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Picaridin vs DEET: What the Sources Actually Say

By Andrew Rothaus, Founder ·

Picaridin and DEET are both EPA registered repellents that the CDC lists for mosquitoes and ticks. DEET was developed by the U.S. Army in 1946; picaridin has been available in the United States since 2005. A 2014 field study found picaridin 20% "performed equally well as DEET 20%." Odor, product range, and materials guidance differ by source.

An unlabeled spray bottle standing on a white table

What are picaridin and DEET?

Picaridin is a human-made (synthetic) compound first made in the 1980s that repels insects, ticks, and chiggers, per the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC). It was developed by Bayer using molecular modeling and was made to resemble piperine, a natural compound found in the group of plants used to produce black pepper. It has been widely used in Europe and Australia, was first registered by the EPA in 2001, and has been available in the United States since 2005.

DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) is the active ingredient in many repellent products and is widely used against mosquitoes and ticks, per the EPA. It was developed by the U.S. Army in 1946 and registered for use by the general public in 1957. The EPA estimates that one-third of the U.S. population uses DEET every year.

CDC's Yellow Book notes that the EPA characterizes both DEET and picaridin as "conventional" repellents, while OLE, PMD, IR3535, and 2-undecanone are biopesticide repellents derived from, or synthetic versions of, natural materials.

How do picaridin and DEET compare at a glance?

Every cell comes from a primary source; where sources are silent, the cell says so.

AttributePicaridinDEET
First madeFirst made in the 1980s, by Bayer, using molecular modeling (NPIC)Developed by the U.S. Army in 1946 (EPA)
U.S. registrationFirst registered by EPA in 2001; available in the United States since 2005 (NPIC)Registered for use by the general public in 1957 (EPA)
Also known asIcaridin (WHO), KBR 3023, Bayrepel (NPIC)N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (EPA)
How it worksSeems to block mosquitoes from sensing their prey; does not kill insects (NPIC)Makes it hard for biting insects to smell people; repels rather than kills (EPA). Scientists do not know exactly how DEET works on all insects (NPIC)
Odor"Nearly odorless" (EPA fact sheet); NPIC describes technical-grade picaridin as a colorless liquid with little odorA liquid with "a distinct, faint odor" (NPIC)
Duration, as stated per sourceAAP: 5% protects for 3 to 4 hours; 20% protects for 8 to 12 hoursEPA database: ticks for about two to ten hours, mosquitoes for two to twelve hours, depending on percentage. AAP: 10% for about 2 hours, 30% for about 5 hours; concentrations above 50% do not provide longer protection
ChildrenCDC Yellow Book: can be used on children without age restrictionCDC Yellow Book: can be used on children without age restriction. EPA: approved for use on children with no age restriction. AAP: not on children younger than 2 months, no more than once per day on older children, lowest concentration available
MaterialsNot addressed by our sourcesA plasticizer; can damage certain rubber, plastic, vinyl, or elastic materials; does not damage natural fibers, including cotton and wool (NPIC)
In the bodyAbsorbed picaridin is almost all excreted in urine within a day (NPIC)Broken down by the liver; nearly all eliminated, mainly in urine, within 24 hours (NPIC)
Registered productsAbout 40 (EPA ingredient list)More than 500 (EPA ingredient list); about 120 from about 30 companies (EPA DEET page)

How does each repellent work?

Neither ingredient kills insects. Per NPIC, picaridin "seems to block mosquitoes from sensing their prey." The EPA says DEET "works by making it hard for these biting bugs to smell us," and NPIC reports that insects exposed to DEET cannot locate a person or animal because they cannot detect them, though scientists do not know exactly how DEET works on all insects.

NPIC states picaridin can be used on skin or clothing against mosquitoes, biting flies, ticks, fleas, and chiggers, in pump sprays, liquids, aerosols, and wipes. The EPA states DEET products for skin come as liquids, lotions, sprays, and impregnated materials, in concentrations from 5 to 99 percent. An EPA fact sheet lists DEET for use against pests including biting flies, biting midges, black flies, chiggers, deer flies, fleas, gnats, horse flies, mosquitoes, no-see-ums, sand flies, stable flies, and ticks.

How long does each repellent last?

Duration depends on concentration, and the numbers vary by source. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that 10% DEET provides protection for about 2 hours, that 30% DEET protects for about 5 hours, and that concentrations above 50% do not provide longer protection. For picaridin, the AAP states that 5% products can protect against mosquitoes and ticks for 3 to 4 hours, and 20% products for 8 to 12 hours. Studies in EPA's database indicate DEET repels ticks for about two to ten hours and mosquitoes for two to twelve hours, depending on the percentage of DEET.

The EPA cautions that registered products' protection times vary because of differences in testing conditions. It also lists conditions that change any repellent's effectiveness: physical activity and perspiration, water exposure, air temperature, and how attractive an individual is to mosquitoes and ticks. We break the picaridin numbers down further in how long does picaridin last.

What do head-to-head field studies show?

Two field studies in our sources tested the ingredients side by side. A two-year field study in Cambodia (PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2014) found that picaridin 20% "performed equally well as DEET 20%." Across the repellents tested, the overall five-hour protection rate was 97.4%. The same study found that repellent performance varied by mosquito genus and species for the repellents tested.

An earlier field study in Australia (Journal of Medical Entomology, 2004) found that both picaridin and DEET formulations protected well against Culex annulirostris and relatively poorly against Anopheles species.

