The ingredients that actually repel bugs

Yes. DEET is the most-studied insect repellent ever made, with six decades of evidence behind it. It confuses the receptors mosquitoes use to find you, and at 25% it delivers roughly 4–5 hours of complete protection. Its real drawbacks are feel, odor, and its appetite for plastics. Safety is not one of them; it is well established at normal use.

Yes. Lemongrass is among the stronger essential-oil repellents, with complete protection around an hour to ninety minutes at well-formulated concentrations. That's the top of the botanical class, and still a fraction of any synthetic.

Against mosquitoes, the evidence is minimal. Against ticks, there's a genuine signal: cedrol, a cedarwood component, measurably repels ticks for short windows. Treat cedarwood products as brief, tick-leaning helpers, not mosquito protection.

Barely, and briefly. Citronella is the most famous botanical repellent and one of the weakest performers in controlled testing, lasting under 20 minutes of complete protection in the landmark NEJM study. It repels mosquitoes; it just stops doing so almost immediately.

Peppermint oil (Mentha piperita) is a menthol-and-menthone oil found in many botanical sprays. It repels mosquitoes at high strength in the lab but only briefly, and it is one of the essential oils most likely to harm cats.

At 20%, picaridin matches or beats DEET in head-to-head field trials: 8–12 hours of complete mosquito protection and 7–8 hours against ticks, all without the odor, greasy feel, or plastic damage. It's why picaridin products top our rankings.

Yes. It's the only plant-derived active with synthetic-class performance. Refined to 30% (standardized for PMD, its active molecule), it delivers 4–6 hours of complete mosquito protection. Two honest caveats: it underperforms against ticks, and it's not for children under 3.

Rosemary oil is a fragrant blend of 1,8-cineole and camphor that products lean on more for scent and label appeal than for proven protection. The controlled evidence that it repels mosquitoes is weak.

Steam-distilled from Pelargonium and rich in geraniol and citronellol, so it behaves much like a diluted geraniol product. Badger and Natrapel build botanical sprays around it at roughly 1%.

Yes, and at the right concentration, better than most botanicals. Luker 2023 arm-in-cage tests found 10% geraniol in a lotion emulsion protected for over 60 minutes against both mosquitoes and ticks. López 2025 showed the dose-response has a steep cliff: below 4% it's nearly useless, but at 5% it reaches the same plateau as 10%. Products with 5%+ geraniol in a lotion base deserve a serious look; products at 1–3% do not.

IR3535 is a synthetic amino-acid derivative that's been Europe's quiet workhorse repellent for over 30 years. At 20% it provides roughly 6–8 hours against both mosquitoes and ticks, with one of the gentlest safety profiles of any synthetic.

Clove oil is mostly eugenol, a phenol that repels insects at high strength in the lab but ships in real products at a fraction of a percent, more for scent than for protection. Its more consequential trait is how toxic it is to pets.

Undisclosed proprietary blend of essential oils used as the repellent-active component; the manufacturer does not publish the specific oils or percentages.

Soybean oil is the rare fixed oil with real repellent data behind it: in a landmark trial a 2% soybean-oil spray outlasted every other non-DEET product tested. It anchors botanical sprays like All Terrain's Herbal Armor.

High in the phenols thymol and carvacrol, thyme oil has a sharper edge against ticks than mosquitoes. It anchors tick-focused botanicals like Badger's Anti-Tick Spray at about 1%.

Metofluthrin is a synthetic pyrethroid used as the active vapor in modern battery- and heat-powered spatial repellent devices such as the Thermacell E-series and EX-series and the OFF! Clip-On. It is not applied to skin. A small amount is warmed so it evaporates and forms a protective zone of vapor that repels and disorients mosquitoes before they land. It is EPA-registered for this use. Field trials show a metofluthrin emanator creates roughly a 15 by 15 foot zone (about a 5 meter radius) of reduced biting. Like all pyrethroids it is highly toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates, so devices should not be used over or beside water.

