Four thieves vinegar is a blend of vinegar mixed with herbs, spices, or garlic. It’s believed to have protected people from the Great Plague during the medieval era. Herbal vinegar infusions have been used for various ailments worldwide and have had medicinal purposes since Hippocrates’ time. Traditional four thieves infusions take weeks to prepare by steeping herbs in vinegar. However, this mosquito repellent recipe skips the vinegar, offering a quicker alternative with similar effectiveness against mosquitoes, flies, and other flying insects.
The herbs for the four thieves infusion can vary, but modern recipes often include sage, lavender, thyme, rosemary, cloves, rue, mint, and wormwood. Despite its name, the infusion doesn’t have to be limited to four herbs.
Ingredients:
– 2 tablespoons of each dried herb:
– mint
– sage
– rosemary
– lavender
– thyme
– 3-4 cloves
– 8 oz of boiling water
– 8 oz of Witch Hazel
– A teapot or French Press
– A glass spray bottle
Steep the Herbs:
Add the dried herbs and cloves to a French press or teapot and pour in the boiling water. Make sure the container you use has a lid to keep the steam inside, preserving the volatile oils from the herbs. Let it steep until the mixture cools to room temperature, then strain it. Using a French press can make this step much easier.
Prepare the Spray:
To make the spray, mix equal parts witch hazel and the strained four thieves herbal infusion. If you have an eight-ounce spray bottle, use half of the prepared tea. Pour the tea and witch hazel into the spray bottle, cap it, and give it a gentle shake.
If you’d prefer to use essential oils instead of dried herbs, use about 10-15 drops of each essential oil from the “four thieves” list. You can also use fresh herbs, but you’ll need at least three times the amount compared to dried herbs because dried herbs are more concentrated.
How to Use:
Spray the herbal mosquito repellent generously on your skin before going outside. It effectively repels mosquitoes, flies, gnats, and more. The best part is that it’s safe to use, with no harmful chemicals like DEET, and it smells wonderful!
