Citronella Oil - Use As An Insect Repellent

Use As An Insect Repellent

Citronella oil is popular as a 'natural' insect repellent. Its mosquito repellent qualities have been verified by research, including effectiveness in repelling Aedes aegypti (dengue fever mosquito). To be continually effective most citronella repellent formulas need to be reapplied to the skin every 30–60 minutes.

Research also indicates that citronella oil is an effective repellent for body louse and head louse.

The US Environmental Protection Agency states that citronella oil has little or no toxicity when used as a topical insect repellent, with no reports of adverse effects of concern over a 60 year period. Because some products are applied to human skin, EPA requires proper precautionary labeling to help assure safe use. If used according to label instructions in the US, citronella is not expected to pose health risks to people, including children and other sensitive populations. The US Food & Drug Administration consider citronella oil as generally recognized as safe (GRAS).

Canadian regulatory concerns with citronella as an insect repellent are primarily based on data-gaps in toxicology, not on incidents.

In Europe, Ceylon type citronella oil is placed on the category 3 list, with some safety concern regarding methyl eugenol. In the UK, E.U. legislation governing insect repellents came into force in September 2006, which banned citronella as an active ingredient in any insect repellent products. This applied to both insect repellent for humans and animals. It can still be sold as a perfume, but must not be sold as an insect repeller.