Skin-Applied Repellent Ingredients

The following are active ingredients in EPA-registered skin-applied insect repellents:

• Catnip oil -- EPA pesticide regulatory information (Nepeta cataria, also known as catmint) (4 products)
• Oil of citronella (3 registered products; also used in unregistered products that meet the requirements for exemption from registration)
  • EPA pesticide regulatory information
  • National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) citronella fact sheet 
• DEET (more than 500 products)
• IR 3535 -- EPA pesticide regulatory information (3-[N-Butyl-N-acetyl]-aminopropionic acid, ethyl ester) (about 45 products)
• p-Menthane-3,8-diol (pmd) -- EPA pesticide regulatory information (6 products)
• Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (contains pmd, but is a separately regulated pesticide chemical) (6 products)
• Picaridin (about 40 products)
  • EPA pesticide regulatory information
  • NPIC picaridin fact sheet 
• 2-undecanone -- EPA pesticide regulatory information (or methyl nonyl ketone) (1 product)

Read about EPA regulation of skin-applied insect repellents