A synthetic version of it is called
DEET, picaridin, and natural oils like lemon and eucalyptus oil are all very common and safe ingredients found in bug repellent. Some people prefer to stay away from DEET, as it can burn when it gets in your eyes and often comes with a potent smell.
Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. EPA's helpful search tool can help you find the product that best suits your needs.
As with DEET, the EPA has concluded that the normal use of picaridin does not present a health concern. Studies have shown picaridin to be slightly more effective than DEET in repelling mosquitoes, and equally as effective as DEET against ticks.
People that have left DEET products on their skin for extended periods of time have experienced irritation, redness, a rash, and swelling. People that have swallowed products containing DEET have experienced stomach upset, vomiting, and nausea. Very rarely, exposure to DEET has been associated with seizures in people.
Kim said a 1991 review found many cases where high DEET concentrations were linked to severe skin reactions and neurological problems including seizures. Doctors also onsidered DEET to be the probable cause of the deaths of three children, although the link was not proven, she said.
DEET: Highly effective, used for decades, but may cause irritation and has environmental concerns. DEET-Free: Safer for skin, suitable for children and pregnant women, and eco-friendly, though reapplication may be needed more frequently.
Picaridin: Though it's been around for fewer decades, its efficacy is considered comparable to DEET for mosquitoes and ticks, and it works better on flies. Picaridin also has minimal odor and no damaging effect on plastics and other synthetics.
The U.S. EPA considered picaridin to be slightly toxic for acute dermal and ocular exposure. Picaridin is not considered a skin irritant and is not a sensitizer, but it can cause slight to moderate eye irritation.
Yes: DEET. A repellent with DEET tells mosquitos to buzz off loud and clear. You'll need one with at least 20% DEET to protect your skin for several hours at a time, although more than 50% doesn't work any better (kids should use 10%-30%).
Mosquitoes are turned off by several natural scents, including citronella, peppermint, cedar, catnip, patchouli, lemongrass, lavender and more. You can add some of these plants to your landscaping to fend them off.
There is simply no evidence taking vitamin B will offer any significant protection from mosquito bites. In reality, if there was even moderate scientific evidence that taking a vitamin supplement could prevent mosquito bites, our supermarket shelves would be full of “mosquito repellent pills”.
Picaridin has been widely used as an insect repellent in Europe and Australia, but has only been available in the United States since 2005.
Things to Avoid
Avoid using an insect repellent with any chemical percentage, like DEET, higher than 30% on kids. Avoid using insect repellent that also includes sunscreen. “What parents may sometimes do is want to reapply the bug spray for the sunscreen protection,” she says. “But then they're overusing the product.
Studies have shown that Picaridin is effective, safe and has fewer unpleasant qualities than DEET.
Picaridin has been classified as not likely to be a human carcinogen. Because of Picaridin's unusual use pattern (direct application to human skin), the Agency believes it is prudent to require clear, common sense use directions and restrictions on Picaridin product labels.
DEET has been classified as a Group D carcinogen (not classifiable as a human carcinogen.) Although DEET's use has been implicated in seizures among children, the Agency believes that the incident data are insufficient to establish DEET as the cause of the reported effects.
If used improperly, such as if someone swallows it or applies too much, DEET can cause severe health effects like seizures, low blood pressure, uncoordinated movements or death, Dr. Kennedy said. But those cases are rare — seizures, for example, occur only once in every 100 million uses, according to the E.P.A.
Picaridin was first registered for use by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 2001. Products containing Picaridin first became available in the U.S. market in 2005, and it has been widely used in rest of the world.
In recent years, concerns have surfaced about the use of the insect repellent DEET. There have been a small number of serious neurotoxic effects reported in small children, as well as documented mosquito resistance and accumulation of DEET in some public waterways.
taking Vitamin B1 and Vitamin B12 supplements. eating garlic or yeast extracts, or applying them to your skin. using bath oils and skin softeners.
They're often marketed as providing “natural” protection from mosquitoes. But unfortunately, they aren't a reliable way to prevent mosquito bites.