Is Natural Insect Repellent Safe for Babies and Children? A Parent’s Guide

The first time you reach for a bug spray with a baby on your hip, the label suddenly reads differently. “For external use only.” “Avoid contact with eyes and mouth.” The questions arrive in a rush. Is this safe for her skin? Can he have it on his face? Which ingredients are actually OK on a one-year-old?

This guide answers those questions clearly, without the scare-print or the sales pitch.

What’s safe at what age

Major health authorities (the U.S. EPA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Australia’s Department of Health, and the MotherToBaby fact sheet) line up like this:

Age	What’s appropriate	What to avoid
0–2 months	Physical barriers only: mosquito netting on the pram, long sleeves, lightweight covering pants.	DEET, picaridin, and plant-based repellents on bare skin.
2 months and up	Most plant-based repellents (citronella, lemongrass, lemon eucalyptus, soybean oil) per label directions. DEET concentrations up to 30% are permitted by the AAP from 2 months.	Application to hands, eyes, mouth, or skin under clothing.
3 years and up	The full range of EPA-registered repellents is generally appropriate per directions.	Over-application; combination sunscreen-and-repellent products (their reapplication schedules don’t match).

The single most important point: until two months, the answer isn’t a different product. It’s a mosquito net.

What “natural” actually means

“Natural” is the most misused word on a product shelf. Here’s what to look for.

Plant-based / essential-oil repellents. Volatile compounds extracted from plants (citronella, lemongrass, lemon eucalyptus, peppermint). They work by masking the carbon dioxide and lactic acid signals mosquitoes use to find you. Effective, with a shorter duration than synthetic options (typically 20 to 90 minutes, depending on the formula).

Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE) and its refined form, PMD. The only plant-based active ingredient endorsed by the U.S. CDC for protection against mosquito-borne disease. It’s the active in our own Skin Shield Lemon Eucalyptus variant.

Picaridin and IR3535. Often grouped with “natural alternatives” because they aren’t DEET. Both are synthetic. Both are excellent options but live in a separate category from essential-oil repellents.

“DEET-free” on its own. Means only that the bottle doesn’t contain DEET. It doesn’t tell you what is in the bottle. Always read the active ingredients.

Citronella, lemongrass, lemon eucalyptus, and other essential oils

The plant actives in our Skin Shield Hydrating Spray are organic citronella, organic lemongrass, and lemon eucalyptus. Skin Shield comes in two variants: a Citronella formulation (paired with lemongrass as a supporting botanical) and a Lemon Eucalyptus formulation built around the single botanical active.

Citronella has decades of published evidence as a topical mosquito repellent. A single application typically protects for 20 to 30 minutes before reapplication.

Lemongrass brings a softer, cleaner scent and supports citronella as a paired active. Less studied as a stand-alone repellent than citronella, but a solid body of research backs its activity against mosquitoes and other biting insects.

Lemon eucalyptus has the strongest published evidence among plant-derived options. It’s the only plant-based active the U.S. CDC names alongside DEET, picaridin, and IR3535.

Quality and concentration vary widely between products. A dab of essential oil mixed into a moisturiser is not a tested repellent, no matter what a Pinterest recipe promises.

How to apply repellent to babies and kids safely

The application matters as much as the product.

1. Apply sunscreen first, then repellent on top. The reverse order blocks the sunscreen.
2. Avoid combination sunscreen-and-repellent products. The reapplication schedules don’t match.
3. Spray onto your hands first, then transfer to your child’s skin.
4. Stick to exposed skin. Don’t apply under clothing.
5. Skip the hands of young children (they put hands in mouths and eyes). Apply to arms, legs, and the back of the neck.
6. Don’t apply to broken skin or rashes.
7. Reapply on the schedule the bottle gives you. With most natural repellents, that means every 60 to 90 minutes on a hot day.
8. Wash it off at the end of the day.
9. Store the bottle out of reach.

For newborns under two months, the most effective protection isn’t a product. It’s a fine-mesh mosquito net draped over the pram or carrier, plus removing standing water from gutters and pot saucers around the house.

When to reach for a stronger option

There are situations where a plant-based repellent isn’t the right call:

• Travel to regions with active dengue, Zika, malaria, or chikungunya. Picaridin (20%) and DEET (20-30%) are the established travel-medicine options.
• Outback or rainforest stays in mosquito-heavy season. Layer permethrin-treated clothing with a longer-acting skin repellent.
• Known prior reactions to plant essential oils. Patch-test on the inside of a wrist before broader use.

You don’t have to choose one philosophy and stick to it. Plenty of families use a natural repellent for school, sport, and the backyard, and keep a small bottle of picaridin in the holiday bag.

Our approach at The Naturally Kind Co.

We started The Naturally Kind Co. because of a story you probably recognise: a mum, a baby with sensitive skin, and a Saturday morning at the park where every option felt like a compromise.

Our Skin Shield Hydrating Spray comes in two variants: a Citronella formulation paired with organic lemongrass, and a Lemon Eucalyptus formulation built around the plant-derived active with the strongest published evidence. Both share the same hydrating base, the same Vitamin E enrichment, and are suitable from one year and above per label directions.

Spray. Trust. Repeat. 🌿

Sources cited

• MotherToBaby, Insect Repellents fact sheet (mothertobaby.org)
• U.S. EPA, Find the Repellent that is Right for You (epa.gov)
• American Academy of Pediatrics, Choosing an insect repellent for your child (healthychildren.org)
• EWG, Bug Repellents Guide (ewg.org)

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have specific concerns about your child’s skin or a particular medical condition, please speak to your GP or paediatrician before introducing a new product.