Comparing: DEET and Picaridin
Toddler climbs over a fallen log in the woods.
All my fellow New Englanders (and anybody else living in a buggy area) knows the struggle to keep mosquitos and ticks at bay. For backyard play, and our first few hikes, we used some sort of organic bug spray on T, with mild success. But as our first camping trip was approaching, I felt that we needed a more effective solution. Ticks are a big problem in our area, and a major anxiety inducer for me.
The most well-known, and widely studied and tested, bug repellent out there is DEET. DEET gets a bad rap, primarily due to false claims that it causes cancer. There is not a single study that has linked DEET to cancer. It’s also safe for kids over 2 months old, in moderation. That being said, the recommendation for DEET is not to apply more than once a day, and its effectiveness doesn’t last that long.
Enter picaridin. Developed in the 1980’s, picaridin is another great option for protection from disease-carrying pests. Similarities between picaridin and DEET include:
Both synthetic
Both safe for kids and adults
Both used to protect against mosquitoes and ticks
The recommendation for young kids is to apply DEET of 10%-30% no more than 1x a day
But here are the biggest differences, and ultimately how I ended up choosing picaridin for our first family camping trip:
Maximum protection, which lasts 12-14 hours, is provided by just 20% picaridin, which means it’s well within the safety range for kids and provides much longer protection than DEET
Unlike DEET, it will not damage clothing or camping gear - this was huge for me
It does not have the same unpleasant odor that DEET has
Picaridin has proven equal efficacy against ticks and mosquitoes but greater efficacy against flies
In the end, we walked away with zero mosquito bites, and zero ticks after more than 24 hours out in the elements! So I’m a picaridin convert for sure, and am so glad I gave it a try. We have a second camping trip coming up in September, which is typically a more tick-heavy time due to cooler temperatures. So we’ll be putting this spray to the test again real soon!