Heard the buzz?
No, not the pesky sound of mosquitoes—we mean the “buzz” about non-toxic bug spray.
We all know mosquitoes are a real itch. You’re out in the glory of the wilderness, the sun is shining, the crickets are chirping, the beer is in the cooler, and you’re invaded by a swarm of blood suckers.
Not only are mosquitoes a noisy, itchy nuisance, but in many parts of the world, they can lead to unwanted disease and infection like West Nile, dengue, Zika virus, and malaria.
In fact, mosquitoes kill more people than any other animal through their spread of disease.
Meanwhile, other creepy crawlies like ticks and biting flies are of equal concern, with tick-borne diseases like Lyme and spotted fever significantly on the rise.
Yet conventional bug sprays like OFF!® usually contain synthetic chemicals like DEET or picaridin, which are harmful to humans and pets.
So, we sourced natural bug sprays that are as safe as they are effective, not to mention formulated with ethically sourced ingredients.
We’ll soon be rolling out our Brand Rating System, which will assess brands across a variety of criteria, including their environmental impact and chemical use. Check out our explainer for more info.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
The Best Eco-Friendly Bug Sprays Naturally Stopping the Itch
Shark Tank winner Kinfield provides a truly clean bug spray with their Golder Hour DEET-free bug spray formula. This stuff manages to smell incredible to humans and repulsive to all the bugs we want at bay.
Say goodbye to getting badgered by bug bites with Badger’s Anti Bug Balm. Its tried, tested, true formula has buzzworthy gumption thanks to its proprietary essential oil blend of cedarwood, citronella, and lemongrass.
Index: Non-Toxic Insect Repellent Brands
- Meow Meow Tweet Jump to brand
- Badger Jump to brand
- Kinfield Jump to brand
Meow Meow Tweet
Meow Meow Tweet’s Bug Spray
Price Range: $25
As one of our favorite sustainable beauty brands, it’s no surprise that Meow Meow Tweet’s natural insect repellent spray is worth chirping about.
What is the safest bug spray to use?
Natural formulas that are free of synthetic chemicals like DEET in conventional bug repellent, so MMT’s fits the safety bill, plus it’s effective and all-natural.
Featuring certified organic lavender hydrosol and oil, apple cider vinegar, witch hazel, lemongrass oil, cedar oil, geranium oil, and pine needle oil, this botanical insect repellent uses only plant-based natural ingredients for repelling insects.
It also masks our natural human scents (sebum, sweat, and BO) that bugs love, which is why it has multipurpose uses as underarm and foot deodorizer.
The cedar essential oil specifically prevents tick bites.
About Meow Meow Tweet
Meow Meow Tweet helps make it easy for all people to choose plastic free, vegan, and zero waste skincare products.
Everything is small-batch crafted, featuring unrefined plant oils and cold-pressed essential oils to create fresh and next-to-nature products.
The brand is committed to low waste and the development of circular systems, plus their packaging is made from either compostable paper, glass, or recyclable metal.
They’re also certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny and Plastic Negative Certified through rePurpose Global.
To give back, MMT donates on a regular basis to a diverse list of charities.
Badger
Badger’s Insect Repellent
Price Range: $10
Never get badgered by pesky mosquito bites again thanks to Badger’s Anti Bug Balm, a natural oil insect repellent that uses only cruelty-free, and organic or natural ingredients.
You can be sure there are no synthetics, fake fragrances, chemicals (like DEET), parabens, phthalates, BPA, or GMOs, or plastic here.
Its base of organic castor oil and extra virgin olive oil moisturize and protect sensitive skin, while organic citronella oil, cedarwood, and lemongrass repel mosquitoes.
The formula also features organic rosemary oil and organic geranium oil, and while its organic beeswax doesn’t make it vegan, it’s Leaping Bunny Certified Cruelty-Free, plus USDA Certified Organic, making it the best organic bug spray for humans we’ve come across.