PMD is the active molecule inside oil of lemon eucalyptus, and the only plant-derived repellent compound with DEET-class evidence. At 30%-OLE-equivalent concentrations it provides 4–6 hours of complete mosquito protection.

Botanical repellent from catnip (Nepeta cataria). Its main active is nepetalactone, a spatial repellent that keeps mosquitoes at a distance rather than killing them. Controlled and field studies report protection that can rival low-concentration DEET for a few hours.

Cinnamon oil is rich in cinnamaldehyde and eugenol, and in one controlled screen it ranked among the strongest essential oils against mosquitoes, though still short-acting. Its phenol content also makes it a real hazard to cats.

EPA Substance Registry Services (SRS) listed active ingredient for pesticide products.

EPA Substance Registry Services (SRS) listed active ingredient for pesticide products.

EPA Substance Registry Services (SRS) listed active ingredient for pesticide products.

Bti is a naturally occurring soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis, used as a biological larvicide in mosquito dunks, bits, briquets, and pond treatments. It is not a personal repellent and is not applied to skin. It is placed into standing water, where mosquito larvae feed on it and die before they can grow into biting adults, which makes it a source-control tool that lowers the next generation of mosquitoes. It is EPA-registered as a biopesticide. Its defining feature is target specificity: it is lethal to the larvae of mosquitoes, black flies, and fungus gnats and is documented as essentially non-toxic to humans, mammals, fish, birds, bees, and other non-target wildlife, which is why the EPA, CDC, and WHO recommend it for standing water that cannot be drained, including water-storage containers.

Lemon eucalyptus oil (Corymbia citriodora) is the plant source of PMD, the active in oil of lemon eucalyptus. Refined and standardized as Citriodiol it performs in DEET's range; the raw, un-standardized oil has far less behind it.

Lavender oil is prized for its scent, and that is mostly what it brings to a repellent. Its linalool gives brief mosquito repellency at best, roughly half an hour to an hour, with no useful tick data.

Meperfluthrin is a volatile synthetic pyrethroid used in mosquito mats, coils, and heated emanators. It vaporizes readily at warm temperatures to create a spatial repellent zone.

The phenol that makes up most of clove oil and much of cinnamon leaf oil. A few botanical products list it on its own, but its repellency and its risks are the clove-oil story at the molecular level.

Juniper berry oil is a pine-scented, alpha-pinene-rich oil that turns up in a few botanical blends. Its repellent evidence is laboratory-only, with no measured skin-protection time in people.

Permethrin is not a skin repellent. It's an insecticide you apply to clothing and gear, where it kills or knocks down ticks and mosquitoes on contact for about six weeks or six washes. Paired with a skin repellent, treated clothing is the most effective tick defense system available to consumers.

EPA Substance Registry Services (SRS) listed active ingredient for pesticide products.

EPA Substance Registry Services (SRS) listed active ingredient for pesticide products.

Common eucalyptus oil (Eucalyptus globulus) is a 1,8-cineole oil, and it should not be confused with lemon eucalyptus oil, the source of the PMD repellent. As a mosquito repellent, plain eucalyptus oil has little evidence and short duration.

2-Undecanone (methyl nonyl ketone) is a biochemical repellent active derived from wild tomato plants (Lycopersicon hirsutum), where it serves as a natural defense against insects. It also occurs naturally in bananas, cloves, ginger, and guava. Registered by the EPA as a biochemical pesticide, it was the first new repellent active ingredient approved in over 25 years and is used in DEET-free formulas against mosquitoes and ticks.

S-methoprene is an insect growth regulator used in slow-release larvicide products such as floating mosquito torpedoes placed in standing water. It is not a personal repellent and is not applied to skin. Rather than killing larvae outright, it mimics an insect juvenile hormone and blocks the larva from completing metamorphosis, so treated larvae never emerge as biting adults. It is EPA-registered and has low toxicity to people, pets, birds, and fish, though it is somewhat less target-specific than Bti because juvenile-hormone signaling is shared across insects and some other aquatic invertebrates.

