The Truth about DEET in Chemical Bug Sprays

If you have insect repellants that contain DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) at home, you might want to consider disposing of it for several serious health reasons. Too much exposure to DEET has been proven to cause moderate to severe skin problems, such as irritation, rashes, and burns. Apart from these skin problems, there are some studies that linked DEET found in many bug repellants to other more serious health problems such as insomnia, seizures, and tremors.

Most parents get too excited in using insect or bug repellants, believing that these products could protect their children from dengue and malaria fever and other mosquito-borne diseases. Of course, it's every parent's goal to give their kids the complete protection from bug or insect bites, especially from all kinds of diseases and illnesses that these insects carry.

This is the ultimate reason why companies creating insect repellants are coming up with products that contain stronger chemicals and other ingredients to ward off bugs and mosquitoes. No doubt, commercial insect repellants are effective in this aspect since these products are formulated to do just that. They contain active ingredients, such as DEET, to work effectively.

Unfortunately, there is one significant downside of using too much chemical-based or commercial insect repellants. Experts are saying that frequent exposure to DEET, which is one of the most common active agents found in these products, can actually have a lot of negative effects, especially on infants and children. These experts, in fact, have a basis for saying so.

Many academic research studies found the use of DEET very alarming. For instance, Duke University conducted a study on the impact of DEET to rats and the result was rather disturbing. The study found brain cell death in the rats when deliberately exposed to DEET. The result of the experiment prompted Duke University to warn the public against DEET exposure. In particular, the prestigious academic institution suggested that infants should not be exposed to DEET even to a very minimal level of exposure.

Also, the American Academy of Pediatrics felt the similar need to caution the public against using insect repellants that contain DEET. The group said there should be zero exposure to DEET in infants while children who are two months and older must only be exposed to repellants that has 30 % concentration of DEET. Still, parents should observe precautions when using bug sprays and other insect repellants that contain this harmful substance.

Chemical-based insect repellants would surely help reduce children’s risk of catching mosquito-borne diseases and give them complete protection from other bugs. But one must consider avoiding them because of the danger these products can pose to humans. Bug sprays that contain DEET are especially dangerous because of the long-term impact it can leave. Although health experts are saying that minimal exposure to chemicals found in bug sprays and other insect repellants is not dangerous, it is still better to turn to safer options such as Badger Anti-Bug Stick. There are actually better all natural alternatives to bug spray, such as Badger Anti-Bug Balm that can work effectively minus the harmful chemicals. Just pick the safest one!

Chemical Free Bug Spray: The Safer Insect Repellent

 Many people ask if a chemical free bug spray really works? If your regular bug spray works, why make the switch? Grab your regular bug spray and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Read the label. Do you feel like you need a degree in chemistry to understand what’s in your bug spray? Do you get a sick feeling knowing you are breathing in toxic pesticides? That’s what I felt when I started thinking about the bug spray that I slather on my kids on camping trips. I also have a one-year-old and couldn’t apply the regular bug spray on them. Isn’t that heartbreaking to protect the older kids and the adults and not the youngest?

Then I learned that whatever we put on our skin gets absorbed directly into the bloodstream? Now imagine those chemicals seeping through your kids’ skin and into their bloodstream. If you ask me, I don’t feel comfortable with that thought. A natural insect repellent was starting to sound really smart.

Besides, the main ingredient in chemical bug sprays is DEET. In fact, the longer the protection, the more DEET is in the bug spray. Scary, isn’t it? DEET is a slightly yellowish oil that was developed for jungle warfare in 1946. What’s scarier is that DEET was originally marketed as a pesticide. I realized that I was slathering pesticides on my children’s skin.

I tried researching about natural alternatives to bug sprays and that’s when I learned about chemical free bug sprays. These bug sprays are made from plant extracts that are designed to naturally repel bugs. The usual ingredients are citronella, cedar, or lemongrass. Bugs hate their scent, but humans are not bothered by them. They even smell good if you think about it.

Because it is natural, you don’t need to worry about coma-inducing chemical names and what they will do to your health. At least I know what citronella, cedar, or lemongrass is. They grow naturally and so is safer for my kids.

My research on chemical free bug spray led me to Badger Anti-Bug Spray. It scored a 1 in the Cosmetics Database, which is really low for a bug spray.  It worked perfectly! No bug or mosquito came near my children or me.  Isn’t that the greatest? Now, I’ll stick to chemical free bug sprays, thank you very much.

Why stay with chemicals when you have the safer choice with natural bug sprays?