DEET Insect Repellent

DEET (full name N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) is the active ingredient in many popular mosquito repellents. DEET is applied to the skin or used to impregnate fabrics to provide protection against mosquito bites.

DEET is available in various products, including sprays, liquids, lotions, wristbands, roll-ons and DEET wipes.

How Does DEET Insect Repellent Work?

DEET works by blocking a mosquito's odorant receptors, and hindering its ability to detect chemicals given off by human (and other mammals) skin and breath.

Such chemicals include carbon dioxide, lactic acid and octenol, although there is some discrepancy in the available literature as to exactly which chemicals are involved.

If someone is wearing a DEET mosquito repellent that is actively working, he or she will be undetectable by any nearby mosquitoes.

DEET Effectiveness

DEET is very effective in repelling a wide range of biting insects, including mosquitoes, midges, gnats, ticks and sandflies. One application of even a low concentration of DEET will provide several hours of protection.

DEET is sold in variable concentrations (anywhere from 5% up to 100%). Generally the higher the concentration of DEET in a mosquito repellent, the longer it will give protection before reapplication is necessary. Repel 55 Deet Insect Repellent contains 55% DEET.

Very high concentrations of DEET are only for short term use in malarial areas, when it is inconvenient to reapply it (such as when travelling in tropical rural areas). Repel 100 Deet Insect Repellent contains 100% DEET.

DEET Safety

DEET has been rigorously and extensively tested for its effectiveness and safety and is accompanied by decades of research. However, for some people, DEET repellents can be irrititating and cause minor skin reactions.

There have been rare cases of severe adverse reactions to DEET mosquito repellents, but when used carefully and according to instructions, DEET is unlikely to cause harm to the majority of people who use it.

Try to judge the concentration of DEET needed according to the risk of catching an insect-borne disease, and use products with a low concentration of DEET if possible. It is especially important to follow safety precautions when using DEET in very high concentrations.

Concerns About DEET

DEET has a greasy, oily feel and a chemical smell that some people find unpleasant, and as it is a solvent, it can be damaging to some fabrics, plastics and other materials.

DEET has been known to dissolve plastic water bottles, plastic bags, jewellery and even sunglasses, which understandably raises peoples concerns about whether or not they should put it on their skin.

It also concerns some people that DEET is absorbed through the skin. However, if there is serious risk of catching a mosquito-carried infectious disease such as malaria, West Nile virus, yellow fever, dengue fever or Japanese encephalitis, the idea of using a DEET based insect repellent may not seem so unappealing.