Citral is the lemon-scented aldehyde (geranial plus neral) that gives lemongrass and lemon myrtle their punch, and much of their repellency. On its own it repels strongly per dose but does not last, because it evaporates fast.

Citronellol is one of the three active alcohols in citronella oil, alongside citronellal and geraniol, and it also occurs in rose and geranium. Like the citronella complex it comes from, its protection is real but very short.

Plant-derived carrier/active oil used in some FIFRA 25(b) minimum-risk botanical repellents. On the EPA 25(b) exempt active list.

Cornmint oil (Mentha arvensis) is the most menthol-heavy of the mint oils, and distinct from peppermint. It brings a genuine cooling scent and some menthol-driven repellency, but only at concentrations well above the roughly 1% in the one product that carries it.

EPA Substance Registry Services (SRS) listed active ingredient for pesticide products.

Farnesol is a floral sesquiterpene alcohol used mostly as a fragrance and deodorant ingredient. There is little evidence it works as a mosquito repellent, and it appears in just one product here.

Cold-pressed lemon peel oil is rich in d-limonene, a compound with real insecticidal action but no track record as a skin repellent. It carries two wrinkles most oils don't: it can burn skin in sunlight, and it is notably toxic to cats.

Limonene is the citrus-peel terpene behind lemon and orange oils. It kills and knocks down insects as a registered insecticide, but it has no track record as a skin repellent for people, and it is toxic to cats.

Neem oil, pressed from the seeds of Azadirachta indica, is best known as a larvicide and plant-protection agent. As a skin repellent for people its record is modest and inconsistent, stronger in some village field trials than in controlled lab tests.

Sesame oil is a pressed seed oil, not an essential oil, and there is no good evidence it repels insects on its own. In repellent products it works as a carrier that slows the evaporation of the actives it is mixed with.

Spinosad is a biological larvicide derived from fermentation of the soil bacterium Saccharopolyspora spinosa. It is used to kill mosquito larvae in standing water and was the first larvicide registered under the EPA Reduced Risk program.

Botanical repellent oil steam-distilled from the fruit of Litsea cubeba (may chang), a tree in the laurel family native to East and Southeast Asia. It is one of the richest natural sources of citral, and that citral content is what gives the oil its mosquito-repellent activity. Human-skin evidence is still emerging, and the one controlled arm-in-cage study reporting a few hours of protection used a fixative-formulated spray, not neat oil, so the raw oil is expected to be shorter-lived.

Transfluthrin is a volatile synthetic pyrethroid used as the active in passive emanator strips and coil-free area devices that release vapor without heat or batteries. It is not applied to skin. It evaporates readily at room temperature and forms a protective zone of vapor that repels flying insects. It has fast knockdown and low environmental persistence. Like all pyrethroids it is highly toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates, and several jurisdictions restrict its outdoor use for that reason.

Water as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Fragrance as disclosed on the product label.

Ethanol (alcohol) is a solvent and carrier in many spray repellents, not a repellent itself. It helps the active ingredients spread and flash off quickly; it does not deter insects.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Organic non-GMO sugarcane alcohol as disclosed on the product label.

Aloe barbadensis extract as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Hexylene glycol is a solvent and viscosity modifier used in formulation. It has no repellent action of its own.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

SD Alcohol 40-B as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Extra virgin olive oil (organic) as disclosed on the product label.

Octinoxate as disclosed on the product label.

Octisalate as disclosed on the product label.

Polyurethane copolymer as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Vanilla Planifolia Oleoresin as disclosed on the product label.

Acrylates/octylacrylamide copolymer as disclosed on the product label.

Chamomile oil as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Isopropyl alcohol is a solvent and carrier used to dissolve active ingredients and speed drying. It is not an insect repellent.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) Oil as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Octocrylene as disclosed on the product label.

Oxybenzone as disclosed on the product label.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a solvent and thickener used to blend and stabilize formulas, not an ingredient that repels insects.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Propylene glycol is a humectant and solvent that keeps a formula stable and spreadable. It is not a repellent active.

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) Seed Oil as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) Flower Extract as disclosed on the product label.

