Today's manufacturers provide a large number of different insect repellents under various brands. Before such mass production, people used natural substances to protect themselves from insect attacks --- with limited success. Does this Spark an idea?
Natural Repellents
Before World War II, people mostly used natural products as insect repellents, according to the University of Florida. Topical insect repellent products contained natural plant oils such as oil of citronella, which was put into use as a repellent in the late 1800s. People also burned citronella candles to repel mosquitoes, a technique still used today.
Chemical Repellents
According to the University of Florida, several chemical insect repellents were patented in the 1920s and 1930s, including dymethyl phtalate in 1929, indalone in 1937 and Rutgers 612 in 1939. These active ingredients seldom appear in modern insect repellents.
Current Repellents
Since its discovery in 1954, deet has grown so much in popularity that about 35 percent of Americans use deet-based products every year. The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention also recommends other repellents such as picaridin. Some insect-repellent products still use essential oils, such as oil of citronella, eucalyptus, geraniol, soybean or cedarwood, as active ingredients.
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