Essential Oil Spray for Insect Repelling without Alcohol or Viscous Emulsifiers

Subject: Re: Inquiry about emulsifying essential oils

Thank you for your inquiry regarding creating an essential oil spray for repelling insects on walls, specifically avoiding alcohol and viscous emulsifiers like Flora Solve Plus, while needing a sprayable consistency.

You asked about suitable water-oil emulsifiers and surfactants for a non-viscous spray, and whether encapsulation is necessary for longevity.

Based on your requirements (avoiding alcohol and viscous water-based solutions), our team recommends an alternative approach: creating the spray without water.

Instead of emulsifying oil in water, you can use a light oil base that is sprayable. Fractionated Coconut Oil is suggested as a suitable base. It is lightweight and commonly used in alcohol-free perfumes, and can be sprayed as a mist. This method avoids the need for emulsifiers altogether, thus resolving the issue of separation and potential viscosity.

Regarding your question about surfactants (point 2), while surfactants can emulsify, the recommended approach for your specific needs (non-viscous, sprayable, no alcohol/viscous emulsifiers) is to avoid the water-based system entirely by using an oil base as described above.

Regarding encapsulation (point 3), using encapsulation for this purpose might reduce the effectiveness of the essential oil as a repellent because it slows down the release of the active compounds. For longer-lasting scent and effect, using fixatives like Last Fix or Sugar Fix is recommended instead.

In summary, to achieve a non-separating, sprayable essential oil product for walls without alcohol or viscous water-based emulsifiers, the recommended method is to use a light oil base like Fractionated Coconut Oil and incorporate fixatives for longevity if needed.

Relevant products mentioned:

• Fractionated Coconut Oil
• Flora Solve Clear (mentioned as something to avoid due to viscosity)
• Last Fix
• Sugar Fix