Officials at the Environmental Working Group say four compounds are most effective at warding off mosquitoes without risking a person's health.
"While consumers are aware that bug bites may affect their health, many people are also concerned about the possible drawbacks of common repellents such as DEET," David Andrews, senior scientist at EWG, said in a statement. "It is hard to find objective scientific evaluations of the many different repellents on the market."
Andrews said the researchers at the EWG found picaridin, IR3535, DEET and oil of lemon eucalyptus, or its synthetic derivative PMD, were the most effective and safest, CBS News reported
Different bug repellents might be better than the others depending on the situation, but these four ingredients provided both the longest protection with the fewest health concerns.
