Your Guide to Mosquito & Tick Defense: DEET vs. Picaridin vs. Permethrin

By William Miller, MD, MSc, MPH, FAAD · Scenic Dermatology

Silhouettes of a brown tick on the left and a white mosquito centered on a dark green circle on the right, against a light background. — DEET and picaridin are used on exposed skin; permethrin is used to treat clothing and gear.

Nothing ruins a Minnesota summer picnic faster than a swarm of mosquitoes—or the surprise of a hidden tick. Between our state’s “favorite” biters and tick-rich woodlands, Minnesotans face a real battle every year.

If you’re tired of dousing yourself in mystery sprays or worried about chemicals on your skin, you’re not alone. This guide explains the differences between DEET, picaridin, and permethrin, so you can choose the right protection for your skin and your gear and still enjoy the great outdoors.

The short answer

Use DEET or picaridin on exposed skin; use permethrin on clothing and gear

For an ordinary backyard evening, an EPA-registered DEET or picaridin product may be all you need. For wooded trails, tall grass, hunting, camping, gardening near brush, or a long cabin weekend, permethrin-treated clothing plus a skin-applied repellent gives you two useful layers. Permethrin clothing treatment does not belong on skin, and treated pants do not protect your uncovered arms, neck, or ankles.

DEET vs. picaridin vs. permethrin at a glance

These products are not three versions of the same spray. DEET and picaridin are repellents commonly labeled for exposed skin. Permethrin is an insecticide and repellent used to treat fabric. The right choice starts with where the product goes and how long you expect to be outside.

What to compare	DEET	Picaridin	Permethrin
Where it goes	Exposed skin; outer clothing only when the label allows	Exposed skin; outer clothing only when the label allows	Clothing and gear only; never apply clothing treatment to skin
What it does	Repels mosquitoes and ticks rather than killing them	Repels mosquitoes and ticks rather than killing them	Repels, disables, or kills insects that contact treated fabric
Best fit	Reliable skin protection with a long track record	Reliable skin protection with less odor and a less greasy feel in many formulations	Added protection for wooded, brushy, grassy, or high-exposure outings
How long	Varies by percentage, formula, pest, and conditions; check the product’s label	Varies by percentage and formula; some 20% products are labeled for up to 12 hours	Self-treatment and factory treatment last for different numbers of weeks or washes; follow the spray label or garment hang-tag
Main tradeoff	Some products feel oily or smell noticeable, and DEET can damage certain plastics, rubber, vinyl, elastic, or finishes	Often easier on gear, but “DEET-free” is a preference claim, not proof that a product is safer	Must be applied ahead of time, allowed to dry, and managed according to laundering and retreatment directions
What it misses	Skin you did not cover and protection after the label’s time limit	Skin you did not cover and protection after the label’s time limit	Uncovered skin and any clothing or gear that was not treated

A practical comparison of where each product goes, what it does, and when it earns a place in your bag

How insect repellents work

Most skin-applied repellents, including DEET and picaridin, don’t kill bugs. They deter them. Mosquitoes and ticks sense us through cues such as scent, breath, and body heat; repellents interfere with the process insects use to find and bite us.

Permethrin, by contrast, is a contact insecticide used on clothing and gear. When insects land on treated fabric, they may be repelled, disabled, or killed. That’s why permethrin is for clothing, shoes, socks, tents, and other label-approved gear, not for direct application to skin.

DEET: the long-standing classic

DEET has a long record of use against mosquitoes and ticks. Higher percentages generally provide protection for longer, but more is not automatically better for every outing. EPA reports that products in its database repel ticks for roughly two to ten hours and mosquitoes for roughly two to twelve hours, depending on the percentage and product. The label on your bottle, not a generic chart, sets the application and reapplication limit.

Why people choose it: dependable mosquito and tick repellency, broad availability, and a long safety record when used as directed.
What to know: the smell or feel can be noticeable, and some DEET formulations can damage certain plastics, watch crystals, rubber, vinyl, elastic, synthetic materials, leather, or painted and varnished surfaces. Check your product label before it meets sunglasses, a watch, a fishing line, or technical gear.
Skin note: irritation is uncommon but possible. Use only enough to cover exposed skin, keep it away from cuts and irritated skin, and wash it off once you’re indoors.

Pro tip: If the label permits spray application, spray the product into your hands before applying it to your face. Do not spray directly toward your eyes or mouth, and do not let young children apply it themselves.

Picaridin: a lower-odor alternative

Picaridin also makes it harder for mosquitoes and ticks to locate and bite you. Many people prefer it because common formulations are low-odor, non-greasy, and less likely than DEET to damage plastic or synthetic gear.

