H. Honeycup
H. Honeycup Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent Spray
Spray · FIFRA 25(b) minimum risk repellent product (whole lemon eucalyptus/citronella/lemongrass oils, not refined OLE/PMD; not EPA-registered)
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Pros
- A simple, lemon-eucalyptus-scented spray with a short ingredient list.
Cons
- Nothing about strength is disclosed, and we found no proven protection.
- Likely not EPA-compliant, and lemongrass adds a sensitization risk.
- One of the lowest scores in our guide.
The full review
This whole-oil spray posts one of the lowest scores in the guide and is firmly not recommended. No active concentrations are disclosed, so protection cannot be modeled and the effectiveness pillar bottoms out, and the formula is flagged as potentially not EPA compliant because its whole lemon eucalyptus, citronella, and lemongrass oils are not refined OLE and do not all qualify for the minimum-risk exemption. Citronella has reasonable backing, but 3 of 7 audited claims landed weak, holding the evidence down. Safety carries a high sensitization risk from lemongrass oil, moderate irritation from lemon eucalyptus, plus under-3 and pregnancy cautions, and nothing in the formula is quantified. Vegan, eco-friendly packaging does not offset the absence of provable protection.
Scorecard
Expand any pillar to see exactly why it scored what it did.
Effectiveness45%10Mosquitoes: protection cannot be modeled because the active concentration is undisclosed. Ticks: protection cannot be modeled because the active concentration is undisclosed. 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 lower confidence.
Mosquitoes: protection cannot be modeled because the active concentration is undisclosed. Ticks: protection cannot be modeled because the active concentration is undisclosed. 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 lower confidence.
Evidence & honest claims25%35Eucalyptus Citriodora Oil (Lemon eucalyptus oil) is well-supported by published evidence, weighted by how close its concentration is to the studied effective dose (base 43). Of 7 marketing claims audited: 2 strong, 2 moderate, 3 weak, 0 unsupported (-8).
Eucalyptus Citriodora Oil (Lemon eucalyptus oil) is well-supported by published evidence, weighted by how close its concentration is to the studied effective dose (base 43). Of 7 marketing claims audited: 2 strong, 2 moderate, 3 weak, 0 unsupported (-8).
Safety15%58From 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 Eucalyptus Citriodora Oil (Lemon eucalyptus oil) (−6); not recommended for children under 3 (Eucalyptus Citriodora Oil (Lemon eucalyptus oil)) (−8); 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 Eucalyptus Citriodora Oil (Lemon eucalyptus oil) (−6); not recommended for children under 3 (Eucalyptus Citriodora Oil (Lemon eucalyptus oil)) (−8); caution advised in pregnancy (−6); moderate aquatic toxicity (−4).
Transparency15%20This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 0% of active concentrations (+0); discloses 0% of all ingredient concentrations (+0); inert ingredients are not fully accounted for (0).
This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 0% of active concentrations (+0); discloses 0% of all ingredient concentrations (+0); 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 (low confidence)
No protection time estimated — this product's label doesn't disclose the active ingredient's concentration, and protection depends on both the ingredient and its strength.
Tick estimate basis (low confidence)
No protection time estimated — this product's label doesn't disclose the active ingredient's concentration, and protection depends on both the ingredient and its strength.
Ingredient disclosure
This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 0% of active concentrations (+0); discloses 0% of all ingredient concentrations (+0); 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.
- Citronella oilActive
Active repellent · concentration not disclosed
- Lemongrass oilActive
Active repellent · concentration not disclosed
- Eucalyptus Citriodora Oil (Lemon eucalyptus oil)Active
Active repellent · concentration not disclosed
Claims audit
What the marketing says, versus what the evidence supports.
“Not recommended for application to children's hands; adult supervision required”
Kid SafeWeakUsage caution, not a kid-safe endorsement; standard OLE guidance is not to use on children under 3.
“Vegan, cruelty-free, no parabens or phthalates”
SafetyStrongStated on official brand page.
“Vanillin added to help repel insects for longer”
DurationModerateVanillin acts as a fixative/synergist to extend lemon eucalyptus repellency; it is a non-active synergist, not a repellent active.
“CDC-recommended plant-based alternative to DEET”
EfficacyModerateRefers to CDC recognition of oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) as an effective active; claim is about the ingredient class, not this unregistered product.
“DEET-free”
Deet FreeStrongIsopropyl alcohol/water base with plant oils; no DEET.
“Naturally effective plant-based alternative to DEET”
EfficacyWeakUses whole lemon eucalyptus essential oil, not the CDC-endorsed refined OLE/PMD; no PMD standardization or stated concentration.
“Protection for several hours (depends on oil concentration)”
DurationWeakNo specific protection-time figure provided.
How to apply it
Shake well before use. Spray directly on bare skin. When applying to the face, spray into hands first then gently apply. Reapply as needed.