Clove oil mosquito repellent is one of the oldest home remedies on the internet, and also one of the easiest to get wrong. The spice smells strong, the oil is mostly made of a single compound, and a handful of laboratory studies have reported striking results for it. The same oil is also a well known skin allergen. This guide sets out what those studies actually tested, what they reported in their own abstracts, what the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says about the regulatory status of clove oil, and what dermatology sources say about the skin caution that comes with it. It is the third ingredient explainer in our series, after lemon eucalyptus oil and citronella.
What clove oil is, and why eugenol matters
Clove oil comes from the flower buds of the clove tree, Syzygium aromaticum. A 2021 review of the compound eugenol, by Ulanowska and Olas in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, describes eugenol as "a phenolic aromatic compound obtained mainly from clove oil." The same abstract notes that eugenol has been used in cosmetology, medicine and pharmacology, and adds a warning that matters for everything below: "high concentrations can be toxic" (Ulanowska and Olas, 2021, PMID 33916044).
That one sentence explains why a kitchen spice and a skin product are not the same conversation. Eugenol is the reason clove smells the way it does, it is the compound most of the research on the oil's biology revolves around, and, as the skin safety section below shows, it is also the reason dermatologists urge care with clove oil.
Clove oil mosquito repellent studies: what was actually tested
The headline result usually quoted for clove comes from a Thai laboratory study. Because the details change how far the result can be stretched, here is the study's own abstract, reported as closely as possible.
Trongtokit and colleagues screened 38 essential oils against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes using human volunteers. They applied 0.1 mL of oil per 30 cm2 of exposed skin on a volunteer's forearm, under laboratory conditions. Their abstract reports that when the oils were applied at 10 per cent or 50 per cent concentration, "none of them prevented mosquito bites for as long as 2 h." The undiluted oils of citronella, patchouli, clove and a Thai plant called makaen "were the most effective and provided 2 h of complete repellency." The team then tested those four against two further mosquito species, Culex quinquefasciatus and Anopheles dirus, and report that "clove oil gave the longest duration of 100% repellency (2-4 h) against all three species" (Trongtokit et al., 2005, Phytotherapy Research 19:303-309, PMID 16041723).
Three details deserve emphasis before anyone repeats that headline.
- It was the undiluted oil. The abstract says the undiluted oil showed the highest protection, and that diluted versions at 10 and 50 per cent did not reach 2 hours. A result for neat oil on a volunteer's forearm in a laboratory is not a result for a diluted product.
- It was a laboratory screen. The abstract describes laboratory conditions and forearm tests. It does not describe field conditions, sweat, heat, or a real evening outdoors.
- The abstract does not address skin tolerance. It reports repellency times. It says nothing about whether applying neat clove oil to skin is a good idea, which is the question the dermatology sources below take up.
A second study shows why a single result should not be treated as settled. Amer and Mehlhorn evaluated 41 plant extracts and 11 oil mixtures against three mosquito species using human volunteers. Their abstract names the five most effective oils as litsea, cajeput, niaouli, violet and catnip, which "induced a protection time of 8 h at the maximum," and adds that "this effect needs, however, a peculiar formulation to fix them on the human skin." Clove is not among the five oils the abstract names (Amer and Mehlhorn, 2006, Parasitology Research 99:478-490, PMID 16642384). Two laboratories, two different shortlists. That is not a contradiction, it is the normal picture for essential oils: results depend on the mosquito species, the oil source, the concentration and the method.
What a review says about plant-based repellents in general
Maia and Moore reviewed the evidence on plant-based repellents in Malaria Journal. Their abstract says consumers commonly perceive plant-based products as "safe" in comparison to long-established synthetic repellents, "although this is sometimes a misconception." It also reports that "to date insufficient studies have followed standard WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme guidelines for repellent testing," and calls for further standardised studies to evaluate repellent compounds and develop products that offer "high repellency as well as good consumer safety" (Maia and Moore, 2011, PMID 21411012).
