The CDC recommends EPA-registered repellents with one of six active ingredients, from DEET to oil of lemon eucalyptus. A natural bug balm carrying citronella or cedar oil isn't on that list. That's why we don't make one.
After a day outside, a balm's job is dry skin, and I'd reach for Bare Silk ($34 as of October 5, 2026).
Which repellents does the CDC recommend?
The CDC's mosquito bite page says to use EPA-registered insect repellents with one of the following active ingredients. Here's its list as the page stated it on October 6, 2026:
- DEET
- Picaridin (known as KBR 3023 and icaridin outside the United States)
- IR3535
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) · A plant-derived ingredient
- Para-menthane-diol (PMD)
- 2-undecanone · A plant-derived ingredient
Used as directed, the CDC says, they're proven safe and effective. EPA registration means a product was evaluated and approved for human safety and effectiveness when used as the label directs, so look for the registration number.
Does a natural bug balm work?
The CDC says it doesn't know the effectiveness of non-EPA-registered repellents, including some natural ones. In the 1990s, the EPA exempted citronella and cedar oil, among others, from registration as minimal risk to human health. Products made from them haven't been evaluated for effectiveness, the EPA says.
The study I'd cite is old. Fradin and Day's 2002 lab test with 15 volunteers found a 23.8% DEET formulation gave a mean 301.5 minutes of complete protection. Six of the seven botanical repellents they tested averaged under 20 minutes each.
Why do ticks matter to a tallow brand?
The CDC calls alpha-gal syndrome a potentially life-threatening allergy that can occur after a tick bite. Reactions are likelier after mammal meat such as beef. Some people with it may also be sensitive to products made with mammal fat, and the CDC names tallow and suet. Ours are suet tallow, and if you have alpha-gal syndrome, your allergist's plan comes first. It's cosmetic care, not a treatment. Our post on beef tallow side effects covers alpha-gal at more length.
The CDC pairs a registered repellent on skin with 0.5% permethrin on clothing and gear, and permethrin never goes on skin. Once you're in, shower within two hours. Then check for ticks, under the arms and behind the knees included.
After that shower, Bare Silk Unscented is the jar I'd keep by the towel: a thin layer on dry shins and hands, kept off bites and scratches.
If you'd rather not read five product pages, Find my balm asks two minutes of questions and hands you the jar.
Questions we hear
Is DEET or picaridin better?
The CDC lists both among the active ingredients for EPA-registered repellents and doesn't rank one over the other. Used as directed, it says, they're proven safe and effective. The EPA's search tool, which the CDC links to, lets you pick registered products by protection time and active ingredient.
Does lemon eucalyptus oil work as a repellent?
The registered kind, oil of lemon eucalyptus or OLE, is on the CDC's list. The CDC doesn't recommend "pure" oil of lemon eucalyptus, the unformulated essential oil, because it hasn't had validated testing for safety and efficacy. The CDC also says not to use OLE or PMD on children under 3.
Can a tallow balm keep ticks or mosquitoes off?
No. A balm's film of fat slows water leaving your skin, and there's no registered repellent in ours. For ticks, the CDC pairs a registered repellent on skin with 0.5% permethrin on clothing, then a shower and a tick check indoors.
Can I use a beef tallow balm if I have alpha-gal syndrome?
Ask your allergist first. The CDC says some people with alpha-gal syndrome may be sensitive to products made with mammal fat, and it names tallow and suet. Craft Tallow's balms are suet tallow, so they're a question for your allergist before they touch your skin.
Go deeper
Start with the beef tallow for skin guide. Tallow and SPF covers the other job a balm can't do outdoors, and fragrance-free vs unscented explains what our Unscented label means. Pool chlorine and skin covers the other summer itch and the rinse that fixes most of it.
Sources
- CDC (2024). Preventing mosquito bites, page last updated August 28, 2024. cdc.gov.
- United States Environmental Protection Agency (2026). Regulation of skin-applied repellents, a page last updated June 25, 2026. epa.gov.
- Fradin MS and Day JF (2002). Comparative efficacy of insect repellents against mosquito bites, a lab test in 15 volunteers. N Engl J Med 347(1):13 to 18.
- CDC (2024). Preventing tick bites, page last updated August 28, 2024. cdc.gov.
- Connelly CR and Gimnig JE (2025). Mosquitoes, ticks, and other arthropods, a chapter of the CDC Yellow Book 2026. CDC.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2026). Fast facts: products that may contain alpha-gal, page last updated January 5, 2026. cdc.gov.
Brian is the founder of Craft Tallow, a small-batch tallow skincare line shipped from Cottonwood Heights, Utah, built on 100% grass-fed suet. Questions? Reply to any email from us; it lands with him.