5 Best Bug Repellents to Avoid Toxic Ingredients and Bugs

Every summer I was covered in so many bites, I used to think I was just mosquito bait. So this year I decided to find a fix – and I used 23 bug repellent products to see which ones actually kept me bite-free. I looked at the the effectiveness, price, and most importantly the quality of ingredients. I paid special attention to DEET-free products since according to the National Pesticide Information Center, repeated exposure to DEET can cause skin irritation, muscle weakness, and even seizures.

Here’s the top 5.

SPOILER: Revive Essential Oil’s Bugs Be Gone was my #1 pick! They use all natural ingredients, 100% pure oils and NO DEET. Plus, I walked away mosquito bite free when I used them and it smells so good!

1. REVIVE BUGS BE GONE

Bugs Be Gone by Revive Essential Oils was my favorite! When I use it I notice no bug bites and it actually moisturizes my skin, thanks to the vitamin E and sesame carrier oil. It’s made with 7 essential oils which are all 100% pure and therapeutic grade (highest quality of essential oils you can get!) And most importantly, it doesn’t contain DEET.

This is a pump instead of a spray which I appreciate because I don’t waste any product and it rubs into my skin easily, hydrating it without leaving a gross residue. It repels mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas! Plus when I saw the price, I knew I found my winner.

You can see their amazing reviews here.

UPDATE: I just found a SECRET REVIVE SALE! Right now you can get 15% OFF everything if you use code SECRET15 at checkout.

2. Murphy’s Naturals Lemon Eucalyptus Repellent

This one might be one of the most well-known brands, and I understand why. When I tested it, it worked well, it didn’t leave a sticky residue, and it’s DEET-Free! However, there is only lemon eucalyptus oil in it, the rest is water and corn ethanol.

Whereas with Revive, there are many essential oils that ward against bugs, plus I’m able to verify Revive’s purity for the oils which I couldn’t do with Murphy’s spray. And on that note, it’s a spray… so the application isn’t as seamless as Revive’s pump and it didn’t give me any moisturizing effects. It totally works if it’s all you have but after trying Revive I didn’t find myself reaching for it anymore, so it ranks #2 on my list.

3. Young Living Insect Repellent

Young Living’s Insect Repellent ranked #3 on my list because it worked really well! Except it was also really expensive…

I was surprised because it’s basically the same ingredients as Revive, so it makes sense that there were no bug bites or greasy residue. However, it’s almost 2x the price of Revive’s!

Also, you need a subscription to purchase from Young Living. So instead of just paying for the repellent, I had to pay a monthly fee and become a member to buy. It’s way too much hassle for me when Revive has the same (if not better) product with no strings attached.

4. Ben’s 100% DEET Tick & Insect Repellent

I wanted to include this product because it is so popular and it does keep the bugs away, however I can’t sugarcoat it — it’s straight-up 100% DEET, the maximum strength you can buy.

DEET at that concentration is known to eat through plastics, synthetics, and even some watch faces and painted surfaces, so I was paranoid the whole time about putting it on my skin.

And then there’s the bigger issue — the reason I went looking for alternatives in the first place. Prolonged, repeated exposure to DEET has been linked to skin irritation and, in some cases, more serious effects like seizures and muscle weakness. That’s not a risk I was willing to take just to keep mosquitoes away, especially when Revive gave me the same bite-free results, which is why it lands at #4.

5. OFF! Clean Feel Insect Repellent

OFF! is a huge brand and I was excited when I saw they had a DEET-Free version of their insect repellent but it unfortunately irritated my skin. I looked through their reviews and saw I wasn’t the only one with this reaction, many others complained of eczema and that even MORE bugs came to them after applying. I really wanted to like this one but unfortunately it’s ranking as #5 on my list.

And The Winner Is…

Revive’s Bugs Be Gone! It was the most effective, and I love the quality, smell and price. Heads up, their entire site is on SALE right now thanks to their secret sale.

In summary:

• #1 REVIVE Essential Oils: Buy It Here
• #2 Murphy’s Naturals: Buy it Here
• #3 Young Living: Buy it Here
• #4 Ben’s: Buy it Here
• #5 OFF!: Buy it Here