Greenerways Organic
Greenerways Organic Bug Repellent
Spray · FIFRA 25(b) minimum risk repellent product (not EPA-registered)
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Pros
- A mostly disclosed, citronella-forward blend with a fresh, natural scent.
Cons
- Barely repels, well under half an hour before bites start.
- The lemongrass amount isn't disclosed, and it carries a sensitization risk.
The full review
A USDA-organic botanical spray that, as protection, is not recommended, with duration the deciding factor. Our model puts complete mosquito protection at roughly 0.2 to 0.3 hours, meaning reapplication every 15 minutes or so, with tick coverage minimal or unproven, which is what sinks the effectiveness pillar. Citronella oil at 7.5% carries reasonable published evidence, the one solid pillar, but safety pulls back on a high sensitization risk from lemongrass oil, moderate irritation from the citronella, and a pregnancy caution. Transparency is only partial, since two of three actives are quantified and inerts are not fully accounted for. The organic certification is real, but it speaks to sourcing, not to keeping bugs off skin.
Scorecard
Expand any pillar to see exactly why it scored what it did.
Effectiveness45%16Mosquitoes: 0.2–0.3 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: 0.2–0.3 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%60Citronella oil is well-supported by published evidence, weighted by how close its concentration is to the studied effective dose (base 65). Of 3 marketing claims audited: 1 strong, 1 moderate, 1 weak, 0 unsupported (-5).
Citronella oil is well-supported by published evidence, weighted by how close its concentration is to the studied effective dose (base 65). Of 3 marketing claims audited: 1 strong, 1 moderate, 1 weak, 0 unsupported (-5).
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 (−18); moderate irritation risk from Citronella oil at 7.5% (−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 (−18); moderate irritation risk from Citronella oil at 7.5% (−6); caution advised in pregnancy (−6); moderate aquatic toxicity (−4).
Transparency15%57This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 67% of active concentrations (+27); discloses 67% of all ingredient concentrations (+10); inert ingredients are not fully accounted for (0).
This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 67% of active concentrations (+27); discloses 67% of all ingredient concentrations (+10); inert ingredients are not fully accounted for (0).
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 ~0.4 h as repellency decays. No published tick complete-protection-time data for citronella — Fradin 2002 measured mosquitoes only.
Tick estimate basis (low confidence)
Botanical actives show little to no reliable tick protection; reapply very frequently if used at all. No published tick complete-protection-time data for citronella — Fradin 2002 measured mosquitoes only.
Ingredient disclosure
This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 67% of active concentrations (+27); discloses 67% of all ingredient concentrations (+10); inert ingredients are not fully accounted for (0).
Only active ingredients are disclosed. The full ingredient list (inerts/carriers) is not published, so this may not be the complete formula.
Active ingredient concentrations are not published for this product.
- Cedarwood oilActive
Active repellent · 0.5%
- Citronella oilActive
Active repellent · 7.5%
- Lemongrass oilActive
Active repellent · concentration not disclosed
Claims audit
What the marketing says, versus what the evidence supports.
“DEET-free, USDA Organic”
Deet FreeStrongUSDA Organic certification is verifiable; essential-oil based, no DEET.
“Apply every 3 to 4 hours”
DurationWeakOverstates duration: complete (bite-free) protection is ~0.3 h and reduced/partial protection only to ~0.4 h; the claimed 4 h is not supported as complete protection.
“Lab tested to repel mosquitoes including Aedes aegypti, plus ticks and chiggers”
EfficacyModerateCitronella at 7.5% is fully dosed and gives ~12-18 min of real (short) mosquito protection, supporting the lab-tested mosquito claim though tick/chigger support is minimal.
How to apply it
Shake well. Apply liberally and evenly to exposed skin every 3 to 4 hours. For the face, apply to hands and wipe on, avoiding eyes and mouth.