I don’t know why, but there definitely is something about my blood that tastes sweet to mosquitos. So, as you might imagine, I am very enthusiastic about bug repellent.
What I am not so enthusiastic about is the idea of putting chemicals all over my body. Even though I know there are terrible diseases that mosquitos can carry (West Nile, anyone?) I still don’t love the idea of putting synthetic chemicals directly on my skin.
And I’m even more concerned about putting chemicals on our kids to keep them protected. Kids are not just small adults – their neurological systems and hormonal systems are still developing, and their bodies are a lot more vulnerable to chemicals than ours are.
So what’s a mom to do? Here’s a quick rundown on the three most common options, their pros and cons, and ultimately what I choose to do for our kids. You can decide for yourself which one you are most comfortable with for your family.
DEET
Fancy name: N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide
PROS:
Has been used for more than 50 years with relatively few complaints compared to the number of users.
Very few cases of toxicity – and the ones that occurred were often due to eating it (NOT recommended) or basically bathing in it.
Works very well to repel mosquitoes and ticks.
CONS:
Not recommended for babies less than 2 months old.
Can cause a rash/sensitivity in some people.
POSSIBLE (unproven) link to cancer.
We don’t know exactly how it works.
Greasy, smells bad, and can dissolve plastics and some fabrics.
TIPS IF YOU DO CHOOSE DEET-CONTAINING PRODUCTS:
Use the lowest effective concentration for how long you plan to be outside. Max 30% for kids!
Don’t apply to kids hands, or near mouth or eyes.
If you can, try to apply to clothing rather than to bare skin.
Always spray the shoes! Keeps ticks away from the ankles.
Picaridin
This one is my favorite and the one we ultimately ended up deciding on for our whole family. It’s synthetic, but created to mimic the properties of black peppers.
PROS:
Repels mosquitos and ticks just as effectively as DEET (at 20% concentration).
Used in Europe and Australia for 40 years.
Less than 6% of picaridin is absorbed from the skin.
No risk of cancer in animals after applying it DAILY for TWO YEARS.
“mixes” better with sunscreen than DEET (applying both bug spray and sunscreen can make the body absorb more bug spray, not good).
Not greasy and doesn’t degrade plastics, unlike DEET.
Might repel flies too (at least a little).
Picaridin repels mosquitos just as well as DEET, with fewer risks and downsides.
TIPS FOR USE:
Get the 20% concentration, even for little people. This is the concentration that has been tested the most and works the best.
Spray on clothes and avoid eyes/hands if possible.
IR3535
Fancy name: Ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate
This one is harder to find, but if you do find it, it's worth trying. The Environmental Working Group considers it one of the safest insect repellents, and it is still very effective (though not against every single mosquito species).
PROS:
Safe for use in all ages, even babies
Safe during pregnancy
Safe around pets
Nontoxic to the environment
CONS:
Hard to find in stores
Can dissolve plastics
Need to reapply more frequently than some other repellents
Natural Insect Repellents
I saved these for last because, although I love them in theory, most of them have not been demonstrated to work as well as DEET or picaridin.
I can personally vouch for the fact that I still get bites when I wear natural bug repellents, though some people (who may not be as insanely attractive to mosquitoes) may have more success than I do.
Consumer Reports tested a bunch, (including lemongrass, citronella, and soybean oil), and found their performance sub-par.
Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus performed better, but that’s not super helpful for our family because it can’t be used on kids less than 3 years old.
If you have older kids and you want a natural bug spray, you could try one that has oil of lemon eucalyptus if you want an effective insect repellent. Cutter and Repel are two brands that make this type, although I’m sure there are others.
Ok, that’s enough talk about insects for today. I hope this has been helpful and I hope you stay healthy and safe this summer!
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