They say the ants go marching one by one. That may be so. But the flying, nibbling critters -- the mosquitoes, the gnats, and the flies -- come in swarms.
How to keep them at bay? Unfortunately, many of the insect repellents on the shelves today contain the chemical DEET. Developed by the U.S. Army for use in jungle warfare during World War II, DEET is considered a moderate chemical pesticide and a few studies have shown it to be toxic to some fish species. DEET also works as a solvent, dissolving some plastics, synthetic fabrics, leather, and painted or varnished surfaces. (And I'm supposed to apply this stuff to my skin? Yikes!)
Grist's Pick
Quantum Buzz Away Insect Repellent$5.99, 2 fl. oz.
nonaerosol spray
But potentially toxic chemicals aren't the only way to protect yourself from becoming a tasty buffet for the next mosquito swarm that comes along. Alternatives to DEET include a number of essential oils, including citronella (used in those tiki-torch candles) and eucalyptol (from the eucalyptus plant). These vary in effectiveness, and generally require more frequent applications than DEET-based formulas. Another option -- with quite the loyal fan base -- is Avon's Skin So Soft bath oil, which has a variety of uses but a chem-laden ingredient list (albeit phthalate-free).
So which of these solutions can keep the bugs at bay without leaving you smelling like a medicine cabinet? In order to find out, I gathered some DEET-free insect repellents from my local natural food co-op and my Avon lady and headed out in search of skeeters, gnats, see-ums, and no-see-ums.
Here are my results:
All Terrain Herbal Armor Insect Repellent
$4.99, 2.0 fl. oz. nonaerosol spray
Active ingredients: oil of citronella, oil of soybean, oil of peppermint, oil of cedar, oil of lemongrass, oil of geranium
Eco-claims: all natural, environmentally friendly, and supports environmental groups
This repellent had a strong, medicine-y lemongrass and peppermint scent that was certainly enough to repel me from wanting to use it again. It also goes on white, which requires a lot of rubbing into the skin, leaving an oily film that doesn't go away until washed off.
Avon Skin So Soft Bath Oil
$12.50, 16.9 fl. oz.
Active ingredients: mineral oil, isopropyl palmitate, dicapryl adipate, fragrance, dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate, bht, carrot seed oil
Eco-claims: none
First things first, this stuff has some questionable ingredients -- including mineral oil, which is a petroleum by-product. As its name implies, this is a bath oil -- and it smells like one too, with an old-lady-perfume sort of scent to it. Unlike the sprays, Skin So Soft must be applied with a cotton ball or tissue, which, in addition to creating extra waste, is a bit of a hassle. It does, however, leave the skin feeling soft -- though quite oily.
Getting bit bites.
EcoSmart Insect Repellent
$5.99, 6 fl. oz. nonaerosol spray
Active ingredients: organic plant oils (rosemary, cinnamon leaf, lemongrass, geraniol)
Eco-claims: all natural, organic, non-toxic
New on the market this year, this spray had a strong but not unpleasant citronella scent -- though it did linger long after the initial spray. This product dries fastest of all the sprays tested, leaving fingers only slightly sticky when rubbed off.
Quantum Buzz Away Insect Repellent
$5.99, 2 fl. oz. nonaerosol spray
Active ingredients: citronella oil; also contains essential oils of cedarwood, peppermint, lemongrass, and eucalyptus
Eco-claims: none
This spray left me smelling like a human candy cane with its sweet pepperminty scent. It goes on clear, and doesn't leave an oily film.
Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent
$5.99, 4 fl. oz. nonaerosol spray
Active ingredients: oil of lemon eucalyptus
Eco-claims: made from a renewable resource (oil from the leaves of the eucalyptus tree)
The lemony scent on this one was enough to prickle my nose hairs and make my eyes water, though this dissipated somewhat within a few minutes. The packaging suggests rubbing it into the skin, and the result is slightly oily to the touch. The convenient snap closure on the spray pump is a nice feature (as opposed to the detachable plastic caps on the other bottles).
The bottom line: All of the products performed fairly well when it came to keeping bugs away, but I did have to reapply as the effectiveness wore off after a few hours. In terms of overall experience, I recommend Quantum Buzz Away Insect Repellent for its sweet pepperminty scent and dry feel. A close second is EcoSmart, though you have to be willing to smell like citronella all evening.
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Comments View as Flat
lunadancer Posted 2:59 am
29 Jul 2008
Another Great DEET-free Alternative!
I was sorry not to see Medicine Flower Bug Repellant on your list! The all-natural oil and mist are both created in Oregon using high-quality, organic and wildcrafted pure essential oils, and WOW does it smell good! I've been using it for over a decade now, and the bugs don't like it but the people sure do!
Like ALL other natural bug repellants, for maximum effectiveness, reapply as needed. Reapplying doesn't really "bug" me though, since it smells so darn yummy. You can find it too, at http://medicineflower.com/inre.html.
