Is Picaridin Safe?
The EPA decided picaridin is not likely to cause cancer, and the National Pesticide Information Center says skin irritation from it is very uncommon, but there is no information on long-term exposure in people. The center says picaridin may irritate the eyes, is considered practically nontoxic if inhaled, and that in humans less than 6 percent of the picaridin applied to skin was absorbed.
Picaridin is a human-made compound first made in the 1980s to resemble piperine, a natural compound found in the plants used to produce black pepper, and after wide use in Europe and Australia it has been available in the United States since 2005, the center says. It repels insects rather than killing them, and seems to block mosquitoes from sensing their prey.
In animal studies, the center says, rats fed large doses of picaridin lost weight and had kidney effects, and the EPA’s cancer decision was based on long-term skin exposure studies in rats and mice. It also says picaridin is moderately toxic to fish, and that risks can be reduced by always reading the entire label and following all instructions.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Medical referenceThe National Pesticide Information Center says picaridin was made to resemble piperine, found in the plants used to produce black pepper, and has only been available in the United States since 2005. National Pesticide Information Center, Oregon State University ↗
- Medical referenceThe center says picaridin repels insects and makes them less likely to bite, seems to block mosquitoes from sensing their prey, and does not kill insects. National Pesticide Information Center, Oregon State University ↗
- Medical referenceThe center says some people have had skin irritation from products containing picaridin, although this is very uncommon, and that it may also irritate the eyes. National Pesticide Information Center, Oregon State University ↗
- Medical referenceThe center says picaridin is considered practically nontoxic if inhaled, and that in humans less than 6 percent of picaridin applied to skin was absorbed. National Pesticide Information Center, Oregon State University ↗
- Regulatory filingThe center says the US EPA decided picaridin is not likely to cause cancer, based on long-term skin exposure studies in rats and mice. National Pesticide Information Center, Oregon State University ↗
- Medical referenceThe center says there was no information available on long-term exposure to picaridin in people, and that picaridin is moderately toxic to fish. National Pesticide Information Center, Oregon State University ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.