Why I Stopped Using Chemical Bug Sprays & Created My Own Natural Mosquito Repellent

My journey into natural skincare started with a shocking incident involving OFF! mosquito spray. My kids had pitched a tent in our backyard and sprayed around it with OFF! to keep mosquitoes away. A few days later, I noticed a yellow rectangle outline on the grass—where the tent had been. The OFF! spray had permanently killed the grass. I was horrified—if this spray was that toxic to grass, what was it doing to my children’s skin and lungs?

Determined to find a safer alternative, I began researching natural mosquito repellents. My curiosity turned into an obsession as I uncovered the toxic chemicals hidden in everyday skincare products. Even Health Canada had warnings about DEET, yet it remained widely used.

The Battle Against Natural Mosquito Repellents

Years later, I created an effective, natural mosquito spray, free from DEET and synthetic chemicals. It worked for most kids and adults—without the toxic side effects of commercial sprays.

However, the government soon cracked down on natural mosquito sprays after a flawed study claimed that methyleugenol (a small component of citronella) MAY cause cancer. No studies proved citronella was harmful, and ironically, some of its components have anti-cancer properties.

Then came the West Nile Virus scare, which lobbyists used to pressure the government into banning natural mosquito sprays. The Canadian government:
✔️ Banned citronella-based mosquito repellents
✔️ Reclassified mosquito sprays as pesticides, making it difficult for natural brands to comply
✔️ Raided stores and pharmacies, seizing natural products and issuing fines

As a result, almost all natural mosquito repellents disappeared overnight. Large corporations with deep pockets continued selling DEET-based sprays, while small businesses were shut down.

At Cloud 9 Naturally, we were lucky—we only lost a few thousand dollars. But we know business owners who lost over $100,000 and their entire livelihoods.

Want a Natural Mosquito Spray?

Although we can’t legally sell it, we CAN share our DIY natural mosquito spray recipe! What you do with it? That’s up to you.

Mosquito Repellant Spray #1 - Water/spray based (EASIEST)