Many commercial sunscreens contain stuff you really don’t want to be spraying on your little ones’ skin, but for most of us, it’s either use bug repellent in the summer or while away the warmest months inside. There are lots of safer bug sprays, lotions and balms out there, and the list of options can be overwhelming. This post should make it a bit easier to find one that’s easy on the skin and the wallet.
As with yesterday’s sunscreen post, for this list, I compared safe products listed in EWGs insect repellent database with Safe Mama’s 2012 Bug Repellent picks. To make Safe Mama’s list, products “had to be free of DEET, parabens, phthalates, PEG’s, Sulfates, Dioxanes, Propylene Glycols, and synthetic fragrances.”
Obviously, the EWG list and the Safe Mama list offer more options than the four I’m listing here, and everyone’s priorities are a little different. I encourage you to browse both lists to get an idea of what else is out there.
The four insect repellents that made the cut here earn a 0 or 1 “hazard” rating from EWG and had to be relatively easy to find locally or online. Also, they’re all $3.25 an ounce or less.
- Burt’s Bees Herbal Insect Repellent ($2/oz.)
- Badger Anti-Bug Shake & Spray ($3/oz.)
- Loving Naturals Insect Repellent Spray ($3.25/oz.)
- Purple Prairie Bug Stuff ($2/oz.)
But what if you leave your bug spray and need to stop and grab some? Is there a safe non-natural choice? In a pinch, Safe Mama recommends Cutter Natural Insect Repellent ($1.08/oz.).It does contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, but, she says, given “the fact that SLS is the only troublesome ingredient I think it would be ok for occasional use.”
I also found this recipe for a Safe Insect Repellent made from essential oils if you want to try DIY-ing it.
Related: Safer and Cheaper Sunscreens for Babies and Kids: 9 Picks
FYI – we’ve used the Burt’s Bees and it works, but is VERY greasy!!! We then used Badger and it worked too – much less greasy! Hope this helps someone!
any suggestions for sunblock?
this is a great bug spray made by a local farm that uses all natureal inbgedients and is available by mail order. It works great, smells great but is a little greasy. We LOVE IT!
http://threesistersfarms.com/Bug_Spray.html
Thank you, thank you, thank you.This saves me so much work. Would you do the same for sunscreen?
http://www.babycheapskate.com/2012/05/15/safer-and-cheaper-sunscreens-for-babies-and-kids-9-picks/
We’ve used the Purple Prairie bug spray for the past two years and LOVE it!! Their sunscreen is safe, too, but really greasy (like all mineral ones we’ve tried)—-but the bug spray is wonderful! My 3 yr old is always asking for it…honestly, we haven’t used it yet this year so I can’t even remember if it’s greasy or not, but considering how paranoid I am about that sort of thing, if I can’t remember, then it’s not bad! It smells like lemons.
It’s not greasy at all imo (we just pulled ours out the other day; the biters are out early this year!).
Thank you, thank you! These are my favorite two entries of your EVER! I tried to do the research myself but didn’t get it done. I have also started getting nervous about my vitamins. Any good ideas for a kids’ vitamin that isn’t filled with all of the artificial junk but won’t break the bank? thanks again!
FYI, DEET is the best tick repellent in existence. It is safe but should not be applied repeatedly. Once a day will do it. If you want to reapply one of your “natural” bug repellents, that may be fine, but keep in mind, there are studies showing that essential oils, lavender and tea tree for example, have been implicated in breast bud development and possibly precocious puberty when used regularly. And some oils if ingested are outright poisonous. Once again, just because it is “natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe. And just because it is synthetic, doesn’t mean it isn’t safe.