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Tick repellents that work
Two jobs: something on your skin, and something on your clothes.
Repellents do not stop a tick reaching you outright. What they do is make your skin and clothing far less inviting, so a tick that lands on you is more likely to drop off or die before it finds a place to bite. That is why the two-layer approach in the table below, using one product on skin and a different one on clothing, outperforms either used alone.
The options
| Repellent | Use on | Upside | Downside |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEET (20–30%) | Skin | Effective against ticks and mosquitoes, available everywhere | Can damage plastics and synthetic fabric |
| Picaridin (20%) | Skin | Nearly odourless, does not damage gear | Slightly less widely stocked |
| Permethrin | Clothing and gear only | Kills ticks on contact, survives several washes | Must dry fully before wearing; toxic to cats while wet |
| Oil of lemon eucalyptus | Skin | Naturally derived | Shorter protection, needs reapplying; not for children under three |
Permethrin is applied to clothing and left to dry. It is never sprayed on skin, and it is kept away from cats until fully dry.
Applying skin repellents properly
Coverage matters more than concentration. A thin, even layer on exposed skin, following the label’s reapplication interval, does more than a higher-strength product applied once and forgotten. Sunscreen and repellent do not mix well: sunscreen generally goes on first, repellent on top, reapplied more often than the sunscreen. Always read the label for the product in front of you rather than assuming it matches the table above exactly, since formulations vary between brands.
Combining a skin repellent with permethrin-treated clothing gives the two different jobs described at the top of this page: the skin product deters ticks that reach bare skin, while the clothing treatment kills ticks that land on treated fabric before they get that far.
Product registration differs by country
Which repellents are legally sold, and under what label claims, depends on the regulator in your country. A product’s name and active ingredient can be identical while its registered claims and available concentrations differ.
United States & Canada
Skin and clothing repellents sold for tick protection are registered with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which reviews the safety and efficacy data behind each product's label claims. Checking for EPA registration is a reasonable way to confirm a product is intended for tick use rather than mosquitoes alone.
Australia
Repellents are regulated separately from the US system, and the specific brands and concentrations on shelves differ from North America. Oil of lemon eucalyptus is widely available locally; always check the label for the ticks it is registered to repel, since claims vary by product.
UK & Europe
DEET and picaridin products are sold under European and UK regulatory regimes rather than the US EPA system, so labelled concentrations and reapplication guidance can differ slightly from US packaging even for the same active ingredient. Follow the instructions on the product you have bought rather than a US label you may have seen online.
Clothing does half the work
- Light colours: you will spot a tick before it reaches skin
- Trousers tucked into socks: unglamorous, and very effective
- Long sleeves in brush
- Tumble dry on high after a walk: heat kills ticks on clothing; washing alone may not
After you get back
Repellent lowers the odds of a bite; it does not remove the need to check. Pair it with a habit of running your hands over scalp, ears, waistband and behind the knees once you are home, and use Live Scan in the app if you find something and want a closer look. Reviewing the size and colour guide helps you judge what you are looking at, and the tick wiki covers species-specific detail if you want to go further.