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Insect Repellent and Children: What the Guidance Says

The CDC says do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months old; cover strollers and carriers with mosquito netting instead. No oil of lemon eucalyptus or PMD under 3 years. For older kids, apply it to your own hands first, keep it off hands, eyes, mouth and cuts, and wash it off indoors.

That guidance comes from the CDC, the EPA, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Their wording differs in places, which is the first thing below. The label on the bottle outranks it.

What is the youngest age for insect repellent?

The CDC's mosquito bite prevention fact sheet is blunt. Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months old. Instead, dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs, and cover strollers and baby carriers with mosquito netting. The National Pesticide Information Center reads it the same way: the AAP does not recommend insect repellents for children younger than two months, and the CDC recommends DEET can be used on children older than two months.

The EPA, which regulates repellents, frames it differently. It says DEET has been approved for use on children with no age restriction, and that there is no restriction on the percentage of DEET in the product for use on children, since data do not show any difference in effects between young animals and adult animals in tests done for product registration. The CDC's Yellow Book, written for providers advising travelers, says repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and 2-undecanone can be used on children without age restriction.

Those answer different questions. The EPA statement describes what registration data support; the 2-month line is practical guidance for parents. NPIC resolves it at the shelf: check the label for a minimum age, and if none is there, the EPA has not restricted the product by age.

The AAP adds a note that is easy to misread. Until infants and children are at least 2 years old, it says, their skin may be different than the skin of an older child or adult, so apply DEET sparingly when needed and weigh the risk of serious insect-spread illness against the possible risk of absorbing chemicals into the body. Parents of newborns and premature infants should be especially cautious. That is a caution about how much, not a ban.

Which repellent ingredients have an age limit for kids?

The CDC recommends EPA-registered insect repellents with one of six active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), and 2-undecanone.

Two of those six carry a pediatric age limit. The CDC and the AAP both say not to use products containing OLE or PMD on children younger than 3 years old, and the Yellow Book gives the reason: to avoid potential allergic skin reactions.

The label detail matters. According to the EPA, some oil of lemon eucalyptus products should not be used on children under three, while certain products with OLE as the sole active ingredient at 30% or less carry no such restriction. The Yellow Book agrees, and says parents should always read the label before use. Both the CDC and the AAP also warn off pure, unformulated oil of lemon eucalyptus: per the CDC it has not undergone validated testing for safety and efficacy and is not registered with the EPA as an insect repellent.

On concentration, the AAP publishes rough protection times: 10% DEET provides protection for about 2 hours, 30% protects for about 5 hours, and anything over 50% does not provide longer protection. The AAP's own limit for kids is that repellents used on children should contain no more than 30% DEET, applied only once a day.

How should you apply repellent to a child?

Because children frequently put their hands in their eyes and mouths, the EPA recommends that all repellent products carry these precautionary statements on labels: do not allow children to handle this product, do not apply to children's hands, and when using on children, apply to your own hands and then put it on the child. The CDC and its Yellow Book say the same: adults should apply repellent to their own hands first, then gently spread it on the child's exposed skin.

The rest, condensed:

  • Do not apply to a child's hands, eyes, mouth, cuts, or irritated skin. Apply sparingly around ears.
  • Never spray directly onto a child's face. Spray a little on your hands first, then rub it on.
  • Apply only to exposed skin and the outside of clothing. Not under clothing.
  • Use just enough to cover clothing and exposed skin. Using more does not make it more effective, and the Yellow Book notes that heavy application and saturation are generally unnecessary.
  • Choose sticks, lotions, or unpressurized sprays, and spray in open areas to avoid breathing them in.
  • Help apply repellent on young children, and supervise older ones who apply it themselves.
  • Keep repellents out of young children's reach. The EPA says to store them in a locked cabinet or garden shed.
  • Skip repellent candles if your child is at risk of breathing problems from fumes, per the AAP.

What should you do when a child comes back indoors?

Wash it off. The EPA's recommended child label language says that after returning indoors you should wash your child's treated skin and clothes with soap and water, or bathe. The AAP adds the laundry step: wash their clothing before they wear it again. NPIC gives the reason: children may mishandle a bottle or lick treated skin.

In tick country, add a tick check. The CDC recommends checking clothing for ticks, examining gear and pets, and doing a full body check on you and your child, including under the arms, in and around the ears and hair, back of the knees, and around the waist. Showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease, per the CDC. If you find one, see tick removal.

What protects a baby who is too young for repellent?

