For those who want a DEET-free formula but something other than an essential-oil-based blend, this product from Ranger Ready comes in a variety of scents, and provides up to 12 hours of protection from ticks and mosquitoes. If a product scored highest for more than one category, the product with the next highest score was selected for the subsequent category.
How Does Bug Spray Work? Specifically, mosquitoes can spread Zika, malaria and West Nile virus, while ticks can transmit Lyme disease, among other infections. To prevent bug bites, insect repellent keeps disease-spreading critters away.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC recommends only using insect repellents registered with the Environmental Protection Agency EPA , which considers insect repellents containing the following active ingredients as providing reasonable, long-lasting protection against disease-carrying insects:. The CDC notes that not all repellents are created equal. Developed by the U. Yet, despite hundreds of products containing DEET being registered with the EPA, consumers have health concerns about the active ingredient.
However, when used correctly, DEET is generally not considered harmful. While some insect repellents can have a chemical-like odor—potentially making people wary of their safety—remember that these products prevent bug bites that could carry infectious diseases.
As long as you opt for EPA-registered insect repellents , you can consider your bug spray safe, even for pregnant or breastfeeding women. As with just about any product you apply directly onto your body, one thing to be vigilant of is a potential allergic reaction, says Dr. Engaleman, noting that DEET products, in particular, have been linked to dermatitis in some individuals.
The Forbes Health editorial team analyzed more than 30 best-selling insect repellents to determine its Best Bug Sprays of Insect repellents that were considered had to be EPA-registered products. Factors analyzed included:. Information provided on Forbes Health is for educational purposes only.
Your health and wellness is unique to you, and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment plans. For personal advice, please consult with a medical professional.
Forbes Health adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. Select Region. United States. United Kingdom. Health body. Advertiser Disclosure. By Sarah Berger. Commissions we earn from partner links on this page do not affect our opinions or evaluations. Our editorial content is based on thorough research and guidance from the Forbes Health Advisory Board.
The Best Bug Sprays. Buy Now. On Amazon. Our ratings take into account a variety of factors including active ingredients, duration of effectiveness, cost and more. Average Cost. Active Ingredient. Why We Picked It. The OFF! Up to 8 hours of protection Unscented Pump spray formula. This effective and affordable bug spray from Repel has a heavier DEET formula than our first top pick and works on clothing, too. Around 8 to 10 hours of protection Unscented Aerosol and pump spray formulas.
Botanicals Insect Repellent IV. P-Menthane-3 formula. Up to 2 hours of protection Unscented Spritz and lotion formulas. Cutter Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent. Up to 6 hours of protection Lemon eucalyptus scent Pump spray formula. This means it has the same repellency strength, but the effective duration is not as long—up to 10 hours instead of up to 12 hours.
It works, but for less time. Its locking cap is a design improvement many aerosol sprays lack. Like the other permethrin sprays we looked at, each application of this one provides about six washings or six weeks, whichever comes first of protection. A ounce size is also available. We have more tick advice including what to do if you find one on you here. While researching this guide, we spoke with Joe Conlon, then the technical adviser of the American Mosquito Control Association.
Prior to his retirement in , Conlon had been a medical entomologist since , and in that time he has published dozens of articles and presented more than invited papers to various universities, public health associations, and mosquito control groups.
He has conducted mosquito control operations or on-site consultations in 34 countries. We also spoke with the Environmental Protection Agency to learn more about its extensive approval process for repellent chemicals. This process is so thorough that nearly every word on a can or bottle of repellent is under the purview of the EPA. We then develop a label that tracks with the data conclusions and the safety standards in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.
The NPIC is a treasure trove of fully referenced repellent information, with comprehensive directories for each chemical and extensive links out to relevant EPA documents and peer-reviewed studies.
The Environmental Working Group , a non-profit research and advocacy organization focused on environmental and health issues, also offers detailed, well-supported research on repellent chemicals, which we reviewed.
We also talked to Travis Avery, sales and marketing director of Sawyer Products. Avery talked with us about DEET and plastic, in addition to answering some general questions about picaridin and the EPA approval process. Mosquitoes and ticks are not only annoying, but a single bite can cause some serious problems. I live in New Hampshire, and in the past 15 years, I have been treated for Lyme five times. I was lucky to spot it by the telltale bullseye rash not everyone does.
