Kate McLeod
The Bug Balm
Balm · Unregistered botanical repellent labeled with 25(b)-style active/inert ingredient declaration
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Pros
- A genuinely luxurious balm: cocoa, almond, apricot, and avocado oils make it a treat for skin.
- Fully discloses its actives and feels more like a moisturizer than a repellent.
Cons
- It doesn't repel: essentially no protection time, with actives diluted under a tenth of a percent.
- No tick protection, and trace lemongrass still adds a sensitization risk.
The full review
Honest and gentle but barely functional as a repellent, this cocoa-butter balm lands a clear not recommended. With roughly 1% total botanical actives bound in a wax-like base, our model puts complete mosquito protection at essentially 0 to 0.1 hours and tick coverage minimal or unproven, so the effectiveness pillar all but bottoms out. The redeeming pillars are genuine: skin safety is high with only a trace lemongrass sensitization flag, transparency is excellent with every active and the full formula disclosed, and the evidence holds up with 4 of 5 claims strong. The brand makes no protection-duration promises, so nothing is oversold. A luxurious hydrating balm with a light citrus scent that simply will not keep bugs off.
Scorecard
Expand any pillar to see exactly why it scored what it did.
Effectiveness45%6Mosquitoes: 0–0.1 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: 0–0.1 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%68Geranium oil is well-supported by published evidence, weighted by how close its concentration is to the studied effective dose (base 56). Of 5 marketing claims audited: 4 strong, 0 moderate, 1 weak, 0 unsupported (+12).
Geranium oil is well-supported by published evidence, weighted by how close its concentration is to the studied effective dose (base 56). Of 5 marketing claims audited: 4 strong, 0 moderate, 1 weak, 0 unsupported (+12).
Safety15%89From 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 0.03% (−1); low irritation; 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 0.03% (−1); low irritation; caution advised in pregnancy (−6); moderate aquatic toxicity (−4).
Transparency15%93This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 55% of all ingredient concentrations (+8); the full formula including inerts is accounted for (+25).
This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 55% of all ingredient concentrations (+8); 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 balm (no format adjustment). Partial protection (reduced but real bite suppression) is modeled to extend to ~0.2 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 measured CPT below 10% for this active — estimated via sigmoid dose-response (×0.00 of Luker 2023 (10% lotion, CPT > 30 min)).
Ingredient disclosure
This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 55% of all ingredient concentrations (+8); the full formula including inerts is accounted for (+25).
- Peppermint oilActive
Active repellent · 0.04%
- Cedarwood oilActive
Active repellent · 0.12%
- Citronella oilActive
Active repellent · 0.03%
- Rosemary oilActive
Active repellent · 0.12%
- Geranium oilActive
Active repellent · 0.2%
- Lemongrass oilActive
Active repellent · 0.03%
- Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides
Inert / emollient · concentration not disclosed
- Sweet Almond (Prunus amygdalus dulcis) Oil
Inert / emollient · concentration not disclosed
- Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) Kernel Oil
Inert / emollient · concentration not disclosed
- Avocado (Persea gratissima) Oil
Inert / emollient · concentration not disclosed
- Cocoa
Inert / base · concentration not disclosed
Claims audit
What the marketing says, versus what the evidence supports.
“Skips the wax and DEET for a breathable, mess-free formula”
Deet FreeStrongVerifiably DEET-free: DEET appears nowhere in the disclosed ingredient list.
“DEET-free botanical formula”
Deet FreeStrongPlant-based formula with no DEET.
“Helps repel insects and prevent bug bites”
EfficacyWeakTotal botanical actives are about 1% (inerts declared at 99%); no testing or protection duration cited by the brand.
“Doubles as a deeply hydrating solid moisturizer”
OtherStrongThe cocoa-butter and plant-oil (almond, apricot, avocado, triglyceride) base supports the solid-moisturizer cosmetic claim.
“All-natural bug-blocking botanical blend”
NaturalStrongComposition claim is accurate for the labeled botanical actives; efficacy itself is not EPA-validated.
How to apply it
Body Stone: warm the stone between your palms and glide directly onto exposed skin. Moisture Stick: push up the stick and glide onto arms, legs, ankles, and other exposed areas. Massage gently as the balm melts to release the oils, and reapply as needed before and during outdoor activity. Keep away from heat to prevent melting.