Why people choose it: strong mosquito and tick protection without DEET’s typical odor or gear-compatibility concerns.
How long it lasts: the concentration and formulation matter. Some EPA-accepted labels for 20% picaridin products allow claims of up to 12 hours against mosquitoes and ticks, but another product may have a shorter claim or a stricter daily application limit.
Skin note: picaridin can still irritate skin or eyes. “Feels better on my skin” is a useful preference; it is not a guarantee that sensitive skin will tolerate every formula.

Pro tip: Picaridin is a practical first choice when you want a skin repellent near synthetic hiking clothes, fishing gear, a watch, or sunglasses. Still check the product label before applying it to fabric or equipment.

Permethrin: gear and garment treatment

Permethrin earns its place when ticks are a serious part of the plan. Treating shoes, socks, pants, shirts, hats, and approved camping gear creates protection on the fabric itself. This is especially useful for tick-heavy trails, campsites, wooded edges, brush, and tall grass.

Why people choose it: treated fabric can repel and kill mosquitoes and ticks, and protection can remain through multiple washings when the label says so.
What it does not do: it protects only treated, covered areas. Exposed skin still needs a skin-applied repellent when mosquitoes or ticks are active.
Preparation matters: clothing treatment must be applied to unworn items, outdoors and away from drift to people or pets, then allowed to dry for the full label time before use.

Pro tip: Do this before the day of the trip. CDC travel guidance suggests treating clothing 24–48 hours before packing, while the exact minimum drying time and retreatment schedule come from the product label.

How concentration and conditions change protection time

A percentage on the front of the bottle is not a universal clock. In general, a higher concentration lasts longer; it does not create an invisible force field or make one thin spot in application work better. Formulation also matters: a controlled-release product may last longer than another product with the same percentage.

Protection time can shrink with sweating, swimming, rain, high heat, rubbing from clothing or a backpack, and the particular mosquito or tick species. If you start getting bitten, check the label before reapplying. Do not exceed the label’s frequency just because a generic online chart promised a longer number.

What the duration numbers really mean

“Up to 12 hours” is a product-label ceiling under tested conditions, not a promise for every person, pest, or sweaty day. Choose a concentration and formula whose label covers the time and insects you expect, then use that specific label for dose and reapplication.

What should you use for your outing?

Start with the exposure, not the brand. Here is a practical way to pack.

Backyard dinner or an evening walk: Apply an EPA-registered DEET or picaridin product to exposed skin. Add long sleeves or pants if mosquitoes are intense.
Kids’ sports at dusk: Use a child-appropriate, label-approved skin repellent on exposed areas. An adult should apply it, keeping it off hands, eyes, mouth, cuts, and irritated skin.
Yard work or gardening near brush: Use a skin repellent plus long pants, socks, and closed shoes. If you regularly work along a wooded or brushy edge, treated outer clothing may be worth the preparation.
Hiking, camping, hunting, or a cabin weekend: Consider permethrin-treated shoes, socks, pants, and outerwear plus DEET or picaridin on exposed skin. Add daily tick checks; repellent lowers risk but does not replace them.
Travel to Minnesota: Buy the products before you arrive, check the active ingredient and EPA registration number, and pack enough for the label’s reapplication schedule. Treat clothing before packing rather than trying to spray it at the trailhead.

Why Minnesota calls for more than “spray at dusk”

Minnesota’s mosquito species do not all follow the same schedule, and ticks can be active whenever conditions are warm enough, including outside the heart of summer. Blacklegged ticks favor wooded and brushy areas; American dog ticks also turn up in grassy, more open habitat. That is why a dawn-and-dusk mosquito plan is not enough for a day in tall grass or along a wooded trail.

Factory-treated versus self-treated clothing

Both can be useful, but they are not maintained the same way.

Factory-treated clothing

Factory-treated garments arrive ready to wear and are often labeled to remain effective through many launderings. The hang-tag is part of the pesticide label: keep it, read it, and follow its washing and end-of-use instructions. EPA notes that factory-treated clothing protects only the skin covered by the garment, so use a skin repellent on exposed areas when needed.

Self-treated clothing and gear

Use only an EPA-registered product specifically labeled for treating clothing or gear. A representative 0.5% permethrin clothing-treatment label calls for application outdoors to unworn fabric, drying before use, and retreatment after six weeks or six washings. That is one example, not a rule for every bottle. Your label controls.

