Badger
Anti-Tick Spray
Spray · FIFRA 25(b) minimum risk repellent product
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Pros
- A DEET-free, tick-focused option with everything disclosed, built on geraniol, cinnamon, and thyme oils.
Cons
- Very short protection: under an hour for both mosquitoes and ticks, so you'll reapply constantly.
- Geraniol at 4.5% carries a high sensitization risk, so patch-test before relying on it.
The full review
Pitched as an extra-strength botanical tick repellent, this Badger spray is a recommended with caveats that works best as a backup. Transparency holds up thanks to full formula disclosure, and the evidence pillar is a relative bright spot on a decent audit (3 of 5 claims strong). The trouble is duration: our model puts complete tick coverage at just 0.5 to 1 hour and mosquitoes at 0.5 to 0.8, well short of the over-6-hours figure Badger cites from lab testing. Safety is the heaviest drag, with geraniol at 4.5% carrying a high sensitization risk and cinnamon oil at 4% adding high irritation risk, plus a pregnancy caution. The actives are EPA minimum-risk listed, but the formula is potent on skin and asks for very frequent reapplication.
Scorecard
Expand any pillar to see exactly why it scored what it did.
Effectiveness45%42Mosquitoes: 0.5–0.8 h of complete protection. Ticks: 0.5–1 h of complete 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: 0.5–0.8 h of complete protection. Ticks: 0.5–1 h of complete 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%64Geraniol is well-supported by published evidence, weighted by how close its concentration is to the studied effective dose (base 61). Of 5 marketing claims audited: 3 strong, 1 moderate, 1 weak, 0 unsupported (+3).
Geraniol is well-supported by published evidence, weighted by how close its concentration is to the studied effective dose (base 61). Of 5 marketing claims audited: 3 strong, 1 moderate, 1 weak, 0 unsupported (+3).
Safety15%60From published dermal toxicology (EPA/CIR/IFRA), scaled by each active's concentration against its leave-on limit: high skin-sensitization risk from Geraniol at 4.5% (−18); high irritation risk from Cinnamon oil at 4.0% (−12); 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 Geraniol at 4.5% (−18); high irritation risk from Cinnamon oil at 4.0% (−12); caution advised in pregnancy (−6); moderate aquatic toxicity (−4).
Transparency15%91This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 38% of all ingredient concentrations (+6); the full formula including inerts is accounted for (+25).
This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 38% of all ingredient concentrations (+6); 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 (moderate 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 ~1.1 h as repellency decays. Luker 2023 (10% lotion, CPT > 60 min); López 2025 dose-response. At 4.5%, between the ~4% cliff and ~5% plateau — protection interpolated between measured tiers.
Tick estimate basis (moderate 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 ~1.4 h as repellency decays. Luker 2023 (10% lotion, CPT > 60 min); López 2025 dose-response. At 4.5%, between the ~4% cliff and ~5% plateau — protection interpolated between measured tiers.
Ingredient disclosure
This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 38% of all ingredient concentrations (+6); the full formula including inerts is accounted for (+25).
- Cinnamon oilActive
Active repellent · 4.0%
- Thyme oilActive
Active repellent · 1.0%
- GeraniolActive
Active repellent · 4.5%
- Soybean oil
Inert / Carrier · concentration not disclosed
- Castor oil
Inert / Carrier · concentration not disclosed
- Water
Inert / Carrier · concentration not disclosed
- Glycerin
Inert · concentration not disclosed
- Vanillin
Inert / Fragrance · concentration not disclosed
Claims audit
What the marketing says, versus what the evidence supports.
“Free of petroleum products, gluten free, cruelty free/vegan”
NaturalStrongbrand page
“Provides over 6 hours of tick protection”
DurationWeakOverstates duration: complete (bite-free) protection is ~1 h and reduced/partial protection only to ~1.4 h; the claimed 6 h is not supported as complete protection.
“Made with 77% organic ingredients”
NaturalStrongStated on brand page.
“100% DEET-free botanical formula”
Deet FreeStrongAccurate; actives are geraniol and essential oils.
“Laboratory tested to repel ticks”
EfficacyModerateTick Repellency Evaluation conducted against the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis); not EPA-reviewed.
How to apply it
Shake well before each use, then spray directly on the entire area of skin to be protected and reapply as needed. For sensitive skin, apply a small amount as a patch test before full use. Keep out of eyes and off broken or unhealthy skin. Adult supervision is recommended when using on children, and Badger recommends consulting a doctor before use on infants or toddlers.