Insect Repellent Awareness Day

When used as directed, insect repellents that contain DEET are considered safe for most people, including children over 2 months old and pregnant women. Regulatory agencies like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have reviewed DEET extensively and found no evidence of chronic health problems when products are applied according to label instructions, such as using the lowest effective concentration, avoiding broken skin, and washing treated skin after returning indoors.

DEET, picaridin, and oil of lemon eucalyptus are all proven to repel mosquitoes and other biting insects, but they differ in how long they work and how people tolerate them. DEET and picaridin generally provide the longest protection, especially at higher concentrations, while oil of lemon eucalyptus can offer strong protection for a somewhat shorter duration but is plant derived and often preferred by people who dislike synthetic repellents. Choosing between them usually depends on how long a person will be outdoors, local disease risk, and personal preference for feel or smell.

Many products marketed as natural repellents use essential oils such as citronella, peppermint, or rosemary, which may provide only short‑term or inconsistent protection compared with active ingredients that have been formally tested and registered, such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Health agencies caution that in areas where mosquito‑borne diseases like malaria, dengue, or Zika are a concern, travelers should rely on repellents that meet regulatory standards for effectiveness rather than untested home remedies or unregistered products.

Health authorities recommend using EPA‑registered products on children, following age limits and label directions carefully. Repellent should be applied to an adult’s hands first and then gently rubbed on the child’s exposed skin, avoiding hands, eyes, and mouth, and not used under clothing or on irritated skin. Products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under 3 years old, and combination sunscreen‑repellent products are discouraged because they may lead to overuse of repellent when sunscreen is reapplied frequently.

Public health guidelines indicate that pregnant and breastfeeding women can safely use EPA‑registered insect repellents, including those with DEET, when they follow product instructions. Because infections such as Zika, malaria, and other mosquito‑borne diseases can pose serious risks to both mother and baby, experts generally agree that the benefits of proper repellent use outweigh potential risks, and they advise combining repellent with other measures like long sleeves and bed nets in high‑risk areas.

People who want to limit repellent use can still significantly reduce bites by combining several physical and behavioral measures. These include wearing long sleeves and long pants treated with permethrin, using fine‑mesh bed nets, installing or repairing window screens, eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed, and avoiding outdoor activity at peak biting times such as dusk and dawn for many mosquito species. Repellent can then be reserved for exposed skin during higher‑risk situations instead of used continuously.

Bites from mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, and other vectors transmit a wide range of diseases, including malaria, dengue, Zika, Lyme disease, and leishmaniasis, which collectively cause hundreds of thousands of deaths and many more cases of long‑term illness every year. The World Health Organization estimates that vector‑borne diseases account for more than 17 percent of all infectious diseases globally, which is why personal protection measures like repellents, bed nets, and environmental control are central parts of public health strategies in many regions.