Treat only the items and surfaces named on the label. Do not improvise with agricultural, veterinary, or concentrated permethrin products.
Keep spray and drift away from adults, children, and pets during application. Never apply a clothing treatment to a person or pet.
Apply away from lakes, streams, drains, gutters, and other routes to water. Permethrin clothing sprays can be highly toxic to aquatic organisms, and labels may include bee and flowering-plant precautions.
Let everything dry for the full label time before wearing, handling, or packing it.
Follow the garment or spray label for laundering. EPA notes that treated outer clothing may need to be washed separately, and permethrin should not be applied to underwear unless a specific label says otherwise.
Track washes or treatment date. Rain on the trail is not the same as laundering, but abrasion, washing, and time all affect how long treatment lasts.

How to apply skin repellent safely

Read the whole label. Confirm the active ingredient, insects covered, age directions, where it may be applied, how much to use, and the maximum reapplication frequency.
Cover only exposed skin. Do not apply beneath clothing or over cuts, wounds, sunburn, eczema flares, or already irritated skin.
Use just enough. Apply a light, even coating. Saturating the skin or reapplying more often than directed does not create better protection.
Keep spray away from the face. Spray into your hands first, then apply sparingly while avoiding eyes and mouth. Use sprays in an open area and avoid breathing the mist.
Put sunscreen on first. Use separate sunscreen and repellent products: sunscreen first, repellent second. Follow each label, and remember that sunscreen may need to be reapplied more often than repellent.
Let an adult apply it to children. Keep repellent off a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, cuts, and irritated skin. For infants and very young children, start with covering clothing and mosquito netting, and follow the product’s age directions or pediatric guidance.
Use pregnancy and breastfeeding guidance accurately. CDC says EPA-registered repellents are safe and effective for pregnant and breastfeeding people when used as directed. The label still controls the product, amount, and frequency.
Reassess after water, sweat, or rubbing. Swimming, heavy perspiration, rain, and friction can shorten protection. Reapply only as the label directs.
Wash up indoors. Wash skin-applied repellent off with soap and water. Launder repellent- or permethrin-treated clothing only as its own label or hang-tag directs.

Common mistakes that leave gaps

Spraying permethrin clothing treatment directly on skin or onto clothing while it is being worn
Assuming treated pants protect bare ankles, arms, neck, or hands
Choosing a product by the word “natural” instead of checking for an EPA registration number and the insects listed on the label
Using one generic duration number for every DEET or picaridin concentration and formulation
Reapplying repellent every time sunscreen is reapplied, even when the repellent label does not allow it
Forgetting that ticks still require a full-body check after time in wooded, brushy, or grassy habitat
Using a clothing treatment on a pet or assuming a human product substitutes for veterinary tick prevention

If your skin reacts or you find a bite

If a repellent causes burning, itching, swelling, or a rash, stop using it and wash the area with mild soap and water. Follow the label’s first-aid instructions. If you need medical care, bring the container or a clear photo of the label; Poison Help is available at 1-800-222-1222.

If you find an attached tick, remove it promptly, clean the area, and note the date. A small local bump can be a simple bite reaction, while an expanding rash, fever, headache, body aches, facial weakness, or other new symptoms deserve medical guidance. Scenic’s Minnesota tick-bite rash guide explains what to watch for and when to seek care.

Scenic Dermatology’s take: match the protection to the outing

Whether you’re headed to the cabin, hiking wooded trails, watching kids’ sports at dusk, or just trying to enjoy the backyard, Minnesota’s bugs don’t take a day off. Your protection shouldn’t either. For higher-exposure outings, permethrin-treated clothing plus picaridin or DEET on exposed skin is a practical double layer of defense. For a short evening outside, a well-chosen skin repellent and sensible clothing may be enough.

The best product is the one that covers the insects, time, and conditions on its label and that you can use correctly. Enjoy the outdoors, check for ticks when you come in, and do not let a bigger concentration number replace good application.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use DEET or picaridin with permethrin-treated clothing?

Yes. That is often the point of layered protection: permethrin on approved clothing and gear, with a skin-applied DEET or picaridin product on exposed areas. Follow both labels, and do not put permethrin clothing treatment on skin.

Is picaridin safer than DEET?

EPA-registered DEET and picaridin products are both considered safe and effective when used according to their labels. Picaridin is often preferred for its feel, odor, and gear compatibility; those are practical differences, not proof that DEET is unsafe.

Do I need a separate repellent for mosquitoes and ticks?

Not necessarily. Many EPA-registered DEET and picaridin products list both mosquitoes and ticks, but you must check the pests on the specific label. For time in tick habitat, treated clothing and daily tick checks add protection that skin repellent alone cannot provide.

Sources

Article information: Published by Scenic Dermatology for general education. Sources were reviewed August 4, 2026. Product labels can change; the current label on the product you use controls its application, precautions, and reapplication.