Do you use a DEET insect repellent or a DEET-free one? What's the difference between the two? Check out our quick experiment to find out.

Do you use a DEET insect repellent or a DEET-free one? What's the difference between the two? Check out our quick experiment to find out.

Do you use a DEET insect repellent or a DEET-free one? What's the difference between the two?

One major difference is DEET's corrosive properties, which can dissolve durable materials such as plastic, nylon and even paint. Imagine what it can do to your skin with prolonged use.

Fortunately, there are natural alternatives! According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and EcoWatch, there are oils that come from plants that have pharmacological and biological properties which can make an effective insect repellent. The list includes citronella and lemon eucalyptus.

To show the possible effect of prolonged contact on skin between a DEET and DEET-free insect repellent, we did a little experiment wherein we applied Brand O's DEET insect repellent lotion on one styrofoam and Human Nature's citronella oil-powered, DEET-free Bug Shield Lotion on another, and then left both for 4 hours:

BEFORE
AFTER 4 HOURS

As you can see, prolonged contact with DEET melted the styrofoam, while the one with DEET-free Bug Shield Lotion remained intact.  

 

Why does this happen?  Let's start with the details on DEET.

Many synthetic insect repellents contain a harmful chemical called DEET. DEET (chemical name, N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) is the active ingredient in many repellent products, widely used to repel bugs such as mosquitoes and ticks. Rather than killing biting bugs, DEET works by masking our natural scent, making it hard for them to smell us.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tagged DEET as "slightly toxic", basing on its possible harm to your brain and organs when absorbed in certain amounts. Erring on the side of caution, Human Nature decided the go DEET-free when making our insect repellents, opting instead for a 100% natural alternative – the bug-repelling citronella oil!

Skip the risk for both yourself and your family with Human Nature DEET-free Bug Shield – a genuinely natural, safe, and effective insect repellent.

References:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-whyte-md-mph/bug-spray-toxic_b_904501.html http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/repellent.html
https://www.ecowatch.com/6-things-you-should-know-about-bug-repellent-1965494997.html