I've been researching insect repellents, and thought I'd share what I've found to help others with young children, and yourself, make the best choices. It took me a while to find all of this information...a few of the toxicity reports were difficult to find (I'm not savvy on the technical chemical terms).
The current insect repellent choices on the market:
- DEET (sold as Off! and many more)
- Picaridin (sold as Avon's Skin So Soft Bug Guard and many more)
Toxicity Category Levels for these products
Category I = very highly or highly toxic
Category II = moderately toxic
Category III = slightly toxic
Category IV = practically non-toxic
1. What are the toxicity levels of each product?
DEET:
- Toxicity Category III for eye, dermal and oral
Picaridin:
- Toxicity Category III for acute oral and acute dermal
- Toxicity Category IV for primary eye and skin irritation
Oil of Eucalyptus:
- Toxicity Category IV for acute oral, dermal and skin irritation
- Toxicity Category I for eye irritation (Toxicity Category II for the end-use product)
2. Which is more effective?
- DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) or picaridin (KBR 3023) provide longer-lasting protection than the other products
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-menthane-3,8-diol) provides longer lasting protection than other plant-based repellents.
3. What exactly is Oil of Eucalyptus?
Chemical name: p-Menthane-3,8-diol occurs naturally in the lemon eucalyptus plant. The natural oil can be extracted from the eucalyptus leaves and twigs. For commercial use, the active ingredient is chemically synthesized. p-Menthane-3,8-diol is structurally similar to menthol.
I went to Whole Foods and a few other health stores, and the workers there didn't know what I was talking about when I mentioned "oil of lemon eucalyptus". A few of them took me to the essential oil aisle, say "oil of lemon" and "oil of eucalyptus", and said maybe combining them is what I meant? The actual answer (from the CDC): "“Pure” oil of lemon eucalyptus (e.g. essential oil) has not received similar, validated testing for safety and efficacy, is not registered with EPA as an insect repellent, and is not covered by this CDC recommendation."
What about the discussion for a product that combines sunscreen and DEET?:
"The Agency (EPA) had deferred its decision on the combination DEET/sunscreen products until it has solicited the views of various governmental agencies and other groups. Sunscreen products are intended for frequent, generous use, and DEET products are intended for
spare, infrequent use."
When to use DEET?
"DEET's most significant benefit is its ability to repel potentially disease-carrying insects and ticks. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) receives more than 20,000 reports of Lyme disease (transmitted by deer ticks) and 100 reports of encephalitis (transmitted by mosquitoes) annually. Both of these diseases can cause serious health problems or even death in the case of encephalitis. Where these diseases are endemic, the CDC recommends use of insect repellents when out-of-doors. Studies submitted to EPA indicate that DEET repels ticks for about three to eight hours, depending on the percentage of DEET in the product."
When to use plant-based pesticide?
I will personally choose to use the oil of lemon eucalyptus (avoiding the eyes...sheesh!) when we are outside for less than 2 hours, and see if that helps keep mosquitos at bay.
More reading:
Updated Information on Insect Repellents, CDC
Insect Repellents, CDC
My sources:
- CDC (Centers for Disease Control)
- EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
- APA (American Pediatric Association)
Please add any information (with a link to its source) that you find regarding insect repellents. Thanks!
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Add a Comment12 Comments
Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus is *not* safe for kids under 3 according to the EPA!!!!
April 1, 2016 - 6:50amThis Comment
Actually, they never stated that it's *not safe*... the reason that they recommend against using it on children under 3 is simply because there hasn't been as much testing of oil of lemon eucalyptus. This is an important distinction. So to summarize: the recommendation was not based on any evidence that OLE is dangerous. However, there most certainly is evidence that DEET is an irritant and neurotoxic in concentrations over 30%.
April 3, 2016 - 7:56pmThis Comment
Hi, Alison! Thanks for your helpful research! Tell me please what do you think about the chemical IR3535? I read about repellent lotion based on it on the other source and i'm confused which type of repellent is better to apply for my child - DEET, picaridin or this IR3535?
http://stoppestinfo.com/75-what-to-expect-from-the-best-mosquito-repellent-html.html
January 20, 2016 - 2:22amThis Comment
Great info! Consumer Reports did a recent report on efficacy of the above mentioned items. Further info http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/05/what-really-works-against-bug-bites/index.htm if anyone is interested.
June 2, 2015 - 4:00pmThis Comment
Hi to everyone,
June 24, 2011 - 12:35pmDon't know if anyone is still reading comments, but I have discovered something over the past two years regarding mosquito repellent. It was suggested to me by a landscaper that awapuhi(shampoo ginger) works well. I am from Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i. This grows well in my yard.(So do mosquitos) This is usually found as an ingredient in designer shampoos. I have used it on myself as well as my baby. My coworker has used it and agrees that it works and added that it also made her skin really smooth and soft. I just squeeze the flower and a slippery water like liquid is exuded. This is what is applied. I find it is the safest and possibly most effective. When looking into other herbals and oils I found that Neem Oil is used in many "organic" repellents. This oil is extracted, very similar to the lemon eucalyptus, but from the neem seed. Neem Oil was found to have developmental/repoductive toxicity as well as oral and eye. Some the Neem plant can be consumed. I read the problem is in the extracted oil. I have not seen any problems with using lemon eucalyptus oil but it is not registered or tested fully by EPA or CDC yet.
This Comment
My friend has a recipe that acts somewhat as a deterrent for mosquitoes (I have an infant, and do not want to put any type of bug spray on him). It will not work as well as the other products, but is another option.
Base: witch hazel (fill spray bottle half-way with this liquid)
October 21, 2010 - 12:05pmAdd: 3-5 drops of citronella pure essential oil
Add: 3-5 drops of peppermint pure essential oil
This Comment
Just an added point - Lyme Disease does kill, too!
October 21, 2010 - 8:36amThis Comment
Great info. Thanks
July 31, 2010 - 2:29pmThis Comment
Thank you, great info!
July 6, 2009 - 5:14pmThis Comment
Hi Alison,
Wow, this is great information! Thank you so much for taking the time to research it and write it up for all of us in a post. And thank you too to Ziggy for the extra information. Everything is helpful when it comes to battling the bugs that love to bite. Great work, everyone! Michelle
June 18, 2009 - 11:01pmThis Comment