Coleman
Coleman Botanicals Insect Repellent 30% Lemon Eucalyptus
Spray · EPA-registered repellent (Reg. #84878-2-79533, supplemental distributor registration of Citrefine's 84878-2)
Retailer links may earn us a commission. Scores are never affected.
Pros
- The best-performing botanical type: 30% oil of lemon eucalyptus gives a real 4 to 6 hours, the one plant-based active with DEET-like data.
- EPA-registered and fully disclosed, with no mystery blend.
Cons
- Light on ticks, roughly half an hour to two hours, and the eucalyptus scent is strong.
- Not recommended for children under 3, like all lemon eucalyptus products.
The full review
Built on 30% oil of lemon eucalyptus, this DEET-free spray lands recommended with caveats, a strong result for a plant-based option. OLE is the one plant active with real field evidence behind it, and at this concentration it delivers a genuine 4 to 6 hours of complete mosquito protection, competitive with low-strength DEET, with 6 of 7 audited claims rating strong. Safety holds up well, dinged only for moderate irritation at 30% and the standard caution that OLE is not for children under 3. The main drag is transparency: every active concentration is disclosed, but the inert list is not accounted for. Ticks are the weak spot at roughly half an hour to two hours, and the maker's up to 6 hour figure measures repellency rather than bite-free time, which tracks with our estimate.
Scorecard
Expand any pillar to see exactly why it scored what it did.
Effectiveness45%81Mosquitoes: 4–6 h of complete protection. Ticks: 0.5–2 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: 4–6 h of complete protection. Ticks: 0.5–2 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%77Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus is well-supported by published evidence, weighted by how close its concentration is to the studied effective dose (base 65). Of 7 marketing claims audited: 6 strong, 0 moderate, 1 weak, 0 unsupported (+12).
Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus is well-supported by published evidence, weighted by how close its concentration is to the studied effective dose (base 65). Of 7 marketing claims audited: 6 strong, 0 moderate, 1 weak, 0 unsupported (+12).
Safety15%86From published dermal toxicology (EPA/CIR/IFRA), scaled by each active's concentration against its leave-on limit: no notable sensitization risk; moderate irritation risk from Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus at 30% (−6); not recommended for children under 3 (Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus) (−8).
From published dermal toxicology (EPA/CIR/IFRA), scaled by each active's concentration against its leave-on limit: no notable sensitization risk; moderate irritation risk from Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus at 30% (−6); not recommended for children under 3 (Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus) (−8).
Transparency15%75This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 100% of all ingredient concentrations (+15); inert ingredients are not fully accounted for (0).
This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 100% of all ingredient concentrations (+15); 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 spray-style formulation, matching this spray (no format adjustment). Partial protection (reduced but real bite suppression) is modeled to extend to ~11 h as repellency decays.
Tick estimate basis (moderate confidence)
Estimated complete protection time from active ingredient + concentration; the source research used a spray-style formulation, matching this spray (no format adjustment). Partial protection (reduced but real bite suppression) is modeled to extend to ~4 h as repellency decays.
Ingredient disclosure
This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 100% of all ingredient concentrations (+15); 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.
- Oil of Lemon EucalyptusActive
Active repellent (approx. 65% p-menthane-3,8-diol; Citriodiol) · 30%
Claims audit
What the marketing says, versus what the evidence supports.
“Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus is one of six active ingredients recommended by the CDC against mosquitoes”
EfficacyStrongbrand/Amazon
“Repels mosquitoes that may carry Zika, West Nile virus, and chikungunya”
EfficacyStrongOLE is one of the CDC-recommended active ingredients; vector-disease claims appear on the EPA-accepted master label.
“DEET-free formula”
Deet FreeStrongSole active is oil of lemon eucalyptus.
“Plant-based protection from ticks”
EfficacyWeakManufacturer page claims tick protection, but the EPA registration is not registered for tick protection ('X' in the EPA repellent search tool). OLE/PMD has some published tick-repellency evidence, but no EPA-accepted tick claim for this product.
“Not registered for tick protection”
OtherStrongPer EPA database; included so the record reflects the conflict with the manufacturer's tick marketing.
“Repels mosquitoes for up to 6 hours”
DurationStrongEPA-accepted label protection time per the EPA repellent search tool.
“Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus 30%”
EfficacyStrongManufacturer label states 30.0%; the EPA registration database lists 30.9% for the underlying Citrefine registration.
How to apply it
Apply to exposed skin and clothing, spreading evenly with the hand to moisten all exposed skin; use just enough repellent to cover the area. Do not apply near eyes and mouth - spray on hands first and apply sparingly to the face, and do not apply over cuts, wounds, or irritated skin. Do not use on children under 3 years of age (a standard restriction on all oil of lemon eucalyptus labels), and do not allow children to handle the product. Carefully read and follow all precautions and use instructions on the product label.