Brands of Mosquito Repellent

• Mosquito repellent keeps mosquitoes away and prevents bites. Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images

  Various products on the market provide protection against mosquito bites. The effectiveness of the mosquito repellent product depends on the type of active ingredient and the concentration. Some common active ingredients include DEET, picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus. Generally, higher concentrations of these products provide more efficiency or longer protection.

DEET

• University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension calls DEET the gold standard for insect repellents. Products that use DEET provide two to eight hours of protection against mosquitoes, biting flies, midges, chiggers, fleas and ticks. Many mosquito repellents use DEET as an active ingredient. OFF! Skintastic for Kids (4.75%) lasts for 1.5 hours, while OFF! Skintastic (6.65%) lasts for two hours. Cutter Unscented (10%) prevents bites for two to three hours. Sawyer Controlled Release (20%) provides protection for four hours and OFF! Deep Woods (23.8%) lasts for five hours. Generally, a concentration of 10 to 30 percent provides sufficient protection for casual use. Concentrations higher than 30 percent provide no additional protection but last longer. DEET could damage plastics, leather and synthetic fabrics. It also has an odor and a greasy feel.

Picaridin

• People in Europe, Australia, Latin America and Asia have been using mosquito repellents containing picaridin for years, but it only entered the U.S. market in 2005. Unlike DEET, picaridin does not have odors and does not feel greasy. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, picaridin products on the market include "Cutter Advanced Insect Repellent (7%), Cutter Advanced Sport (15%), Avon Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard Plus Picaridin (10%), Goready Insect Repellent (20%), Off Family Care Insect Repellent (10%) and Walgreens Light and Clean Insect Repellent (7%)." Cutter Advanced (7% picaridin) and Cutter Unscented (10% DEET) have similar levels of effectiveness.

Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus

• The active ingredient p-menthane 3,8-diol, or PMD, comes from the oil of the lemon eucalyptus plant. PMD from oil of lemon eucalyptus provides protection similar to products with low concentrations of DEET, but essential oil of lemon eucalyptus has no proven efficiency. University of Nebraska-Lincoln provides examples of oil of lemon eucalyptus products, including "Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent Lotion (30%), Repel Plant Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent (40%), Cutter Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent (30%) and Off Botanicals Insect Repellent (10%)." A product containing 40 percent oil of lemon eucalyptus lasts for about six hours. PMD-based products can irritate the eyes.