Put plainly, the authors of that review were saying that natural does not automatically mean safe, and that the testing behind many botanical repellent claims is not yet standardised. A study that reports a protection time for one oil on a handful of volunteers is a data point. It is not the same as a tested, labelled product.
The skin caution: eugenol and fragrance allergy
Dermatology sources are direct about eugenol. DermNet, the dermatology reference, says eugenol is one of the eight fragrances in Fragrance Mix I, a standard patch test used to detect fragrance allergy, and that it is on the list of 26 fragrances that must be labelled in the EU. DermNet defines fragrance allergy as "an allergic contact dermatitis to a fragrance chemical," and notes that fragrances can be made from a natural extract or synthesised. It also notes that aromatherapists and masseurs can develop occupational dermatitis from scented natural oils (DermNet, Fragrance allergy, credited July 2020, fetched 19 October 2026).
The word "natural" therefore does nothing to remove the allergy risk. A plant extract and a synthetic version of the same fragrance chemical are, for an allergic person, the same trigger.
The NHS describes what contact dermatitis looks like: it "causes the skin to become itchy, blistered, dry and cracked," usually appearing within a few hours or days of exposure, most often on the hands and face. It advises speaking to a pharmacist if it is troubling you, and seeing a GP "if you have persistent, recurrent or severe symptoms" (NHS, Contact dermatitis, page last reviewed 3 May 2023). If you have a known fragrance allergy, or skin that reacts easily, it is sensible to check any product containing clove oil, or eugenol listed on its label, with a pharmacist or doctor first. Our guide to mosquito repellent for sensitive skin covers how to read a label if that sounds like you.
Is clove oil an EPA registered mosquito repellent?
No. The EPA publishes a list of the active ingredients in EPA registered skin applied insect repellents. As fetched on 19 October 2026, it names catnip oil, oil of citronella, DEET, IR3535, p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD), oil of lemon eucalyptus, picaridin and 2-undecanone, and clove is not on it (EPA, Skin-applied repellent ingredients, last updated 23 January 2026).
Clove oil does appear elsewhere in US pesticide rules. The list of active ingredients eligible for the EPA's minimum risk exemption in 40 CFR 152.25(f) includes "Clove oil" (CAS 8000-34-8) and "Cloves" (eCFR, 40 CFR 152.25). The EPA's page on skin applied repellents explains what that kind of exemption does and does not mean: "Some insect repellent products for sale in the United States do not currently require EPA registration," the exemption rests on a 1990s review that found minimal risk, and "products made from these ingredients have not been evaluated for effectiveness" (EPA, Regulation of Skin-Applied Repellents, last updated 25 June 2026). That page lists citronella, cedar, geranium, peppermint and soybean oils as examples and does not mention clove.
The contrast with registered products is stated on the EPA's safe use page: an EPA registration number "means the company provided EPA with technical information on the effectiveness of the product," and the CDC recommends products registered by the EPA (EPA, Using Insect Repellents Safely and Effectively, last updated 10 November 2025). The National Pesticide Information Center adds that the health risks and efficacy of essential oils "have not been as widely studied as common insect repellents" (NPIC, Insect Repellents Fact Sheet, page dated February 2018). In short, a clove oil product on a US shelf may be legal to sell without registration, but no agency has verified that it works.
How to read the evidence if you are curious about clove
If you are weighing up a clove based product or a homemade blend, the sources above suggest a handful of practical questions.
- What concentration does the product contain? The strongest reported laboratory result in the abstracts above was for undiluted oil. Neat essential oil on skin is where the dermatology cautions bite hardest.
- Is there a label? Fragrance allergens such as eugenol are labelled in the EU, which gives allergic people something to check.
- Is it registered? An EPA registration number tells you the company supplied effectiveness data. Its absence tells you the product has not been evaluated for effectiveness by the EPA.
- Do you react to fragrance? If you do, speak to a pharmacist before trying a product containing clove oil or eugenol.
- Is it tested as a product? A laboratory result for an oil is not a result for a cream, a spray or a candle. Our wider look at botanical mosquito repellent ingredients goes through the same question for other plant oils.
