QUICK SUMMARY
This DIY natural tick repellent comes in two simple recipes: a body spray of clove, orange, vetiver and ylang ylang (4 drops each in 2 ounces of fractionated coconut oil or neem oil) for exposed skin, and a clothing spray of oregano and spearmint (8 drops each in 2 ounces of high-proof alcohol) for shoes, socks, pant legs and gear.
In a 2025 field trial, volunteers whose socks were treated with eugenol, the main compound in clove oil, blended with nootkatone picked up about 5 ticks, compared with about 40 on untreated socks. Pair your sprays with tick checks, a hot dryer for your clothes, and prompt tick removal.
Recently we shared our DIY Tick Repellent for pets that works for your dogs and for the humans heading outdoors with them. We wanted to expand on that recipe by sharing our DIY Natural Tick Repellent.
Getting outdoors with your family for a hike or camping trip is a wonderful way to bond and enjoy God’s creation. Keeping your family safe from outdoor pests that cause Lyme disease is imperative while avoiding toxins found in over-the-counter products.
Table of Contents
Homemade Tick Repellent Body Spray
Keep this simple body oil on hand to apply on exposed skin whenever tick exposure is high. It’s perfect to keep yourself safe while forest bathing. Hikers, campers, gardeners, and others who enjoy outdoor activities that will take them into the woods should be considered at risk.
Homemade Tick Repellent Spray
Quantity
Ingredients
- 2 ounces fractionated coconut oil OR Neem oil
- 4 drops clove essential oil
- 4 drops orange essential oil
- 4 drops vetiver essential oil
- 4 drops ylang-ylang essential oil
Supplies
Instructions
- Add your essential oil drops directly to your glass spray bottle.
- Fill the bottle the rest of the way with the carrier oil of your choice.
- Shake well.
- Spray periodically on the ankles, arms, and other exposed skin to repel ticks.
Application tips:
- Shake well before each use.
- Apply to exposed arms, legs, ankles, and neck area, avoiding the face.
- Reapply every few hours during extended outdoor activity.
- Reapply after heavy sweating, swimming, or rain exposure.
- Patch test before first use, especially for sensitive skin.
Sixteen drops in 2 ounces works out to about a 1.3% dilution, a gentle everyday strength for adults. The child-friendly version in the recipe notes (1 drop of each oil) comes to about 0.3%, which sits under the 0.5% we use for little ones. For children, apply to clothing first when possible, and avoid spraying oils onto hands that may touch eyes or mouth.
Use sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) in this blend. It is not phototoxic, so the spray is fine on skin that will be in the sun.
Homemade Tick Repellent Clothing Spray
Your clothes are one of the best places for a natural tick repellent, and the research keeps proving it. In a 2025 field trial from Brazil, ten volunteers pulled treated knee-high socks over their coveralls and walked slowly along a forest edge thick with tick nymphs for two hours. Socks treated with eugenol, the main compound in clove oil, blended with nootkatone (a compound from grapefruit) picked up about 5 ticks, while untreated socks picked up about 40. Protection stayed above 85% the whole time (1).
A 2026 study from Acadia University in Canada tested a fabric spray made with lemon eucalyptus oil. On cotton it repelled 100% of adult ticks for up to three days in the lab, and in human trials it kept more than 95% of blacklegged ticks (the ones that carry Lyme disease) off treated clothing for up to a week (2).
The idea of spraying oils on clothes goes back to a 2019 University of Bristol field study, where cotton trousers and blankets treated with 5% oregano or spearmint oil picked up far fewer ticks. In the researchers’ words, the two oils showed “an effective equivalence to 20% DEET” (3).
Mama Z’s clothing spray puts those two oils together in alcohol, so the oils go on your clothes and gear instead of your skin.
Homemade Tick Repellent Clothing Spray
Quantity
Ingredients
- 190 proof grain alcohol (OR the highest proof alcohol you can get)*
- 8 drops oregano essential oil
- 8 drops spearmint essential oil
Supplies
Instructions
- Add your essential oil drops directly to your glass spray bottle.
- Fill the remaining 2-ounce spray bottle with alcohol.
- Shake well.
- Spray periodically to clothes to repel ticks.
Best places to spray:
- Boots and shoes
- Socks
- Pant cuffs and lower legs
- Shirt sleeves
- Hat brims
- Backpacks
- Camping chairs
- Picnic blankets
- Garden gloves
Let clothing and gear dry before wearing or using. Avoid spraying delicate fabrics without testing a small area first.
Essential Oils That Repel Ticks
Plants use many of their aromatic compounds to defend themselves from pests, and researchers have put several of those oils to the test against ticks.
- Oregano. Carvacrol, the compound that gives oregano oil its punch, repelled 94.5% of tick nymphs in the lab in the 2025 Brazilian study, better than the 7% DEET it was compared with (82.2%) (1). A 2025 Turkish study found carvacrol worked about as well as 15% DEET against brown dog tick larvae at some strengths and time points (4).
- Spearmint. The other oil in our clothing spray. In a 2024 lab study from Vietnam, spearmint oil killed brown dog tick larvae and disrupted egg-laying in adult females, and it was the most potent of the three oils tested (5).
- Thyme. Thymol, the main compound in thyme oil, repelled 90.2% of tick nymphs in the 2025 Brazilian lab tests (1).
- Clove bud. Clove bud oil leads our body spray. In a 2024 Korean study, researchers applied a 1% clove oil spray to the skin of rabbits, and 90% of adult ticks and 95% of nymphs refused to attach. Clove beat the eucalyptus, lavender and mint oils tested alongside it (6). Eugenol, clove’s main compound, repelled 87.2% of nymphs in the Brazilian lab tests and helped protect the volunteers’ socks in the field (1).
