I’ve had the chance to try out several eco-friendly insect repellents over the past month or so and I am rather impressed. Almost all of them seem to work pretty good under normal conditions. Some smell better than others, some seem to work longer and harder than others, and some are more convenient to use but they all do the job of keeping the bugs away.

Keep reading for a breakdown of which eco-bugsprays work the best.

Awhile back I wrote about Safe Eco-Fun in the Sun and mentioned quite a few all natural insect repellents. I also promised I would keep everyone updated about how well they work.

The past several week I have been trying them all, comparing them and enjoying the fact that I am not being constantly attacked by bugs while I work and play in my yard.

All of these products mentioned are natural, DEET free, and many are organic as well. They all use natural essential oils like mint, cloves, rosemary, geranium, citronella and lemon.

One of my favorites is ecoSMART. The ecoSMART spray is easy to use and has a very pleasant aroma that is not overpowering and it seems to work really well. When I put the spray on we are not attacked or tortured by mosquitoes which can be a miracle in our yard since our yard is part woods and swamp. You have to reapply about every two hours but that’s no big deal.

The other product that seems to work really, really well is the All Terrain Herbal Armor spray and Kid’s Herbal Armor spray. The scent of the All Terrain Herbal Armor is really strong and I don’t prefer it for myself since I am prone to headaches but when we were in the middle of the woods getting swarmed by bloodsuckers I decided not to be picky.

My husband and the kids love the All Terrain Herbal Armor sprays and have been taking them to the park and on all of their fishing trips. My husband said he sprayed himself and the kids with Kid’s Herbal Armor spray (which has a lighter mintier aroma compared to the regular Herbal Armor) at the park one day while everyone else was using OFF. The OFF users were still being bit while he and the kids were bug free. That’s proof for me that these natural insect repellents really work…and work well.

Bug Band products also work pretty good and come in several varieties. They have a Geraniol spray lotion which smells pretty good, other lotion sprays and wipes which contain Geraniol, soybean oil, rosemary, and mint. They also have convenient wrist bands that are wonderful and so easy to use. I have several in my travel bag and in my three year old son’s bye-bye bag. We have been using Bug Band products quite often during cookouts and bonfires and they do a great job of keeping bugs at bay.

BugBam wristbands also work really well with a strong though not unpleasant herbal aroma. They are a very convenient, no mess solution to keeping the bugs away. You can put them on your wrist, ankle, or belt loop and be bug free for hours. And the bands are recyclable.

Brittanie’s Thyme spray has a very pleasant aroma. I love this one for myself and keep it in my gardening bag. It is the spray I use most often when working in my gardens. The aroma is light and pleasing with the hint of mint and cloves and possibly cinnamon.

Badger Balm lotion has a very pleasant aroma but being a lotion/balm it is not as convenient to use but it works pretty good. Plus it leaves you skin soft.

doTERRA Terra Shield is a super concentrated essential oil mixture that smells pretty good and works great but it is not as convenient to use either since it is in a little bottle and is not a spray. It’s blend of 15 essential oils does do wonders to keep the biting bugs away. I just wish it came in a spray bottle.

Bug-a-Bug by ecokid spray is a convenient spray bottle but I really can’t stand the smell. It has a very, very strong overpowering aroma of citronella which in small doses is OK but in such a large dose is headache central. So out of all the products this one has been used the least since it gives me a headache. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t work, I personally just can’t take the overwhelming odor of it. If you don’t mind the scent of citronella this may work well for you.

So, there’s your breakdown of the best eco-freindly insect repellents. I hope you find one that works great for you.

[This post was written by Wenona Napolitano.]