And on two of the occasions, I had to undertake the four-week course of the antibiotic treatment doxycycline, which is awful in its own right. I also have family members who have been deeply affected by Lyme. This map of West Nile incidence in shows cases in 40 states and the District of Columbia. Because these findings rely on a person seeking care and the medical provider actually reporting the case, the prevalence of bug-borne disease is likely worse than even the CDC says. The fact that mosquitoes can, indeed, transmit a number of pathogens is extraordinary.
Instead, Conlon told us, the coronavirus is actually digested by the mosquito. This is in no way unique: Ebola, HIV, rabies, and other viruses are not transmitted by mosquitoes. But even though mosquitoes and ticks are not direct vectors of the coronavirus, they can play a role in its severity.
The heart of any bottle of bug spray is the repellent chemical, so we started there before digging into specific products. To cut to the chase, our research led us to picaridin, a repellent chemical endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. But we began our search considering all options, using expert guidance to determine what mattered most when seeking a formula to recommend.
To meet EPA approval, a chemical must undergo extensive testing and evaluation for efficacy, safety, and the potential for environmental hazards. Because these chemicals are classified as pesticides, the EPA not only approves each repellent chemical for use but also each specific product that includes that chemical. This approval extends all the way to the specific labeling on the bottle, including efficacy times, application procedures, and storage and handling.
Store shelves are loaded with repellents that are not approved by the EPA. Most of these are based on essential oils, including cedar oil, lemongrass oil, peppermint oil, and citronella oil.
The fact is, essential oils make terrible bug repellents. Conlon told us that many of these have some effectiveness, but that it lasts for a very limited time. Yes, it is. Is it a good repellent? But like DEET, picaridin does have a proven track record of safety. It appears that after a certain concentration, a maximum effectiveness is reached and additional concentration only leads to a longer protection time. Minimal drawbacks: Aside from picaridin, the other EPA-approved repellents that we considered have at least one major drawback.
Oil of lemon eucalyptus PDF also available as the synthetic PMD is an extract of the eucalyptus tree and not approved for use on anyone under the age of 3 picaridin and DEET are both approved for babies as young as 2 months of age. After testing, we realized that the biggest drawback to OLE-based repellents is that they smell really, really, really bad. We also evaluated a number of products containing permethrin , which is particularly useful against ticks and is also EPA-approved.
Unlike the others, permethrin is meant to be used on clothing and gear like a backpack or tent , but not directly on skin. Permethrin should be used in addition to a skin-applied repellent, not in lieu of one. Once properly applied to clothing, permethrin remains effective for roughly six washings. When used correctly, permethrin is extremely effective.
A decent spray bottle: A good repellent is wasted in a bad bottle. The best ones apply repellent in an even coat with limited overspray. Kids are squirmy, so getting repellent on them takes precision, as does applying spray to the neck and shoulder area. Locking caps are also a plus, prohibiting an accidental spray and providing one more barrier for a curious child to overcome.
We looked at both pump sprays and aerosols. Some manufacturers offer repellent lotions. We have more thoughts on these below. We did not test for efficacy of the individual repellents for a few reasons.
First, there are simply too many variables to account for in order for us to make sweeping statements on repellency. Is the spray nice and even? Does the repellent bottle have any safety features?
Is it likely to activate when stuffed into a backpack? Are there any overwhelming odors? Compared with the other picaridin-based repellents we looked at, the Sawyer pump spray applies repellent the most evenly, with the least amount of overspray. As we outlined above , this chemical has the most positives and the fewest negatives of any EPA-approved repellent.
Compared with other pump sprays, the Sawyer offers the most even cloud of repellent. With the Sawyer repellent, it was easiest to get even coverage on an arm or a leg. Aerosol sprays are much harder to control and result in a lot more overspray. They also make it difficult to spray areas near the face, like the shoulders.
This is much harder with an aerosol can. As a pump spray, this repellent is sold in 3-ounce and 4-ounce sizes. You might find a twin pack for a per-unit discount—retailers tend to rearrange the configurations, so poke around.
It is also available in a 6-ounce aerosol twin pack , which offers a continuous spray. We found it harder to use than the pump spray, but it offers the same protection if the pump spray is out of stock or if you simply prefer the aerosol format. The only real downside to the Sawyer picaridin repellent is that it had a slight off-smell to it when we first applied it. Once it dried, which took only a couple of minutes, the odor dissipated to nearly nothing, so this is only a minor gripe.
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