage oil, unscented lotion or directly into water or other oils to create blends and sprays. Here I have created a TerraShield bug repellant lotion:
Home Made Bug Repellent Lotion
Unscented baby safe lotion.
Stir well, replace cap and apply avoiding eyes and other sensitive areas.
Mix batches as needed for personalized bug control, and customize with more or less oil.
What age is TerraShield recommended for?
Specifically, can TerraShield be used on kids? After searching on the company’s website and coming up short, I called the 1-800 number and spoke with DoTerra International. First, the representative put me on a long hold, while she went to look for information. “Due to the small amount of lemon-eucalyptus in the oil” they don’t anticipate any issues with children, but they do recommend “using less.” The rep also said that it should be cut topically with something like liquid coconut oil, 1-2 drops, or used in some sort of carrier like lotion. The rep did say to test it out on a small area, perhaps on the wrist first to ensure that no reaction will occur such as the wrist.
There is no straight age recommendation for the product and I imagine that it’s for liability. However, like the new spray the wording states “safe for all family members” and like anything, I would skin test and use caution if you’re not sure how someone will react. I mean, our day to day products are loaded with chemicals…I’ll take essential oils over chemicals any day!
Thank you very informative.
Thank you so much for your review 🙂 It’s very helpful! I want to stay well away from DEET!
QUESTION….Can this be used on a baby about 6 months old by the time the hot, sticky, humid days of summer arrive? How about a 2 yr old?
Hi! I called doTerra international and they said that for small children it should be used in smaller amounts and cut with a carrier oil or lotion. While they didn’t give a specific age range, they did recommend testing the oil + carrier lotion out on a small area such as the wrist first. I personally use this and prefer it to the chemical alternatives. I often place it on clothing, like a shoe and on the stroller too so it doesn’t necessarily have to be directly on baby’s skin.
Love the spraying on the clothing & stroller idea as oppose to the putting it their skin. They are still babies. Thanks for info.
I just was just recently sent over a news report of a woman who even uses it, diluted, on her dogs. I know that cats are super finicky with certain/most oils, but I thought that was interesting. Thank you for posting your experiences with this EO.
Do you know if this is safe to use while breastfeeding?
I hope so because I’ve been using it while breastfeeding 🙂 I don’t place it anywhere where it will come into contact with my baby or his mouth, like on my chest or arm where he’s resting. I like to use this on clothing, in the lotion on my legs and back and I drop it on the baby carrier and stroller too. My older kids use the lotion mix I have above.
How do I mix it to use as a spray?
doTerra just came out with a spray! Their customer service said it’s basically the concentrate mixed with fractioned coconut oil to make it thinner and more appropriate for spraying. I added it above. There are other ways people spray essential oils. One is just mixed with plain water in a dark spray bottle, often recommended on the doTerra website, but make sure to give it a swirl first because the oils float on water. The water quality is important, usually distilled instead of tap which can spoil or contain chemicals like chlorine. Others use witch hazel or grain alcohol with… Read more »
Is this safe during pregnancy? I have some on it’s way
Hello! Will this work if you make it into a roller bottle topped w/ FCO? Thinking 5 drops for a 10ml bottle for kids? Thoughts? Thanks!
I believe it would! They sell the roller with FCO and this concentrate diluted 🙂
Hi! I am new to doTerra oils (and oils in general), but I really like this idea as opposed to DEET for my 3 kids!! Just wondering – how much baby safe lotion did you mix in with the 12 drops of TerraShield in order to make an effective repellant that was child-safe? Or what would be the ratio of water/witch hazel to oil? Thank you!
I try to judge it by portion. If my child is getting 2 or 3 drops and I figure how much I’ll probably use for each application I figure it that way. Like if I’m using 1 teaspoon of lotion per child and 2-3 drops then I’d divide it up that way. It really depends on how far I’m spreading it too. If their skin is dry and I’m doing a bigger area I use more lotion to less oil. I did patch test them first and luckily they tolerate oils well. I primarily place it on their shoes, shorts… Read more »
The water mixes have mostly water and then a few drops of oil. Without the emulsifier, the oil will typically float on top. Just a few drops of the emulsifier help a lot for mixes.
I bought the already mixed Terra shield. Do you spray the Terra shield on the body or clothes? All over face legs and arms? Thanks.
Hi! I put the concentrate on shoes and pant legs, often on pulse points too. Ticks like to crawl onto feet and legs from the grass so I like to focus there and on pulse points and shirt, hats etc. for mosquitoes.