Badger bug spray balm comes packaged in a reusable or recyclable aluminum tin, and ships in packaging made from recycled content that is also recyclable.
This no-mess tin makes this effective product another of our personal favorite bug products, especially for travel and backpacking where liquids can be a hassle.
About Badger
Iconic, longstanding Certified B Corp Badger is an award-winning family-run company in New Hampshire providing body care products—including zero waste sunscreen and shaving bars—for nearly thirty years.
Everything is made domestically in the USA and features simple, effective and sustainable versions of common (and not-so-common) skin care products.
They’re also fair trade, USDA Organic, and NSF certified.
The brand provides generous benefits to workers as well as 10% of pre-tax profits to charity.
Kinfield
Kinfield’s Insect Repellent Spray
Price Range: $22
What is the strongest natural insect repellent?
The magic of golden hour can arrive ‘skeeter-free with Kinfield’s Golden Hour™ non-toxic mosquito spray.
We tested this in June in the mosquito infested Rocky Mountains so trust us when we say this stuff seriously works.
The DEET-free bug repellent has a first-of-its kind formula using a unique and highly effective strain of Indonesian citronella plus lemongrass essential oil, clove essential oil, lauric acid, and vanilla.
Thanks to these sweet-smelling essential oils, it actually smells good!
Plus, you can be sure the spray is paraben free, phthalate free, sulfate free, cruelty-free, vegan, and kid-friendly.
Start with a patch test to ensure you have no essential oil reactions. Then, spray liberally over your skin, face, or clothing and reapply every two hours.
If you forget to do that, they also offer Relief Balm (which we love for its cardboard tube applicator) for speedy relief from the dreaded itchiness.
The only critique we’ll make about this impressive healthy bug spray is its plastic bottle, which isn’t guaranteed to be made of recycled plastic and has to be recycled.
The pump must be sent back to the brand or to Terracycle, and we’re hoping for a refill system down the line since it’s that good! Kinfield does offer 40% off your next order if you send back empties (from any personal care brand!).
About Kinfield
Everything Kinfield offers—which also includes sunscreen and deodorant—is Vegan certified, Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free, and laboratory tested for safety and effectiveness.
They also choose to pay more for natural ingredients that are sustainably sourced and provide both a packaging recycled program and recycling directory of other brands who offer recycling programs.
They’re also Plastic Neutral, members of 1% for the Planet, Hawaii Reef Compliant, and ship waste-free while also using Corso as a shipping carbon offset.
Why Choose Non-Toxic Insect Repellent?
The buzz about traditional bug repellents is that they kill more than just the bugs—and that’s not a good thing.
Sorry for your insectophobia, but killing bugs also kills a delicate ecosystem (no bueno), plus the chemicals in many insect repellents are downright toxic to humans, especially babies and our pets.
More than a whopping 198 million Americans used repellent last year to combat ticks and mosquitoes, so natural solutions have never been more important.
The two main chemicals of issue are DEET (known to chemists as N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) and picaridin.
DEET:
While the internet (and even the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA) are inconclusive on DEET’s safety, here are some stats.
DEET is highly toxic if ingested, and because it’s technically a solvent, it can actually melt plastic—you know, that stuff a lot of your sustainable outdoor clothing is made of…
Exposure during pregnancy can lead to low birth weights and potentially seriously twisted birth defects.
Other DEET studies show it’s a neurotoxin and some studies associate it with nausea, vomiting, hypotension, encephalopathy, seizure, comas, and ataxia.
Despite the CDC denying that reliable evidence it causes cancer exists, one Swedish DEET study concluded that men who used insect repellent for 115 days or longer had a significant risk of developing testicular cancer.
Picaridin:
As with DEET, while the EPA concludes that the normal use of picaridin does not present a health concern, it also classifies it as a Category III toxin.
Picaridin is a synthetic created from a molecule in pepper plants. Legal for repellents in the US since 2005, its safety isn’t well studied yet.
Bugging out yet?