Barriers and habitat. The CDC's first two tips for babies and children are to dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs and to cover strollers and baby carriers with mosquito netting. NPIC says the same for infants less than two months old. The AAP's clothing list is more specific: long pants, a lightweight long-sleeved shirt, socks, and closed shoes when your child will be exposed, plus a broad-brimmed hat to keep insects away from the face. For the yard, the CDC recommends screens on windows and doors, air conditioning where available, and emptying or scrubbing anything that holds water once a week. More in why mosquitoes bite some people more, standing water and mosquito control, and tick season timing.

For ticks, the AAP calls permethrin the most effective product, applied to your child's clothing and gear and not to skin. The CDC recommends treating clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin, or buying pretreated items, and says not to use it directly on skin. NPIC adds the rule that gets skipped: do not apply permethrin to clothing while it is being worn, and let treated items dry first.

What about sunscreen and combination products?

Order matters. If you are using sunscreen, the CDC says, apply it first and insect repellent second. NPIC adds that the CDC recommends letting the sunscreen dry first, and notes that using both can increase repellent absorption through skin. On combination products, the AAP advises against sunscreen and repellent in one bottle: sunscreen needs reapplying every 2 hours in the sun and after swimming or sweating, and a combination product applied that often may expose your child to too much repellent. NPIC reports the CDC does not recommend combined products.

Do natural repellents and gadgets work for children?

The AAP's answer is a qualified no. Natural insect-repellent ingredients such as citronella, geranium, peppermint, and soybean oil are deemed safe but have not been approved for effectiveness by the EPA, most keep insects away for only a short time, and some can cause skin irritation. Products not proven effective against mosquitoes, per the AAP, include wristbands soaked in chemical repellents and ultrasonic devices. The CDC's Yellow Book is blunter: ingestion of vitamin B or garlic, and wearing sound-emitting devices or repellent-impregnated wristbands, are ineffective.

The AAP frames when this matters: natural and alternative repellents may be good if there is no concern about a serious insect-borne illness, but if there is a health concern, such as Lyme disease in an area known to have ticks, then DEET, picaridin, or another approved effective product should be used. See Lyme disease prevention and West Nile virus.

What if a child reacts to an insect repellent?

The AAP's steps: stop using the product, wash your child's skin with soap and water, then call your child's pediatrician or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. Take the container to the doctor's office. The AAP's clinician-facing page adds that you should call 911 if there is a serious reaction such as trouble breathing or a seizure. On DEET, the AAP says products containing it can cause skin rashes, especially at high concentrations, but that these reactions are rare. If the bite is the problem, see bite treatment.

About Longsleeve

Longsleeve is an EPA-registered picaridin lotion (EPA Reg. No. 101457-1). It repels mosquitoes and ticks for up to 14 hours. It is fragrance-free, with nine disclosed ingredients.

None of this replaces medical advice. The AAP's closing line is the one to end on: talk with your child's pediatrician if you have any questions about protecting your child from insect bites.

Common questions

Can I put insect repellent on a 3-month-old?

CDC consumer guidance draws its line at 2 months, and NPIC reports that the CDC recommends DEET can be used on children older than two months. Above that age, the AAP says products used on children should contain no more than 30% DEET. Check the label for a minimum age.

Can my kid apply their own repellent?

The EPA recommends that repellent labels say children should not handle the product, and that adults apply it to their own hands first, then put it on the child. The AAP says to help apply repellent on young children and supervise older ones who use these products.

Is oil of lemon eucalyptus okay for a 2-year-old?

The CDC and the AAP both say not to use products containing OLE or PMD on children younger than 3 years old, and the Yellow Book gives the reason as avoiding potential allergic skin reactions. The EPA notes one exception: certain products with OLE as the sole active ingredient at 30% or less carry no under-three restriction. Read the label.

Sources

  1. CDC, Preventing Mosquito Bites. https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/prevention/index.html
  2. CDC, Mosquito Bite Prevention: How to Protect Against Mosquito Bites (fact sheet, December 2, 2024). https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/pdfs/mosquitobitepreventionus_508.pdf
  3. CDC Yellow Book, Mosquitoes, Ticks, and Other Arthropods. https://www.cdc.gov/yellow-book/hcp/environmental-hazards-risks/mosquitoes-ticks-and-other-arthropods.html
  4. CDC, Preventing Tick Bites. https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/prevention/index.html
  5. EPA, Using Insect Repellents Safely and Effectively. https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/using-insect-repellents-safely
  6. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: How to Choose an Insect Repellent for Your Child (Sophie J. Balk, MD, FAAP, June 21, 2024). https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Insect-Repellents.aspx
  7. American Academy of Pediatrics, Insect Repellents (Promoting Healthy Environments for Children). https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/environmental-health/promoting-healthy-environments-for-children/insect-repellents/
  8. National Pesticide Information Center, Insect Repellents Fact Sheet. http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/repellents.html

Last reviewed 2026-08-06 · every claim on this page is sourced above