Avon's Skin So Soft Bug Guard uses picaridin which is supposed to be an effective alternative to DEET. I've read about it in a few magazines who recommend it but have not used it myself. I think cutter makes one with that ingredient also. Here is an article from The Green Guide also:
Pest Control—Insect Repellent
THE SOLUTIONS
DEET-Free Repellents
Playing Frisbee on the beach may not be possible in long pants and hiking boots, and draining your local wetland is likely to put the bird population in a tizzy, so sometimes common sense insect barriers are not an option. If you need to use insect repellents, there are DEET-free, herbal products available. They are generally less effective than DEET-based repellents (and more expensive), but frequent reapplication might compensate for their short-lived action. To ward off biting bugs, they rely on botanical oils, such as citronella, soybean, cedar, verbena, pennyroyal, geranium, lavender, pine, cajuput, cinnamon, rosemary, basil, thyme, allspice, garlic, and peppermint. You may have to travel farther than your corner drugstore to find them, however, as most are available only at natural foods stores or by mail order. Unfortunately, we cannot vouch for their effectiveness, as only one, Bite Blocker, was tested in a June 2000 rating of insect repellents in Consumer Reports. Here is a sampling of least-toxic insect repellents:
Bite Blocker, made with soybean and coconut oils, was rated by Consumer Reports as effective against mosquitoes for 1 to 4 hours. It was the most effective DEET-free product that they tested.
www.biteblocker.com
Green Ban, a combination of citronella, peppermint, soybean, cajuput, tea tree, lavender, bergamot, calendula, galbanum, and myrrh oils, was not tested by Consumer Reports but contains some of the same ingredients that were found to be effective in Bite Blocker. At natural foods stores.
All Terrain Herbal Armor is another option. It is made of a combination of citronella, peppermint, cedar, lemongrass, and geranium oils, in a base containing beeswax and soybean oil, among other ingredients. (This product contains the preservatives methylparaben and propylparaben, which some consumers might want to avoid, as they may act like estrogens.)
www.allterrainco.com
Burt's Bees Lemongrass Insect Lotion contains oils of grapeseed, lemongrass, citronella, eucalyptus, and rosemary.
www.burtsbees.com
Lakon Herbals Bygone Bugzz is made with oils of sunflower, eucalyptus, rosemary, birch, peppermint, geranium and lemongrass.
www.lakonherbals.com
Buzz Away repellents contain cedarwood, citronella, peppermint, eucalyptus and lemongrass oils.
www.quantumhealth.com
Cutter's Advanced long lasting insect repellents are picaridin-based.
www.cutterinsectrepellent.com.
Bed netting permeated with pyrethroid insecticides, such as the Mombasa Defender Mosquito Net, is a useful shield that minimizes contact with skin and clothing.
www.rei.com.
Some people might have allergic reactions even to natural plant oils, so keep an eye out for rashes and respiratory distress. Note that Avon's Skin So Soft did little to repel mosquitoes in Consumer Reports' test.
Prudent Use of DEET
Where insect-borne disease is of concern, the extremely rare health problems associated with DEET may be outweighed by its remarkable efficacy in preventing insect bites. If you decide that you wish to use DEET-containing repellents, here are a few risk-reducing tips:
Select a product formulated with 10% DEET or less, as recommended by the American Society of Pediatrics. Such levels have been shown to be effective in repelling mosquitoes yet minimize exposure levels. Some products containing low levels of DEET include Off! Skintastic and Cutter Just for Kids.
Avoid products that combine sunscreen with insect repellent. Sunscreen should be applied copiously and often, whereas reducing exposure to DEET requires applying as little as possible.
Do not apply to children's hands or face, to reduce potential contact with eyes or ingestion.
Do not apply on cuts, wounds, or sunburned skin.
Apply as little as possible, to exposed skin only. Be conservative about reapplication, following label directions regarding length of effectiveness.
Never use under clothing.
Wash product off with soap and water when coming indoors.
(for the entire article (there's a section on prevention etc) go here:
http://www.thegreenguide.com/reports...ml?id=11&sec=2
