What is Picaridin (Icaridin)?
Picaridin is a piperidine compound developed by Bayer in the 1980s and sold in Europe from 1998 and the US from 2005. It's structurally related to piperine, the compound that makes black pepper hot, though it's fully synthetic.
It's sold at 5–20%. As with DEET, concentration sets duration: 10% gives 3–5 hours, 20% gives 8–14 hours against mosquitoes and around 8 hours against ticks.
What does it do in a product?
It repels mosquitoes, ticks, biting flies, chiggers, and fleas by blocking the insects' ability to locate skin. The CDC lists it alongside DEET as a recommended repellent, and the WHO recommends it for malaria-area travel.
It's odourless, non-greasy, and doesn't damage plastics, watch straps, sunglasses, synthetic clothing, or painted surfaces — the practical reason many people switch to it.
Is Picaridin (Icaridin) safe?
Picaridin has a favourable safety profile in every regulatory review. It's poorly absorbed through skin, rapidly metabolised, and shows no carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reproductive effects in animal studies. Skin irritation is uncommon and generally mild. There are no case reports of neurological effects comparable to those (rare) reports with DEET.
Eye contact is irritating, as with any repellent. It shouldn't be ingested; poison-centre reports are rare and generally minor.
For children, the US EPA doesn't set an age limit, and product labels typically say 'not for children under 2 months'; Health Canada permits it from 6 months. For pregnancy, there are fewer human studies than for DEET, but no signal of harm, and the CDC lists it as safe to use in pregnancy.
The honest caveat is time: DEET has 60+ years of population data, picaridin has about 25. Nothing in that period has raised a concern.
Who should be careful
- Infants under 6 months (Canada) or 2 months (US) — use nets and clothing
- Avoid eyes, mouth, and broken skin; apply to a child's face with your hands, not by spraying
- Wash off after coming indoors
- Don't rely on 5–10% products for tick protection in high-risk areas; use 20%
Regulatory status
| Region | Status |
|---|---|
| United States | EPA-registered since 2005; CDC-recommended. No age restriction from EPA; labels commonly advise not under 2 months. |
| Canada | Registered as icaridin; permitted for children 6 months and older at up to 20%. |
| European Union | Approved biocide (product type 19) since 2016 as icaridin; widely sold, including to children from 2 years in some markets. |
| Australia | Registered; recommended by state health authorities alongside DEET. |
| WHO | Recommended repellent for travellers to malaria-endemic areas. |
Where you'll find it
- Repellent sprays and aerosols
- Lotions and pump sprays
- Repellent wipes
- Some sunscreen-repellent combinations
Alternatives
- DEET 20–30% — the longer-tested option
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus (PMD) 30% — plant-derived, not for children under 3
- IR3535 — gentle, shorter duration
- Permethrin-treated clothing for ticks, used with a skin repellent
Is it in your product?
Paste the ingredient list or snap a photo of the label — IngredientIQ rates every ingredient in seconds.
Common questions
Is picaridin as effective as DEET?
At 20%, yes for mosquitoes, with duration of 8 hours or more. Against ticks, several studies rate 20% picaridin at least as effective as 20–30% DEET. Lower-concentration picaridin products (5–10%) are weaker and shorter-lasting.
Is picaridin safe for babies?
From 6 months in Canada and from 2 months per typical US labels. For younger infants, use nets and long clothing. Apply with your hands, not sprayed directly.
Is picaridin safe in pregnancy?
Regulators and the CDC list it as safe to use during pregnancy. There's less direct human data than for DEET, but no evidence of harm, and the diseases it prevents are the greater risk.
Why does it smell of nothing?
Picaridin is nearly odourless and doesn't have DEET's oily, solvent-like feel. That, plus not melting plastics, is why it's become the default in Europe and increasingly elsewhere.
Related
Sources
- US EPA, Picaridin Pesticide Fact Sheet, 2005
- CDC, Prevent Mosquito Bites: repellent guidance
- Health Canada, Insect Repellents: Icaridin
- WHO, International Travel and Health: personal protection
- Büchel et al., Repellent efficacy of DEET, icaridin and EBAAP against ticks, Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, 2015