What is Picaridin? The New Standard for Mosquito and Tick Prevention
The rising risk of vector-borne diseases and the desire for a more friendly body-worn insect repellent experience have led many consumers to seek protection from repellents containing Picaridin, the globally recognized leading alternative to DEET.
This summer, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates over 300,000 cases of Lyme disease will be reported between May and October, which means nearly 5,000 per week will contract the disease. Insect repellent is needed more than ever, but with more attention being paid to health risks and and gear protection, the knowledge that DEET is a threat to both has people wondering: is there an effective alternative to DEET?
Enter Picaridin. Compared to DEET, Picaridin has been proven to provide superior protection against ticks and equal protection against mosquitos in similar concentrations without the same health concerns. Picaridin insect repellent is already the most popular repellent in Europe and Australia, and demand in the US is growing exponentially.
More than 25 years of clinical research conducted in the US and Europe has demonstrated Picaridin 20% offers a more effective and longer lasting level of protection, superior in both categories when compared to DEET at 30%.
Picaridin is also safer than DEET. It is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as a body-worn repellent for use by adults, including women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and children aged 1-year and older. Unlike DEET, Picaridin is not a neurotoxin and is non-corrosive to clothing and materials including plastic, rubber, leather, latex, vinyl, rayon, elastic, spandex and auto paint.
Picaridin, like most repellents, works by disrupting the insect’s sense of smell. Derived from the naturally occurring organic compound piperine — the alkaloid that gives black pepper its hot flavor — Picaridin is the first synthetic repellent to clear modern efficacy and safety tests. It is odorless, non-greasy, easy on the skin, does not damage plastic or clothing, and is not a neurotoxin.
Picaridin, like most repellents, works by disrupting the insect’s sense of smell. Derived from the naturally occurring organic compound piperine — the alkaloid that gives black pepper its hot flavor — Picaridin is the first synthetic repellent to clear modern efficacy and safety tests. Developed by scientists at Bayer AG in the 1980’s, in the early stages of development they modeled a variety of different three-dimensional molecules that would interfere with the olfactory receptors biting insects use to find food. Out of the more than 800 substances synthesized and tested, Picaridin was the clear winner.
There is a safe and effective alternative to DEET: Picaridin 20%.
