Safer Bug Spray 2025

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Bug spray is a very individualized decision. The best decision for one family may look different for another depending on location. In high-risk areas with mosquito and tick-borne diseases, choosing effectiveness over ingredients is going to take priority. 

My personal preference in bug sprays would be essential oil based for lower-risk areas, and picaridin for higher-risk. For the sake of this guide, these will be the two I include.

Safer Picaridin Options

EPA approved bug sprays are not considered cosmetics, so there is no requirement for inactive ingredient disclosure. OFF is one one of the only brands that willingly disclose their ingredients. For both I would only choose their mist and spritzer variation, NOT aerosols.

Essential Oil Options

Depending on risk-level of location, these can be a great option for the backyard. They would not be my first choice in effectiveness for deep woods.

DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide)

DEET is very effective in reducing bug bites. It was registered for use by the general public in 1957, and since then few cases of toxicity have been reported. There have been concerns about its potential to be a neurotoxin to children, but many follow up studies have found no evidence (1-3).

However, this still remains a debated topic. While many reputable medical sources like John Hopkins Children’s Hospital (4) consider DEET safe for children, others disagree (5,6). Including Poison Control, which acknowledges DEET as a nervous system toxin (6.2).

Dr. Mohammed Abou-Donio expert in Pharmacology and Toxicology agreed DEET is effective, but “prolonged exposure results in neurological damage, [which] is enhanced by other chemicals and medications. 

I am all about options for everyone. While I would not personally recommend DEET, if this is a non-negotiable a good rule of thumb is: 

• look for unscented and non-aerosol

• choose a repellent with no more than 10% to 30% concentration of DEET (will look like N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide on the label).

IR3535 (ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate)

IR3535 (ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate) is another EPA registered active ingredient. Generally, IR3535 is considered less toxic and irritating than DEET, but it can still cause serious eye irritation (7) and can melt certain plastics and fabrics. 

20% offers protection against Aedes and Culex mosquitos for 7-10 hours, but only 3.8 hours of protection against Anopheles in some studies - which is why it is not recommended for malaria-endemic areas (Poison Control).

2-undecanone (methyl nonyl ketone)

2-undecanone or methyl nonyl ketone can be found naturally in plants like cloves, strawberries, and tomatoes. Studies suggest relatively low toxicity via oral and inhalation routes, but slight dermal toxicity and dermal/eye irritation. Others list it as a hazard to the lungs if swallowed and extremely toxic to aquatic organisms (9). 

Some tests have shown it is as effective as DEET, but overall there are very few public studies comparing the efficacy to other repellents. 

Picaridin

Picaridin is based on the piperidine molecule, a chemical found in some pepper plants. Evidence suggests that picaridin poses little risk. There is the possibility for skin and eye irritation, but these adverse reactions appear to be rare. There have been no evidence of endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, or carcinogenic effects to humans. 

One study of US Poision Control calls between January 2000 and May 2015 found all calls concerning picaridin were easily able to be handled at home, except one (8).

The EPA indicates a concentration of 20% effective against mosquitoes and ticks for 8-14 hours. The 10% concentration is effective for 3.5-8 hours. It is recommended by the CDC for use in malaria-endemic areas. 

Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE) / p-Menthane-3,8,diol (PMD)

Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE) is refined from oil extracted from the Corymbia citriodora (lemon-scented gum) plant.

The main bug-repelling component of OLE is a chemical called p-Menthane-3,8,diol (PMD).

While the safety isn’t as well studied, OLE/PMD is generally considered less toxic than DEET, and considered to pose little risk when used according to the label. However, it can still be irritating to the eyes. OLE tends to provide similar protection as DEET, but for shorter durations. 

30% concentration offers complete protection for 4-6 hours against ticks and several Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex species of mosquitoes (Poison Control). Recommended by the CDC for malaria-enedmic areas, but requires more frequent application than DEET. 

Should not be used on children under 3.

Safety has not been well studied in this group. 

Essential Oil

Bug sprays using essential oils will typically contain a combination of citronella, cedar wood, peppermint, lemongrass, eucalyptus, thyme, tea tree, and/or rosemary that naturally repel bugs. 

These blends would be considered the least toxic of all the above, but they are typically the least effective as well. Depending on where you live, and how your child reacts to bites, this may or may not be the best option for you. 

Sources:

1 Koren G, Matsui D, Bailey B. DEET-based insect repellents: safety implications for children and pregnant and lactating women. CMAJ. 2003 Aug 5;169(3):209-12. Erratum in: CMAJ. 2003 Aug 19;169(4):283. PMID: 12900480; PMCID: PMC167123.

2 Swale DR, Sun B, Tong F, Bloomquist JR. Neurotoxicity and mode of action of N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET). PLoS One. 2014 Aug 7;9(8):e103713. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103713. PMID: 25101788; PMCID: PMC4125160.

3 Haleem ZM, Yadav S, Cushion ML, Tanner RJ, Carek PJ, Mainous AG. Exposure to N,N-Diethyl-Meta-Toluamide Insect Repellent and Human Health Markers: Population Based Estimates from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Aug;103(2):812-814. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0226. Epub 2020 May 21. PMID: 32458781; PMCID: PMC7410448.

4 hopkinsallchildrens.org/Patients-Families/Health-Library/HealthDocNew/Are-Insect-Repellents-With-DEET-Safe-for-Kids-(1) healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Insect-Repellents.aspx

5 Corbel V, Stankiewicz M, Pennetier C, Fournier D, Stojan J, Girard E, Dimitrov M, Molgó J, Hougard JM, Lapied B. Evidence for inhibition of cholinesterases in insect and mammalian nervous systems by the insect repellent deet. BMC Biol. 2009 Aug 5;7:47. doi: 10.1186/1741-7007-7-47. Erratum in: BMC Biol. 2012;10:86. PMID: 19656357; PMCID: PMC2739159.

6 https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2009/08/study-finds-that-mosquito-repellent-deet-affects-nervous-system/

6.2 poison.org/articles/insect-repellent#:~:text=Picaridin%20is%20not%20known%20to,under%202%20years%20of%20age.

7 Reynoso MMN, Seccacini EA, Calcagno JA, Zerba EN, Alzogaray RA. Toxicity, repellency and flushing out in Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) exposed to the repellents DEET and IR3535. PeerJ. 2017 May 18;5:e3292. doi: 10.7717/peerj.3292. PMID: 28533956; PMCID: PMC5438576.

9 https://datasheets.scbt.com/sc-238220.pdf

8 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15563650.2016.1186806