RepelPlant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent, Mosquito Repellent, Pump Spray, 4 Ounce, (Pack of 2)

Update 11/10/2014:Executive summary or tl;dr: When applied correctly, this works as well as DEET on mosquitoes. Approved by governmental agencies for use in malaria-prone areas. EXTREMELY SMELLY. Buy and use it with confidence.I have been using this product to repel mosquitoes exclusively for seven years. I became so confident in it that I volunteered to survey wildlife in New England bogs and swamps for six years running. I can't think of a better test than standing around in prime mosquito territory for four hours at a time just daring them to bite. It works every time and they don't get their free lunch. I also used it in Alaska, Kenya, and India and was NEVER BITTEN.This is the only non-DEET product that the International Travel Clinic at Dartmouth-Hitchcock recommends to those with destinations in malaria-prone countries, and oil of lemon eucalyptus is one of only two non-DEET chemicals approved by the CDC.There are many reviews here that say this product didn't work well for them. I wonder if it may be that some people are not applying it correctly. This is an oil, not an aerosol, and it must be applied like sunscreen. The pump is merely for convenience. You spray some on, and then rub it over the entire area to be protected. If you fail to cover everything, the mosquitoes will home in on the uncovered area and bite there instead. You must apply this to your skin UNDER your clothes! Mosquitoes can bite through jeans, so thin summer shirts and shorts are no barrier to them.You must also apply enough of the oil. If you stretch it too thin, it will not protect you. I cannot overstate how PUNGENT this stuff is; I wonder if some people don't apply enough because of the strong smell. You may have to try different amounts a few times until you find the amount that works right for you. Still, you don't have to slather on half a bottle or anything. The quickest I've ever gone through a supply was the one summer where I spent four days a week of swamp slogging with eight hours logged each day, and that only used one bottle. I'm pretty sure most people won't need nearly as much.You must re-apply the oil at regular intervals. The effectiveness will wear off long BEFORE the smell does, so many people may think they are still protected when they are not. Re-apply every four to six hours. As an oil, this stuff is somewhat water resistant, but you will have to reapply sooner if you are swimming.Another reason why people may think this isn't working is because it only keeps the mosquitoes from biting. It won't keep them from seeking you out. This is because it does not jam their long range radar, only the short range. A mosquito tracks potential prey using different senses when hunting for a potential lunch, than when it is looking for the safest place to bite an already discovered one. What happens with this stuff is they get close, and then get really confused. It's like they can see you until they get within a foot, and then you disappear. You can have several mosquitoes hovering around you, but none of them can find a good place to bite. They eventually give up and look for a less confusing blood source.Lemon Eucalyptus will NOT work for you if you primarily want to repel black flies, ticks, or chiggers. In my experience, it is only so-so in repelling deer flies.Finally, this stuff is AMAZINGLY SMELLY. In outdoor environments, this usually isn't a problem. But you really, really, really don't want to apply it before getting in a small enclosed space like an elevator or a car. Even outside, some people will hate the smell, others like it better than the DEET spray alternatives. It kinda smells like cough drops mixed with citronella. Unlike most repellents, the smell does not fade much with time. You are going to smell like this until you shower. If you wore clothes over it, they will smell of it until they are washed. But I think the smell is a small price to pay to stay bite-free.Original review from 2007:I am allergic to Deet. I've been the one at the back of the camping/hiking/fishing trips silently feeding millions of mosquitoes and other biting insects in misery for years- until now. I've tried everything on the market and was always disappointed, since all the deet free products I tried either triggered my allergies or just plain didn't work. This year, my doctor recommended I try the deet-free Repel, and I am sold. The difference is like night and day. We took it on a trip photographing butterflies and dragonflies in swamps in the Rio Grande Valley, TX, and came away bite free. Didn't work on chiggers, but I don't think it's supposed to. I'm not sure it lasts as long as the deet-containing products- my husband started using it exclusively as well, and he has to apply it more often than the Off or Cutter products he used to use. But I'm talking a drop from six hours of effectiveness to four, hardly a problem if you have room in your pack to carry the stuff. Also, it smells like Eucalyptus, which some people don't like, and you will smell of it for HOURS, even after it has lost it's effectiveness or until you take a shower.

Pleasantly surprised. I just moved to a rural area and bugs are a serious nuisance. Yesterday I sat outside and flies were everywhere. I sprayed this on my skin and clothing, and poof....no more flies tormenting me. We have biting horse flies in the country. I reapplied a couple of times during the day, but this goes a long way. I'm very pleased because I love the outdoors, and this has no poisonous Deet! I hope it's just as effective when mosquitoes season starts.

I recently developed Skeeter Syndrome (google it) so I definitely need some sort of repellant during warmer months. We went on a trip to Costa Rica last week and it was advised that we use repellant that was at least 95% DEET especially since we were spending a lot of time hiking in the rain forests. Bought this repellant and sprayed it on 3 out of the 7 days we were there. Why only 3 days. Well TBH, I was lazy (more on that) and on a couple of occasions I was covered with a rain poncho or pants so figured I didn't need it.I got 10 mosquito bites in total. To be fair, a few of them are in areas that are easily missed by repellant (ie, back of hand, knee caps, back fold of knee) and they weren't that itchy. I am confident that if I sprayed the repellant on me every day, I would have far fewer bites.So all-in-all I believe this repellant works really well. I deducted a star because it's unpleasantly oily though and the bottle leaked after the first use. This is why I was so lazy in using it is because it was so messy! I have empty travel spray bottles where I will transfer the product so it doesn't leak. Thank goodness I placed the bottle in an extra ziploc bag in my suitcase on the way home as when I unpacked, there was a good 2-3tsp of liquid collected in the bottom of the bag that escaped from the bottle! So beware of this! Also, if you bring this with you in your backpack, make sure to have wipes. It's terribly oily and you'll probably need something to wipe your hands afterward. The nice thing is that this stuff has zero smell so you won't be walking around smelling like chemicals. which I HATE. A little goes a long way so you won't have to douse yourself with this either and your skin stays soft and moisturized instead of dry and chalking like with other spray (aerosol) repellants. Just be careful with the bottle if you travel with it in case it leaks like mine did.

This stuff is great. I grew up in Louisiana. I personally know people who have contracted malaria. When I say I know mosquitos, I mean that I know mosquitoes. This stuff works great. Keeps the buggers away. Banana shown for scale. A little goes a long way. It's not like sunblock where you have to cover all exposed skin. I spritz some on my clothes and the smell keeps them away.

My family spends alot of time outdoors, so we need am insect repellent that actually works. We live next to a creek and have wooded acreage next to us, so it's common to see lots of bugs around our house. Since we've been using this spray, we've been able to enjoy our time outside. This has 98.11% deet and repels mosquitoes, ticks, gnats, chiggers, no see ums, and so much more. There is no foul chemical scent and it's easy to apply. I trust this for my family and you can too!

This is great! Amazing... just a few spritz on hands - wipe on legs, arms neck, no mosquitoes will bother you

Bottle leaked inside of shipping box

Good product. It delivers. It even sprays upside down!