What is oil of lemon eucalyptus (ole) and should you worry about it?
Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), whose active component is PMD, is the only plant-derived repellent the CDC and EPA register as effective. The CDC, EPA, AAP, and EWG all agree it should not be used on children younger than 3 years.
Renee · Founder & Lead Researcher, R3
We score every product the same way and never accept brand payment. We may earn a commission from some links, which never changes a score. How we stay independent.
Quick facts
Get the research before you buy
New picks and safety research, no spam, no sponsors.
Hard age restriction under 3 years: The defining safety rule for OLE is the age floor. The CDC states that in general, parents should not use products containing OLE or PMD on children younger than 3 years to avoid potential allergic skin reactions. The AAP, EPA, and EWG all echo this, and REI notes OLE has not been studied on younger children.
Eye and skin irritation: NPIC notes oil of lemon eucalyptus can cause significant eye damage and that washing the eyes after exposure can reduce the risk of long-term harm. BabyGearLab notes the oil is a known irritant for those with sensitive skin and recommends a spot test before use to avoid a rash.
Shorter protection: OLE generally protects for less time and less reliably than DEET or picaridin. The AAP notes 8 to 10% OLE protects for up to 2 hours and 30 to 40% for 6 hours, and Consumer Reports notes that in its testing many OLE products fall short of DEET.
Pure oil is not a registered repellent: EWG warns that natural lemon eucalyptus oil is not the same as the registered Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, and the CDC does not recommend using pure, unformulated oil of lemon eucalyptus because it has not undergone validated testing and is not EPA-registered.
US EPA: Registered OLE products are EPA-registered repellents. The EPA notes that according to product labels, some OLE products should not be used on children under 3, while certain OLE-only products at 30% or less carry no under-3 restriction on the label, though health authorities still advise against under-3 use.
CDC: Recommends parents not use OLE or PMD on children younger than 3 years; does not recommend pure, unformulated oil of lemon eucalyptus because it is not EPA-registered or validated.
American Academy of Pediatrics: Advises not using products containing OLE or PMD on children younger than 3 years.
EWG: Lists OLE/PMD among do-not-use ingredients for children younger than 3 years.
How to reduce exposure
If you want a plant-derived repellent, choose a registered Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus product (active component PMD) rather than a raw essential oil, since EWG and the CDC both warn the two are not the same. Reserve it for children 3 years and older, as the CDC, EPA, AAP, and EWG all advise against use under 3. Because NPIC notes OLE can cause significant eye damage, keep it well away from the eyes, and spot-test first since BabyGearLab notes the oil can irritate sensitive skin. For longer outings, a higher concentration lasts longer (the AAP notes 30 to 40% OLE gives about 6 hours versus up to 2 hours at 8 to 10%). In tick-heavy or disease areas, the AAP recommends DEET or picaridin instead.
Who is most at risk
Look for these
Watch out for
What this means for your family
Every product scored on safety, efficacy, and usability - so you know which bug spray to trust around oil of lemon eucalyptus (ole).
Get the Bug Spray shortlist, free
The picks that cleared safety, what to skip, and why price didn’t predict the winner.
No spam. Unsubscribe any time.
Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus is not safe for young children. The CDC, EPA, American Academy of Pediatrics, and EWG all agree that OLE and PMD should not be used on children younger than 3 years, to avoid potential allergic skin reactions. REI notes it has not been studied on younger children. For children 3 years and older it can be used, but NPIC notes OLE can cause significant eye damage, so keep it away from the eyes, and BabyGearLab recommends a spot test since the oil can irritate sensitive skin.
OLE is effective but generally protects for less time and less reliably than DEET. The American Academy of Pediatrics notes 8 to 10% OLE protects for up to 2 hours and 30 to 40% for 6 hours, while DEET can protect for 2 to 12 hours. Consumer Reports notes that in its testing many OLE products fall short of DEET, though it puts 30% OLE among the better non-DEET options. The AAP advises that where there is real disease risk, such as Lyme in tick areas, DEET or picaridin should be used rather than OLE.
Children should be at least 3 years old. The CDC, EPA, American Academy of Pediatrics, and EWG all advise against using OLE or PMD on children younger than 3 years, because it has not been adequately studied in younger children and to avoid potential allergic skin reactions. This is a stricter age floor than DEET, picaridin, and IR3535, which the CDC allows on children without age restriction. For children under 3, choose a different EPA-registered repellent or use physical barriers like netting.
Concentration sets the duration. The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that 8 to 10% OLE protects for up to 2 hours, while 30 to 40% provides about 6 hours, and Consumer Reports puts 30% OLE among the better non-DEET options. The CDC notes products with less than 10% active ingredient may offer only 1 to 2 hours of protection. Choose a higher concentration for longer outings, and only use registered OLE products on children 3 years and older.
No, and this distinction matters for both safety and effectiveness. EWG warns that natural lemon eucalyptus oil is not the same as the registered Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, whose active repellent component is PMD. The CDC does not recommend using pure, unformulated oil of lemon eucalyptus as a repellent because it has not undergone validated testing for safety and efficacy and is not EPA-registered. Look for an EPA registration number and the active ingredient listed as OLE or PMD, not a raw essential oil.
DEET is the most studied EPA-registered insect repellent active ingredient, effective against mosquitoes and ticks. The CDC reports its efficacy peaks around 50% concentration, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends products applied to children contain no more than 30% DEET.