Coconut oil as disclosed on the product label.

Dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether is a solvent used to dissolve and carry active ingredients. It is not a repellent.

Fir Needle (Abies siberica) Oil as disclosed on the product label.

Isobutane is a propellant that pressurizes aerosol cans. It plays no role in repelling insects.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Propane as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

1,2-Hexanediol is a solvent and skin-conditioning agent that also supports preservation. It does not repel insects.

Alcohol as disclosed on the product label.

Alcohol Denat. as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Aloe barbadensis leaf oil as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Ambrette (Hibiscus abelmoschus) Seed Oil as disclosed on the product label.

Andiroba seed oil as disclosed on the product label.

Apple Cider Vinegar (Acetic Acid) as disclosed on the product label.

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) Kernel Oil as disclosed on the product label.

Arginine as disclosed on the product label.

Avobenzone as disclosed on the product label.

Avocado (Persea gratissima) Oil as disclosed on the product label.

Barium sulfate is an inert filler and opacifier. It has no repellent function.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Benzyl alcohol is a preservative and mild solvent that keeps formulas stable. It is not an insect repellent.

Blue tansy flower/leaf/stem oil as disclosed on the product label.

Buddha Wood (Eremophila mitchellii) Oil as disclosed on the product label.

Butylene glycol as disclosed on the product label.

C12-15 alkyl benzoate as disclosed on the product label.

C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside as disclosed on the product label.

C14-22 Alcohol as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) Flower Extract as disclosed on the product label.

Caprylhydroxamic acid as disclosed on the product label.

Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides as disclosed on the product label.

Carbomer (Carbopol) as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Cetyl alcohol as disclosed on the product label.

Chlorophyllin-copper complex as disclosed on the product label.

Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea) Oil as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Cornstarch as disclosed on the product label.

DEA-oleth-3 phosphate as disclosed on the product label.

Diglycol/CHDM/isophthalates/SIP copolymer as disclosed on the product label.

Dimethicone as disclosed on the product label.

Disodium EDTA as disclosed on the product label.

Flaxseed seed oil as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Hemp (Cannabis sativa) Seed Oil as disclosed on the product label.

Hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) Wood Oil as disclosed on the product label.

Homosalate as disclosed on the product label.

Hydrogenated castor oil is an emulsifier and thickener that helps oil and water phases mix. It is not a repellent active.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose as disclosed on the product label.

Imidazolidinyl urea as disclosed on the product label.

Isostearic acid as disclosed on the product label.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Hydrosol as disclosed on the product label.

Lavender flower water as disclosed on the product label.

Lime as disclosed on the product label.

Linalool as disclosed on the product label.

Magnesium aluminum silicate as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Octyl methoxycinnamate as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Palo Santo (Bursera graveolens) Wood Oil as disclosed on the product label.

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) Leaf Oil as disclosed on the product label.

PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone as disclosed on the product label.

Polyurethane-1 as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Propanediol as disclosed on the product label.

Propylene glycol myristyl ether acetate as disclosed on the product label.

Quillaja saponaria extract (soap bark) as disclosed on the product label.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Extract as disclosed on the product label.

Safflower Oil as disclosed on the product label.

SD Alcohol 40 as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Sodium Gluconate as disclosed on the product label.

Sodium hydroxide (lye) is used in trace amounts to adjust a formula's pH. It is not a repellent.

Sodium lauryl sulfate is a surfactant and foaming agent, not an insect repellent. It shows up on the label of at least one botanical product (Grandpa Gus) as a formulation aid, not as an active that deters insects.

Spinach leaf extract as disclosed on the product label.

Sweet Almond (Prunus amygdalus dulcis) Oil as disclosed on the product label.

Tamanu seed oil as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Vegan Wax as disclosed on the product label.

Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides) Root Oil as disclosed on the product label.

VP/Eicosene copolymer as disclosed on the product label.

Listed as an inert ingredient permitted in EPA minimum risk (FIFRA 25(b)) pesticide products.

Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) Distillate as disclosed on the product label.

Witch hazel water as disclosed on the product label.