There are many mosquito repellent choices in the market. Don't be fooled......not every product is CDC-recommended to be effective, but the active ingredients listed below are EPA-registered and proven for efficacy. Choose a repellent containing one of these active ingredients so you can enjoy your time outdoors knowing you are protected:

• DEET
• Picaridin
• Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE) 
• IR3535

Beyond the type of active ingredient you want to look for in your repellent, you also want to look for the percentage of that active ingredient in the product. The percentage will be listed on the bottle (usually on the front).

The higher the percentage of the active ingredient, the longer the repellent will last. (i.e. a 10% formula might get you 2 or 3 hours of protection but a 30% formula can get you 6 or 8 hours of protection). It varies by type of repellent so look on the bottle to see how long it lasts! The District recommends using a repellent with at least a 20% concentration of the active ingredient. Always be sure to follow the label instuctions closely. Check out the image below to see where the percentage of active ingredient is commonly listed on the bottle:

Always follow label instructions closely whenever applying repellent!

NOTE: Lemon Eucalyptus Oil and Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE) are not the same product. Lemon Eucalyptus Oil is an essential oil that is not formulated to be effective against mosquito bites, but Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE) is extracted from the leaves of the lemon eucalyptus tree and is enriched for its active ingredient, para-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD), which is EPA approved to be safe and effective against mosquito bites.

What about using Sunscreen and Repellent at the same time?

Not a problem! Just apply sunscreen first and insect repellent over top of it.

More information can be found on the CDC website.

Please consult with a pediatrician before applying any product on young children.

We challenge you to pass the repellent!