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News|Articles|August 12, 2026

Natural Insect Repellent Ingredients

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Key Takeaways

  • CDC recommends using EPA-registered repellents containing one of six specified active ingredients, including DEET and picaridin, for mosquito-bite prevention.
  • Two plant-derived actives, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) and 2-undecanone, are included among the recommended EPA-registered options.
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Fun Fact! The CDC lists oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) and 2-undecanone as plant-derived ingredients that can be found in EPA-registered insect repellents.

Fun Fact! For repelling insects, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using EPA-registered repellents that include 1 of 6 active ingredients, and among this list are 2 plant-derived ingredients. Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) and 2-undecanone sit alongside synthetics like DEET and picaridin.

The CDC does note that it does not know the effectiveness of non-EPA-registered repellents, including some natural repellents.


Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing mosquito bites. CDC Mosquitoes. Reviewed August 28, 2024. Accessed August 11, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/prevention/index.html

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