Can A Picaridin Insect Repellent Replace The Need For DEET?

Picaridin insect repellent is a viable alternative to the DEET based products which are traditionally used to combat mosquito bites. Many people who are wary of DEET have been looking for an alternative, and picaridin is one of those products which is being tested to see if it is effective. Firstly, we need to consider why we need an alternative to DEET in the first place. Is this common chemical not as safe as people like to think it is? The answer is yes and no.

DEET does have a very impressive safety record for a chemical which is continually applied to the skin. Only a very tiny percentage of people suffer any serious ill effects when they come into contact with this material. When you think o how many millions of people use an insect repellent every summer, the figures suggest that DEET is actually safer than many natural food products on the market today.

This, however, does not tell the full story. Clinical trials carried out on workers who use DEET extensively over a long period of time prove that there are negative side effects which are often difficult to manage, and which can creep up on a victim without them even realizing. Mental clarity is impaired, resulting in poorer judgment, a lack of quality sleep, and a general haziness of thinking. When sleep is lost or the quality of sleep reduced, the pattern becomes self-reinforcing. If an alternative to DEET could be found, there would be a lot of potential problems avoided.

So, can picaridin fill the gap? Extensive tests have been carried out on picaridin insect repellent, and have found that it is nowhere near as effective against mosquito bites as solutions built on DEET. This is not the news many were hoping for, but it is what the tests show. That I not to say that picaridin is not effective to a degree, because it clearly is. It is just that when you are put under a severe risk by needing to cope with the possibility of mosquito bites which could carry disease, you need the best solution you can possible get.

Picaridin is odor free, it is less sticky than DEET, and it does not have the negative side effect of corroding clothing or camping materials. If you are not venturing into seriously dangerous territory, it represents a reasonable option. If you are under serious threat from mosquito bites carrying disease, you still need to be looking at DEET, alongside Permethrin coated clothing and safety nets. If you simply cannot use DEET because of your skin, then lemon eucalyptus provides a viable natural alternative. It has its place in combating some kinds of insect, but there are severe limitations to the effectiveness of picaridin insect repellent.






 

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