Good Mosquito Repellent

Repelling mosquitoes is important for health and comfort at outdoor gatherings. Sorting through the claims and features of various repellents ensures that you'll find the most effective option.

Features

• According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most effective active ingredients in mosquito repellent are DEET, picaridin, IR3535 and oil of lemon eucalyptus. The three latter ingredients used at 20 percent concentrations are as effective as products that include DEET. General mosquito repellents for adults typically contain 15 to 40 percent DEET.

Considerations

• An effective repellent used on clothing and other materials is permethrin. It also keeps ticks away and remains effective after your clothes are washed.

Warning

• Electronic devices touted for emitting an ultrasonic sound that repels mosquitoes have not been shown to work. Companies advertising these repellents have been told to stop their false advertising; beware of these devices.

Expert Insight

• Plants can be used to repel mosquitoes, but only if their leaves are crushed. Lemon thyme leaves, rubbed onto the skin, provide 62 percent of the effectiveness of DEET, while citrosa leaves are 30 to 40 percent as effective as DEET.