For toddlers aged one year and older, Icaridin in a concentration of 10 percent can provide protection. The ingredient hardly penetrates the skin and causes irritation only very rarely. Another option is IR3535 / EBAAP, which has very low toxicity and is well tolerated by the skin. However, it only protects for up to four hours, unlike Icaridin, which keeps mosquitoes away for up to eight hours and ticks for up to six hours. Parents should not treat babies’ skin with essential oils or natural products such as citronella, clove oil, or eucalyptus oil. In the worst case, babies may suffer breathing difficulties or a life-threatening spasm of the larynx.
