DEET Free Insect Repellent
DEET is an abbreviation for N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, a chemical developed by the United States Army and made available to the general public in the mid 20th century. When applied correctly to clothing or skin, DEET will provide several hours of protection against biting insects.
While DEET has long been chosen as an insect repellent because it has very effective insect repelling properties, there may be good reasons to choose DEET free insect repellents instead.
Why Choose DEET Free Insect Repellent?
* Some people are sensitive to DEET and there are reports of it causing skin reactions and eye irritations
* Many people would simply prefer not to put chemicals on their skin and would rather use natural products
* DEET can have a chemically smell and a greasy feel (although the newer repellents may be more pleasant to use)
* DEET can be damaging to plastics and other man made materials including glasses, clothing and jewellery because it is a solvent
* There is also a slight question mark over DEET's environmental safety, due to concerns that it may be toxic to certain species of fish
Insect Repellents Containing no DEET
There is a range of DEET free insect repellents and natural insect repellents that will provide several hours of protection against insect bites. Ecoguard Wipes provide 3-5 hours of protection.
Some ingredients to look out for in DEET free insect repellents include picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus and citronella. Buzz Away Natural Insect Repellent contains citronella and other natural essential oils. Also soybean oil, geranium oil and peppermint oil have been reported as having insect repelling properties, but there is some debate over their effectiveness.
When deciding to use a DEET free insect repellent, choose an alternative repellent carefully and don't become vulnerable to attacks from mosquitoes or other biting insects, especially when in an area where there is a risk of insect-borne diseases such as malaria. In such circumstances, consider using a DEET free insect repellent such as Ecoguard Spray which provides up to eight hours of protection.
DEET has been used safely for decades, and it has been proven to provide excellent protection against insect bites. People are unlikely to suffer any ill effects if they use a repellent containing around 30 percent DEET and follow safety instructions.