Anti-tick Pack by Antonia Jover

Description

Lyme disease is increasingly discussed: a serious infectious disease (also called Lyme borreliosis), caused by bacteria transmitted through the bites of ticks infected with those bacteria.
Ticks live in deciduous woodland, meadows and gardens. They are not usually found in coniferous forests, probably because these trees produce essential oils with antiparasitic properties.
Given the seriousness of this disease and the difficulty of diagnosing it some time after infection, protecting ourselves is extremely important, particularly from early spring until autumn.

A tick bite does not automatically cause infection: this only happens if the tick is infected. If a tick bites or attaches itself to our body, we should go to a healthcare centre to have it removed with tweezers, then watch for a rash around the bite. As my dear pharmacist Marisa García Alonso recommends, we should not try to remove it ourselves if we do not know how, nor put any essential oil on it (or anything else we might think of!). According to Marisa, this could stress the tick and cause it to release infected gastric fluids into our blood.
Once the tick has been removed, you can apply a couple of drops of tea tree or manuka essential oil.

I recently came across several very interesting scientific studies showing that certain essential oils can repel ticks. The study on spearmint (Mentha spicata) particularly caught my attention because it is an essential oil I like very much, and it is inexpensive and easy to use.
So I would like to suggest an aromatic spray to help you enjoy walks in nature without worrying about picking up an unwanted parasite.

The studies found effectiveness from 5% essential oil onwards. This is therefore the percentage I have used in the preparation:

Preparation for Skin Application (100ml)

• 95ml of Fractionated Coconut Oil.
• 3ml of Spearmint Essential Oil (Mentha spicata).
• 2 ml of lemongrass essential oil (Cymbopogon citratus).
• Apply to the skin before your walks.

Preparation for Clothing (100ml)

• 95 ml of alcohol.
• 3ml of Spearmint Essential Oil (Mentha spicata).
• 2 ml of lemongrass essential oil (Cymbopogon citratus).
• Spray onto clothing before your walks.

You can also use them to protect your pet. Put a few drops of the carrier-oil dilution onto your hands and rub through the coat just before going for a walk.

Precautions

Do not use in children or pregnant women. Store in a cool, dry place.