With the holidays and the long summer evenings, inevitably, we are confronted with more or less aggressive mosquitoes and we often have to protect ourselves from them. We wonder today about the many so-called “natural” repellent products. Are they active?
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This year, 60 million consumers became interested in natural repellents because the offer has expanded. The “natural” attracts consumers and we wanted to check if these natural products were really more virtuous and above all as effective as conventional products. And the answer is yes: in the products we tested, the products generally present ingredients that are less problematic than conventional products for us or for the environment and some are just as effective.
There is only one natural active ingredient authorized in these products. All contain lemon eucalyptus extract, which can also be found under the term citriodiol or PMD, in varying concentrations. This concentration does not predict efficacy in our test. On the other hand, the products that we tested generally respect the promises displayed – namely six hours or eight hours of protection against the common mosquito or the tiger mosquito, with the exception of the repellent spray “Marie Rose”. On the other hand, even if the active product is natural, it is not necessarily completely harmless. These products have certain usage restrictions. It is therefore necessary to carefully follow the conditions of use on the packaging: there are restrictions for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women. Anyway, nothing beats a mosquito net or long clothes to protect yourself from mosquitoes without exposing yourself to other risks. A way to fight against mosquitoes, while preserving the environment.