Ticks get a bad rap: their bites are uncomfortable and can transmit dangerous diseases. Therefore, you should keep the bloodthirsty arachnids away from your skin – for example with coconut oil, nature’s miracle weapon.
When the temperatures drop below seven degrees, ticks fall into a kind of winter rigor and thus survive the frosty months without any problems. While most of the arachnids were spotted in the warmer federal states a few years ago, they have now spread across Germany. They live in forests and meadows – that is, wherever it is humid enough. They stay there until a person or (domestic) animal passes by and they can bite into the skin with their jaw tools. Only when they have soaked themselves with blood do they let go of their host again. In doing so, they can transmit pathogens that cause life-threatening infections such as Lyme disease. The right protection against ticks is all the more important: There are a multitude of chemical ones here , but also natural personal repellants like coconut oil.
Study proves it: That’s why coconut oil repels ticks
In a laboratory at the Free University of Berlin, some employees made the astonishing observation that lauric acid has a deterrent effect on ticks. A ten percent lauric acid solution was used in their experiment – for comparison: butter, for example, only contains two to five percent lauric acid. The mere fact that between 81 and 100 percent of all ticks drained from the tested surface in the experiment provided a clear result: ticks do not like lauric acid. And owns it more than enough.
Untreated can contain up to 60 percent lauric acid. This makes it an effective protection agent against ticks – even without chemical ingredients such as Icaridin and DEET, which are contained in many insect sprays. Unfortunately, these active ingredients can also cause allergies and skin irritation, so coconut oil might be more suitable for people with sensitive skin. Apart from the fact that you don’t have to dig deeper into your pockets for the natural product when you calculate the ratio of price to quantity.
Does coconut oil also help against ticks in pets?
Coconut oil is extracted from the dried pulp of the coconut, or copra for short. Due to its high fat content, which is roughly between 60 and 70 percent, coconut oil contains a correspondingly large amount of lauric acid – i.e. saturated fatty and carboxylic acids. In industrial production, the copra is heated and pressed, then refined or also bleached and deodorized (i.e. the inherent smell is masked). For this reason, you should always rely on natural coconut oil that has been cold-pressed and processed without chemical additives. Make up your mind on one , this (according to the manufacturer) is also suitable for pets. You can use the oil as a natural coat care or food supplement to protect your dog or cat from ticks. The lauric acid it contains is said to have the same effect on arachnids as it does on humans.
How to use coconut oil against ticks correctly
Before you go for a walk through the woods and meadows, you should rub the affected areas of skin with coconut oil. Depending on how large the area is, you will need different amounts. In any case, it is important that the skin is sufficiently moistened – then the effect lasts for up to six hours.
There is more information here.
