icaridin

Icaridin is a synthetic insect repellent belonging to the piperidine chemical family. Developed by Bayer in the 1980s, it is used topically on skin or clothing to repel mosquitoes, biting flies, ticks, chiggers, and fleas. Icaridin acts primarily by interfering with the olfactory system of insects—specifically odorant receptors and odorant binding proteins—thereby masking human scent cues and preventing host recognition. It does not kill insects but deters them from feeding or landing on treated surfaces. Icaridin is considered as effective as DEET but with lower risk of skin irritation and greater user acceptability. It has been approved for use in many countries since the early 2000s for protection against vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, Zika virus, Lyme disease, West Nile fever, and others[1][3][5][7].

Brand names

picaridinTotalSTOP

Other names

hydroxy-ethyl isobutyl piperidine carboxylatesec-butyl 2-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperidine-1-carboxylate