Mosquito Repellents: Efficacy Tests of Commercial Skin-Applied Products in China

As a prevention tool for mosquito-borne diseases, mosquito repellents have received substantial attention. To make a convincing recommendation for repellent products to Chinese consumers, we compared the protection time (landing time and probing time) of the 26 best-selling commercial repellents in the Chinese market in a controlled laboratory environment. The data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Meanwhile, prices and favorable rates of repellents are also taken into consideration. In our study, N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET)-based products provided the longest protection time (0.5–3.88 h landing time and/or 1–5.63 h probing time) and lower prices (13.9–21.9 yuan) than other components (ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate (IR3535), picaridin, and botanical. Among the 26 selected products, only 17 repellents showed repellency, and the best repellent was Green Jungle (15% DEET), with a mean (±SD) landing and/or probing time of 3.88 ± 1.65 h and/or 5.63 ± 0.36 h. For botanicals, only ICE King, OMNIbaby, and Ren He showed a little repellency. Autan (20% picaridin) performed best in the picaridin group. Run Ben (7% IR3535) stood out from the IR3535 group. In conclusion, DEET repellent is highly recommended to consumers. The combination of botanicals and synthesized chemicals is a new prospect for eco-friendly repellents.