We tried it: What are the best natural mosquito repellents?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the most effective mosquito repellents are the ones containing any of the five chemicals that are approved and registered with the FDA: DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus (aka OLE or PMD), IR3535, and 2-undecanone.

The CDC especially recommends using one of these repellents when you’re in a place that is heavily populated with mosquitoes.

Although chemical repellents like DEET get a lot of negative attention, most medical and scientific experts — including the Environmental Working Group — agree that when used as directed, these substances are much safer than people assume — and definitely safer than an infected mosquito.

Nevertheless, many people — including me — prefer to save the big guns like DEET for a deep-woods camping trip and use natural repellents for everyday protection in the backyard.

Since essential oils are generally regarded as safe (GRAS) by the EPA, the agency hasn’t evaluated their effectiveness against mosquitoes. This leads some people to believe that essential oil repellents aren’t effective — but that simply isn’t true.

According to Colorado State University, some essential oils are just as effective at repelling mosquitoes as picaridin and DEET. The only downside is they tend to evaporate quickly — so you have to reapply them often.

Cornell University explores minimum-risk pesticides, including these well-studied essential oils that just happen to be ingredients in the three natural repellents I tried:

Heat and humidity are my glory, but I’m definitely in the minority around these parts, because as soon as the temps hit 70 degrees fahrenheit, Nebraska cranks up the A/C, and every enclosed structure in the state becomes a walk-in cooler.

This is my office from mid-May to mid-September. It’s situated on the side patio under the dense canopy of the pear tree and just 18 inches away from the giant fire bushes behind me. Mosquitoes love it here, and if I’m not diligent with the repellent, I get plenty bitten up while I work — especially in the evenings, and most notably after it rains.

The three plant-based mosquito repellents I tried are vegan and cruelty-free. They’re all free of DEET and other synthetic chemicals, and they’re considered safe to use on infants older than six months, kids, elders, people with allergies, and the immunocompromised.

But just because essential oil mosquito repellents are considered safe doesn’t mean they’re for everybody — allergic reactions to plant oils are common. If you have any plant allergies, try the repellent on a small patch of skin first. Also, because of pesky biology, not everyone gets the same level of protection using the same oils.

It’s very important to reapply any mosquito repellent after the amount of time stated on the label. But while you should never apply conventional repellents more often than directed, it’s perfectly okay to spritz, wipe, or slather yourself as frequently as you wish with natural repellents made with essential oils.

Aunt Fannie’s Mosquito Spray comes in a rectangular, clear plastic bottle that’s compact enough to fit in a small purse or big pocket. Aunt Fannie’s Mosquito Wipes are packaged in a plastic dispensing box, also compact enough for purses and pockets. Both options contain the same ingredients, including citronella, lemongrass, and peppermint essential oils, soybean oil, and vitamin E.

The first thing I noticed about Aunt Fannie’s was the luscious scent. It smells like a citronella candle, but more complex — it’s crisp and citrusy, woodsy and earthy.

The second thing I noticed is that both the insect repellent wipes and the spray are quite oily. Soybean oil base, however, improves protection, slows the evaporation of the volatile essential oils, and it makes your skin gloriously soft. Thus, the oiliness could be a fair trade-off.

Just don’t touch your clothes after you rub it in unless you want grease stains. (If you do get it on your clothes, read these tips for removing oil stains from clothes

Directions for use: “Apply evenly over exposed skin every four hours.”

For three days, while I worked on the patio, I alternated spraying and wiping Aunt Fannie’s on the front side of my left leg. I left the front side of my right leg fully unprotected.

As you can see, Aunt Fannie’s did a bang-up job of protecting half of me from bites.

My Murphy’s Naturals Mosquito Repellent Balm came in a cute little tin, which makes my heart beat just a little bit faster. It’s small enough to slip in a pocket and take with you but also small enough to lose.

And at times, I struggled with opening the tin but finally discovered a hack — just press your thumbnail into the gap, and slide it all the way around. Once I got it open, the scent made up for the trouble. It’s wonderfully citrusy and fresh. It's also worth noting that the directions for use leave out how often to reapply, in which case, I just used my best judgment.

For those same three days, I slathered the back of my right leg with Murphy’s and left the back of my left leg alone. The balm is pretty solid at first — hi, beeswax! — then as it warms up under the heat of your fingers, it softens.

Applying it to a large area of skin can be tedious. You have to rub your fingers on the balm and then rub the balm into your skin.Each two-finger load only covers a couple of square inches, so it takes a while to get full coverage.

Difficulties aside, Murphy’s Naturals Mosquito Repellent Balm did what it was supposed to do, as you can see in the photo opposite.