For travel, the World Health Organization's malaria prevention guidance lists using mosquito repellents containing DEET, IR3535, or icaridin after dusk.

What do health agencies say about safety?

The CDC recommends using an EPA-registered insect repellent. On the health record, the EPA concluded that insect repellents containing DEET "do not present a health concern," and an EPA fact sheet states the agency believes normal use of picaridin "does not present a health concern to the general U.S. population." Both are the agencies' own words. We walk through the DEET record in the DEET safety evidence.

On what happens after application: NPIC reports that in humans, less than 6% of picaridin applied to skin was absorbed, and almost all of it is excreted in urine within a day of exposure. NPIC reports the liver breaks down absorbed DEET, with nearly all of it eliminated, mainly in urine, within 24 hours of application. For specific health situations, talk with your clinician.

What is the guidance for children?

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC both recommend using an EPA-registered insect repellent product. Beyond that, framing differs by source; here is each as stated.

  • The AAP has recommended that DEET not be used on children younger than 2 months, that it be applied no more than once per day on older children, and that products with the lowest DEET concentration available be used (as reported by NPIC).
  • The EPA states it has approved DEET for use on children with no age restriction and no restriction on concentration.
  • CDC's Yellow Book states that insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and 2-undecanone "can be used on children without age restriction."
  • The CDC says not to use products containing OLE or PMD on children under 3 years old.

CDC's application rules for children apply to repellents generally: never apply to a child's hands, eyes, mouth, cuts, or irritated skin, and adults should apply repellent to their own hands first, then to the child's face. More on this in mosquito repellent for kids. For your own child, talk with your pediatrician.

Which materials does each one affect?

Per NPIC's technical fact sheet, DEET acts as a plasticizer and can damage certain rubber, plastic, vinyl, or elastic materials such as contact lenses, eyeglass frames and lenses, watch crystals, combs, painted and varnished surfaces, and certain synthetic or treated fabrics. The same source states DEET does not damage natural fibers, including cotton and wool. Our sources do not address how picaridin interacts with materials, so this article makes no claim either way.

Frequently asked questions

Is picaridin the same thing as icaridin?

Yes. The World Health Organization refers to the chemical as icaridin, and other names include KBR 3023 and Bayrepel, per NPIC. The CDC notes picaridin is known as KBR 3023 and icaridin outside the United States.

Can I use sunscreen with either repellent?

The CDC says to apply sunscreen first and insect repellent second. CDC's Yellow Book states that repellents applied according to label instructions can be used with sunscreen with no reduction in repellent activity, but that limited data show DEET-containing repellents applied over sunscreen decrease the sunscreen's SPF by one-third. The AAP's don't-use list for children includes combination sunscreen and repellent products, because sunscreen must be reapplied often.

Do both work on ticks?

For ticks, the CDC recommends EPA-registered repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, OLE, PMD, or 2-undecanone. NPIC states that picaridin repels insects, ticks, and chiggers, and an EPA fact sheet lists ticks among the pests DEET products are used against.

Why does the EPA registration number matter for both?

Per the CDC, an EPA registration number on the label means the company provided EPA with technical information on the product's effectiveness. The EPA states that registration of skin-applied repellents indicates evaluation and approval for human safety and effectiveness when used according to the label, including review for vulnerable populations. By contrast, minimum-risk ingredients exempt from registration have not been evaluated for effectiveness, and the CDC says the effectiveness of non-EPA-registered repellents, including some natural repellents, is not known.

Disclosure: Longsleeve is an EPA-registered picaridin lotion (EPA Reg. No. 101457-1). It repels mosquitoes and ticks for up to 14 hours.

Sources

  1. NPIC, Picaridin General Fact Sheet: https://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/PicaridinGen.html
  2. NPIC, Picaridin Technical Fact Sheet: https://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/archive/Picaridintech.html
  3. EPA, Picaridin Pesticide Fact Sheet (May 2005): https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/registration/fs_PC-070705_01-May-05.pdf
  4. EPA, DEET: https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/deet
  5. NPIC, DEET General Fact Sheet: https://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/DEETgen.html
  6. NPIC, DEET Technical Fact Sheet: https://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/archive/DEETtech.html
  7. EPA, DEET Reregistration Fact Sheet (April 1998): https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/reregistration/fs_PC-080301_1-Apr-98.pdf
  8. CDC, Preventing Mosquito Bites: https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/prevention/index.html
  9. CDC, Preventing Tick Bites: https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/prevention/index.html
  10. EPA, Regulation of Skin-Applied Repellents: https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/regulation-skin-applied-repellents
  11. EPA, Skin-Applied Repellent Ingredients: https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/skin-applied-repellent-ingredients
  12. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, Insect Repellents: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Insect-Repellents.aspx
  13. EPA, Find the Repellent that is Right for You: https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-right-you
  14. EPA, Using Insect Repellents Safely and Effectively: https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/using-insect-repellents-safely-and-effectively
  15. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2014, field study in Cambodia: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25522134/
  16. Journal of Medical Entomology, 2004, field study in Australia: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15185943/
  17. CDC Yellow Book, Mosquitoes, Ticks and Other Arthropods: https://www.cdc.gov/yellow-book/hcp/environmental-hazards-risks/mosquitoes-ticks-and-other-arthropods.html
  18. World Health Organization, Malaria Fact Sheet: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria
  19. Longsleeve, Facts: https://longsleeve.com/facts

Last reviewed 2026-08-16 · every claim on this page is sourced above