Happy Buglessness! :-)
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Mugwomp Posted 4:04 am
29 Jul 2008
How about telling us how well they work...???
I was psyched to see this article, but dismayed to read only about their scent and how oily they are. How well do they work, really?"All of the products performed fairly well when it came to keeping bugs away," doesn't cut it, and I've used a product very similar to the All Terrain formula and it doesn't work worth a darn, no matter how much I apply. Spray 'em on and put your arm in a plexiglas box of mosquitoes. Then get back to us. Seriously.
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konklarii Posted 4:59 am
29 Jul 2008
And I still don't know which one is effective.
Ditto to Mugwomp. I don't care if it smells like a decaying racoon if it keeps the blackflies away. This is a silly, fluffy review.
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John former Marine Posted 5:17 am
29 Jul 2008
Efficacy...
For those of you who are wondering how well these products work, you have good reason.
EPA regulates insect repellants...all of them. Except for a small group that is exempt from regulation, the "25B" products. These products do not have to be registered, they don't have to submit efficacy data, and they can pretty much make whatever claims they want with nobody checking on them. It's a huge loophole in the law that allows a lot of bogus products onto the market.
Yet another fluffy article from Grist...why am I not surprised.
Look, eco-friendly products are great but a lot of them are total BS. You're better off eating a head of garlic every day.
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kateamon Posted 6:53 am
29 Jul 2008
must work - and not nauseate you!
Yes, three requirements for bug repellents:
- MUST repel bugs!
- Shouldn't poison YOU (DEET free, etc)
- Smell shouldn't make you queasy
Two proven insect repellents I like very much are California Baby and Badger. Both pleasant smelling AND effective! That's why (full disclosure here) I sell just those two bug repellents at Kate's Caring Gifts. Have recently used the California Baby Bug Repellent on a scout camping trip. Kept my kids and me bite free, while another kid I didn't get a chance to spray (pump top, NOT aerosol) had lots of itchy looking bites. Had nice comments about the scent too. (Though garlic smells good too ;)Permalink
paz Posted 12:38 pm
29 Jul 2008
My daughter won't tolerate a decaying raccoon ...
... so scent is VERY important to me. Which is why we usually just make do with long sleeves, hats, and sticking close to the campfire, if there is one. Scent and efficacy are tantamount in our book.
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amnoelle Posted 5:16 am
30 Jul 2008
I agree
I have to agree with my fellow readers. When doing a review on the performance of bug repellents the performance should probably be reviewed. I'm just saying...I do think that scent and oiliness are useful. I mean, if I can get a repellent that's natural, doesn't smell like crap, is oil-free, and actually works, I'm down!! Just don't bog us down with the fluffy details.
Oh, and I have used the repel lemongrass repellent. It does have a pretty strong odor and is a little oily (but not bad in my opinion). It also seems to work pretty well. I've stayed bite free. However, I think that I might try one of the others suggested in the other comments the next time around. Thanks for the suggestions!!
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rocklovingrrl Posted 7:51 am
30 Jul 2008
Ditto and.... ditto.
Agree with the above- I frankly don't understand the purpose of this post if there's no actual information regarding how well the bugs stayed away. Having just gone through Kings Canyon with swarms of hundreds of mozzies, I was bathing in DEET. The "natural" stuff I had wasn't cutting it one bit. Don't like DEET, but itching for days is no picnic.
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splashy Posted 5:16 am
31 Jul 2008
There appear to be three studies
Linked to in the Buzz Away Extreme section if you scroll down some - Guelph Field Study, USDA Test, and Tick Study.
It looks like those might address your issues, but I don't know enough about studies to know if they are good ones or not.
Personally, I'm going to give the Extreme version a try here in Arkansas, tick city in the woods. We have all kinds of bugs here to fend off. I'll try to report back on my experience.
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Storm Dragon Posted 4:39 am
06 Aug 2008
Effectiveness
My brother seems to get good results from the All Terrain Herbal Armor. (I can't really speak for myself because the mosquitoes don't like me as much as they like him!)
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stopgreenpath Posted 5:09 am
11 Aug 2008
we need info!
man, this was not useful at all. what kind of bugs were repelled? how did they hold up to sweat, humidity, etc.? did they stain your clothes? are any of them waterproof for beach/lake/river/poolside vacations?
there is more to being bitten than itch. lyme's disease, west nile, dengue, malaria and dozens of other serious illnesses, many incurable, are carried by biting insects, so more than the smell of a product must be explored before recommending it. i agree DEET is horrifying, but you need to compare it, bite for bite, so we know the facts and can make informed choices!
thanks...
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charmingirl Posted 9:23 pm
03 Dec 2008
Hate mosquitoes
Agree with the above I hate mosquitoes very much and but have no way to clear them before my sleep. No matter how many smoke I made out, Lingerie Wholesale but they did not die, I need a new items to finish it.
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