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.

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.

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.

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 ;)

... 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.

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!!

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.

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.

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!)

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...