FAQ

The IR3535® molecule was inspired by a naturally occurring amino acid, making it highly tolerable for humans, animals, and the environment. That’s why IR3535® boasts an excellent safety record, enabling insect repellent formulations for safe use on everyone, including infants and pregnant women. No age limits apply to IR3535®, so IR3535® repellents are even safe for very young children. Nevertheless, repellents should always be handled with caution, and the product label instructions and information should be read carefully.

When used as an active ingredient in repellents, IR3535® provides reliable protection against ticks. The repellent efficacy of IR3535® against Ixodes scapularis was tested in 2008. The results showed that a lotion containing 10% IR3535® provided nine hours of protection. A spray with 20% IR3535® provided up to 11 hours of protection. An aerosol with 30% IR3535® even provided up to 11 hours of protection. Tests with the European sheep tick confirmed the efficacy against ticks.

There are a number of different products containing IR3535®, such as bug sprays, wipes, lotions, and aerosols. You can ask at your pharmacyor drugstore. Ask for IR3535® (or use the chemical name: ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate). You can also look for the logo on the numerous brands that use it.

Insects use natural odors to navigate. There are various substances in nature which provide signals to insects. For example, there are substances which help male mosquitoes find females or guide females to a host where they can feed on blood. IR3535® is based on a natural amino acid called ß-alanine. It sends out a simple message to these insects: stay away! This is called the “repellent effect”. So IR3535® is a repellent that tells insects to move away from skin, textiles, and hair. Some repellents also have insecticidal effect, which means they may actually kill insects after contact. This is not the case with IR3535®, which only sends out a message to go away and does not harm insects.

IR3535® only issues messages to insects. When used on human skin or textiles, it is not capable of killing insects.. In addition, IR3535® is gentle on the skin and scores highly in terms of safety. This has been confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Environmental protection Agency (EPA), and many other international authorities. IR3535® has been used in repellent products in Europe for more than 30 years and there are no known reports regarding serious side effects. For more information, refer to the original publications issued by the WHO and the EPA by clicking on the “other webpages” button.

Yes. Many authorities (as well as the WHO) have investigated the safety of IR3535® in detail. IR3535® received an excellent safety rating and is specifically highlighted with respect to use in children’s products. The French Ministry of Health recommended IR3535® for children and pregnant woman during chikungunya epidemics on Réunion (January 31, 2006). IR3535® is now found worldwide in many repellent products specifically targeted at children. With most products, the label provides you with the best instructions on children’s use. Any repellent used by a child should be applied by an adult. You will find specific usage instructions for children here: http://www.cdc.gov (search for “Insect Repellents”).

In some countries, there are combined products containing IR3535® that provide both insect and sun protection (USA, UK, France, Brazil, and Argentina). If no such product is available, simply apply sun protection first, wait 10 to 15 minutes, and then apply the insect repellent. If you apply sun protection after a repellent, this may reduce the effectiveness of the repellent since insects cannot “smell” the repellent anymore.

Some products containing IR3535® are intended for use on clothes and not just the skin. Please follow the usage instructions of these products before application. We recommend trying them on a part of your clothing that cannot be seen before use. Like a number of other repellents, IR3535® is not compatible with certain synthetic materials. But adding insect protection to clothes can be important in high-risk areas because some mosquitoes can bite through clothes. Also, ticks often stay undiscovered on clothing for hours before moving to unprotected skin later.