CDC Says We Can Dump DEET

For years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stuck with their recommendation of DEET as the best defense against West Nile-bearing mosquitoes. Not this year. The Washington Post reports that the federal agency now says repellents containing the chemical picaridin or the oil of lemon eucalyptus offer “long-lasting protection against mosquito bites.” The Post reports that recent studies have persuaded the CDC that picaridin is “often comparable with DEET products of similar concentration” and oil of lemon eucalyptus provides protection time “similar to low-concentration DEET products.”
The question “to use DEET or not to use DEET” has troubled those who spend much of their time outdoors for years. While DEET is rumored to cause brain damage, it has been considered the best defense against mosquitoes that may carry deadly viruses. The CDC has always insisted that DEET is safe if used as directed.
The Post reports that various levels of DEET appear in the popular Off! lines by S.C. Johnson & Son Inc., including Deep Woods and Skintastic.