All Terrain
Herbal Armor DEET-Free Natural Insect Repellent Pump Spray
Spray · FIFRA 25(b) minimum risk repellent product (exempt from EPA registration)
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Pros
- A DEET-free botanical that clears our bar, roughly 2 hours of real mosquito cover from a citronella and soybean oil blend.
- Pump spray with a glycerin base, no propellant and a softer feel than alcohol-heavy sprays.
Cons
- Short and mosquito-only: figure about 2 hours, with no proven tick protection.
- Lemongrass oil brings a real sensitization risk, so patch-test before wider use.
The full review
All Terrain's DEET-free botanical blend earns a recommended with caveats, a genuine situational pick for plant-based shoppers. Transparency is its real strength: every active concentration is published and the full formula including inerts is accounted for. The limit is duration, since six volatile essential oils give our model about 2 hours of complete mosquito protection and no demonstrated tick coverage, so the 'up to 4 hours' label measures reduced biting rather than bite-free time. Safety is pulled down mainly by lemongrass oil's sensitization risk at 1% plus a pregnancy caution, and the claim audit is mixed, with only 1 of 7 claims rated strong. For a cookout or a short evening out it offers real, if brief, mosquito cover from a citronella and soybean oil base.
Scorecard
Expand any pillar to see exactly why it scored what it did.
Effectiveness45%50Mosquitoes: 2 h of complete protection. Ticks: minimal or unproven protection. Protection times are modeled from the actives, concentration, and format (see methodology). Scored on a saturating curve (each added hour counts less than the last), 65% mosquito / 35% tick, with reasonable confidence.
Mosquitoes: 2 h of complete protection. Ticks: minimal or unproven protection. Protection times are modeled from the actives, concentration, and format (see methodology). Scored on a saturating curve (each added hour counts less than the last), 65% mosquito / 35% tick, with reasonable confidence.
Evidence & honest claims25%61Soybean oil is backed by definitive published evidence, weighted by how close its concentration is to the studied effective dose (base 72). Of 7 marketing claims audited: 1 strong, 3 moderate, 3 weak, 0 unsupported (-11).
Soybean oil is backed by definitive published evidence, weighted by how close its concentration is to the studied effective dose (base 72). Of 7 marketing claims audited: 1 strong, 3 moderate, 3 weak, 0 unsupported (-11).
Safety15%66From published dermal toxicology (EPA/CIR/IFRA), scaled by each active's concentration against its leave-on limit: high skin-sensitization risk from Lemongrass oil at 1% (−18); moderate irritation risk from Lemongrass oil at 1% (−6); caution advised in pregnancy (−6); moderate aquatic toxicity (−4).
From published dermal toxicology (EPA/CIR/IFRA), scaled by each active's concentration against its leave-on limit: high skin-sensitization risk from Lemongrass oil at 1% (−18); moderate irritation risk from Lemongrass oil at 1% (−6); caution advised in pregnancy (−6); moderate aquatic toxicity (−4).
Transparency15%92This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 46% of all ingredient concentrations (+7); the full formula including inerts is accounted for (+25).
This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 46% of all ingredient concentrations (+7); the full formula including inerts is accounted for (+25).
Every pillar is scored from published rules. Read how we score.
How long it protects
Complete protection ends when the first bite gets through; partial protection keeps reducing bites as repellency decays. EPA label times are verified; the rest are modeled from the actives, concentration, and format.
Mosquito estimate basis (low confidence)
Estimated complete protection time from active ingredient + concentration; the source research used a lotion-style formulation, matching this spray (no format adjustment). Partial protection (reduced but real bite suppression) is modeled to extend to ~3 h as repellency decays.
Tick estimate basis (low confidence)
Botanical actives show little to no reliable tick protection; reapply very frequently if used at all. No measured CPT below 10% for this active — estimated via sigmoid dose-response (×0.02 of Luker 2023 (10% lotion, CPT > 30 min)).
Ingredient disclosure
This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 46% of all ingredient concentrations (+7); the full formula including inerts is accounted for (+25).
- Citronella oilActive
Active repellent · 10%
- Geranium oilActive
Active repellent · 0.05%
- Lemongrass oilActive
Active repellent · 1%
- Peppermint oilActive
Active repellent · 2%
- Soybean oilActive
Active repellent · 11.5%
- Cedarwood oilActive
Active repellent · 1.5%
- Beeswax
Inert · concentration not disclosed
- Water
Inert / Carrier · concentration not disclosed
- Citric acid
Inert · concentration not disclosed
- Glycerin
Inert · concentration not disclosed
- Glyceryl stearate
Inert · concentration not disclosed
- Potassium sorbate
Inert / Preservative · concentration not disclosed
- Xanthan gum
Inert · concentration not disclosed
Claims audit
What the marketing says, versus what the evidence supports.
“Clinically proven 100% effective for 2 hours, 95.8% for 3 hours”
EfficacyModerateretailer label copy
“Non-toxic, GMO-free, and not harmful to the environment”
NaturalWeakGeneral marketing claim; essential-oil formulas can still cause skin/eye irritation, as acknowledged on the label warnings.
“Water and sweat resistant”
OtherModerateLabel claim attributed to the encapsulation formula.
“Independently proven non-irritating and allergy tested; good for children and sensitive skin”
Kid SafeWeakLemongrass oil at 1% is a high skin-sensitization/irritation risk at this level, so a "gentle / safe-for-kids" claim overstates the safety profile.
“Over 26% active ingredients - among the highest for a natural repellent”
EfficacyModerateActive total (26.05%) is verifiable from the label; comparative 'among the highest' framing is marketing.
“Laboratory and field tested protection for up to 4 hours”
DurationWeakRe-evaluated against our corrected complete-protection estimate (~1 h): the claimed 4 h is 4.0× our estimate, so this duration claim is thinly supported.
“DEET-free natural botanical formula”
Deet FreeStrongAccurate; all actives are essential oils and no DEET is present.
How to apply it
Shake well before use. Apply liberally and evenly to exposed skin every 2 to 3 hours for maximum protection; the spray may also be applied to fabric. For the face, apply to hands first and wipe on, avoiding contact with eyes and mouth. Use adult supervision when applying to children, do not apply to children's hands, and do not use on children under 6 months of age. If skin irritation occurs, discontinue use and wash with soap and water.