Best mosquito repellent products from sprays to creams and patches

It's always nice to come home from a summer holiday with a few mementoes. Except when those come in the form of insect bite marks or, even worse, a mosquito-borne disease.

Having experienced the former on almost every holiday to date and the latter (alongside an expensive hospital stay twice), I'd go as far as saying the best mosquito repellents are, in fact, life-changing.

There are two main types of mosquito repellants around: those that include DEET and those that do not. Diethyltoluamide (DEET) is the most common active ingredient in high-powered insect repellents and works by forming a vapour barrier on the skin's surface to deter mosquitoes from landing on the skin. While some people may stay away from DEET if it has caused irritation, as long as it's used safely (not ingested), it should be fine for use.

Mosquito repellents that don't include DEET usually focus on plant-based equivalents, like Citriodiol or Citronella, which can be kinder to the skin and