Oregano essential oil is hot and powerful. It is not an oil to use casually on sensitive skin or around very young children, so we keep it in the clothing spray alongside the gentler spearmint oil.
How to Reduce Your Risk of Tick Bites
Essential oils are only one part of tick prevention. The strongest approach is a layered one (7).
Before going outdoors:
- Wear light-colored clothing so ticks are easier to see.
- Tuck pants into socks when walking through tall grass or wooded areas.
- Stay in the center of trails and avoid tall grass, leaf litter, and dense shrubs.
- Apply homemade tick repellent to exposed skin, and spray shoes, socks, pant legs, hats, and gear.
After coming indoors:
- Tumble dry your clothes on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks hiding in them.
- Shower within two hours when you can.
- Do a full-body tick check: under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, in and around the hair, between the legs, and around the waist.
- Check children, pets, coats, and daypacks carefully.
Note About Proper Tick Removal
This homemade tick repellent is for bite prevention, NOT tick removal. If a tick is already attached, first properly remove the tick (8) and be sure not to apply essential oils until after it is extracted. Otherwise, the tick may get aggravated and regurgitate toxins into your body.
Use fine-tipped tweezers and grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Pull upward with steady, even pressure, without twisting or jerking, then clean the bite and your hands with soap and water or rubbing alcohol. Never use petroleum jelly, heat, nail polish, or essential oils to make a tick let go.
See your doctor if you develop a rash or fever in the weeks after a tick bite, and tell them when and where the bite happened.
How to Use Homemade Tick Spray Safely
Essential oils are natural, but they are also potent. A little wisdom goes a long way.
- Do not apply essential oils to an attached tick.
- Do not spray near eyes, mouth, or mucous membranes.
- Keep the oregano clothing spray off bare skin; it is made for fabric.
- Never use undiluted oils on skin. Our guide on how to dilute essential oils has the full chart by age.
- Stop using immediately if irritation occurs.
- Store sprays away from heat, sunlight, and children.
For pets, do not assume a people-safe recipe is pet-safe. Dogs, cats, and other animals metabolize essential oils differently, and cats are especially sensitive. Use our dedicated DIY Tick Repellent for Dogs (linked above) instead of applying this recipe to your pet.
Natural Tick Repellent FAQs
Do essential oils really repel ticks?
Yes. In a 2025 field trial, socks treated with a blend that included clove’s main compound cut tick pickup by more than 85%, and in lab tests the main compounds in oregano, thyme and clove repelled 87% to 95% of tick nymphs.
Can I spray essential oils directly on clothes?
Yes. Clothing is one of the best places to use natural tick repellent. Ticks often crawl from shoes, socks, and pant legs before reaching the body. Spray clothing and gear, then allow everything to dry before wearing.
How often should I reapply homemade tick repellent?
Reapply every few hours during extended outdoor activity. Reapply sooner after swimming, heavy sweating, rain exposure, or if the scent has faded significantly.
Does natural tick repellent prevent Lyme disease?
It helps keep ticks off you, and a tick that never bites cannot pass on Lyme disease. Keep doing tick checks and remove any attached tick promptly.
Can I use this tick spray while pregnant?
None of the oils in these two sprays is on the list of essential oils to avoid during pregnancy that we follow (adapted from the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy). The clothing spray is the gentlest choice, because the oils stay on your clothes.
Final Thoughts
Don’t feel like you have to choose between being safe and enjoying the great outdoors. You can have sun and safety from disease-bearing pests with the power of essential oils in your pocket!
Use your homemade tick repellent, dress wisely, and always check for ticks when you come inside. This is simple stewardship: caring for the body, protecting the family, and enjoying the abundant life with wisdom. For more on caring for your body God’s way, visit us at BibleHealth.com.
Keep reading: Homemade Bug Repellent Spray with Essential Oils · Essential Oils for Bug Bites: Soothing Itch Relief Roll-On · Essential Oils for Kids & Adults with Sensitive Skin
References
- Barrozo MM, Santos EF, Chagas HDF, et al. Repellent activity of the botanical compounds thymol, carvacrol, nootkatone, and eugenol against Amblyomma sculptum nymphs. Pathogens. 2025. Source.
- Anholeto LA, Jarvis CM, Delahunt J, Faraone N. Repellent efficacy of a novel essential oil-based fabric spray formulation against Ixodes scapularis and Dermacentor variabilis ticks in laboratory conditions and human trials. Journal of Medical Entomology. 2026. Source.
- Soutar O, Cohen F, Wall R. Essential oils as tick repellents on clothing. Experimental and Applied Acarology. 2019. Source.
- Koc S, Cengiz A, Polat B, et al. Evaluating the repellent effects of major essential oil components (Lamiaceae) on brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato using the larval repellent activity test. Veterinary Parasitology. 2025. Source.
- Vui NV, Linh NT, Quyen NTK, Nang K, Viet HV. The utility of Ocimum basilicum, Perilla frutescens, and Mentha spicata essential oils to control larvae and engorged female Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks on dogs. Journal of Veterinary Medical Science. 2024. Source.
- Islam MS, Haque MS, You MJ. Comparative analysis of essential oil efficacy against the Asian longhorned tick Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae). Parasites, Hosts and Diseases. 2024. Source.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing tick bites. CDC. 2024. Source.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What to do after a tick bite. CDC. 2026. Source.
