After what we’re learning about DEET, the active ingredient in most insect repellents, I wouldn’t even put it on my own skin, much less a child’s. In addition to all the scary warnings you’ll find on the can of a regular bug spray (Don’t wear it more than a couple hours! Wash it off completely! Call poison control!), DEET has actually been shown to cause brain cell death in the memory and motor-control parts of the brain—bad for any of us but especially harmful for growing children.

I have tried dozens of “natural” bug repellents over the years, and most of then are at best useless and at worst sticky, smelly, and uncomfortable. But Bite Blocker not only works (I have used it everywhere from mosquito-infested campgrounds in Idaho and Virginia to Costa Rican jungles and swampy Tanzanian lakes), it’s totally safe. Made from a combination of coconut oil, geranium oil, citric acid, lecithin, and soybean oil, Bite Blocker not only moisturizes your skin, but is highly sweat- and water-resistant and protects against mosquitos for up to 3 hours, and against black flies for up to 8 hours. And if my own experience isn’t enough, a New England Journal of Medicine study found Bite Blocker to be as effective as repellents containing DEET, yet much, much safer and better in the long run. With Bite Blocker, adults and children alike can spend more time outside, without worrying about bug bites or our health.

4.7 oz. spray bottle

2+ years