Where Misaj fits
Misaj, a Paris based skincare brand, makes Glow Protect, a daily skincare cream. The brand's Glow Protect product page lists, under active ingredients, "Eucalyptus Citriodora, Geranium, Atlas Cedar & Clove," which the page describes as "a natural aromatic blend that helps deter mosquitoes," and the full ingredient list on the same page includes clove bud oil and eugenol. That is all this article says about the product. The studies discussed above tested neat or diluted clove oil on volunteers' forearms, not a cream, so nothing in them says anything about how Glow Protect performs. For anything about the product, the product page is the source.
The takeaway
Laboratory studies have reported that undiluted clove oil gave mosquito repellency for hours on volunteers' forearms, but those same abstracts show diluted oil falling short, a second laboratory ranked other oils above it, and a review of plant based repellents says testing is not yet standardised. Clove oil is made mostly of eugenol, a recognised fragrance allergen. It is not among the EPA's registered skin applied repellent ingredients, and products made from it have not been evaluated by the EPA for effectiveness. If you are curious, read the label, avoid neat oil on skin, and check with a pharmacist first if your skin reacts to fragrance.
Frequently asked questions
Does clove oil repel mosquitoes?
One laboratory study reports that it did, under specific conditions. Trongtokit and colleagues found that undiluted clove oil on volunteers' forearms gave "the longest duration of 100% repellency (2-4 h)" against three mosquito species, but their abstract also says oils at 10 and 50 per cent concentration did not prevent bites for as long as 2 hours. A second study, Amer and Mehlhorn, ranked other oils as the five most effective.
Is clove oil safe to put on skin?
Dermatology sources urge care. DermNet lists eugenol, the main component of clove oil, in the standard fragrance allergy patch test and on the EU's list of 26 labelled fragrances. If you have a known fragrance allergy or reactive skin, speak to a pharmacist or doctor first. The NHS advises seeing a GP for persistent, recurrent or severe contact dermatitis.
Is clove oil an EPA registered insect repellent?
Not as a skin applied repellent ingredient. The EPA's list of registered skin applied repellent ingredients, last updated 23 January 2026, does not include clove. Clove oil does appear on the EPA's list of active ingredients eligible for the minimum risk exemption, and the EPA says products made from such ingredients have not been evaluated for effectiveness.
Can I make my own clove oil mosquito repellent?
This article cannot recommend a recipe. The studies above tested neat or diluted oil in laboratory settings on volunteers, not homemade blends, and a review by Maia and Moore says insufficient studies have followed standard WHO testing guidelines. Skin reactions to eugenol are the main reason to be cautious about DIY mixtures.
What does eugenol have to do with it?
A 2021 review describes eugenol as a phenolic aromatic compound obtained mainly from clove oil. It is the reason clove oil comes up in fragrance allergy discussions, which is why a label that lists eugenol is worth reading if your skin is sensitive.
Sources (all fetched 2026-10-19)
- Trongtokit Y, Rongsriyam Y, Komalamisra N, Apiwathnasorn C. Comparative repellency of 38 essential oils against mosquito bites. Phytotherapy Research 2005;19:303-309. Abstract via PubMed and Europe PMC. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16041723
- Amer A, Mehlhorn H. Repellency effect of forty-one essential oils against Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex mosquitoes. Parasitology Research 2006;99:478-490. Abstract via PubMed and Europe PMC. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16642384
- Maia MF, Moore SJ. Plant-based insect repellents: a review of their efficacy, development and testing. Malaria Journal 2011;10 Suppl 1:S11. Abstract via PubMed and Europe PMC. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21411012
- Ulanowska M, Olas B. Biological properties and prospects for the application of eugenol, a review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2021;22(7):3671. Abstract via PubMed and Europe PMC. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33916044
- DermNet, Fragrance allergy, credited July 2020. https://dermnetnz.org/topics/fragrance-allergy
- NHS, Contact dermatitis, page last reviewed 3 May 2023. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contact-dermatitis/
- US EPA, Skin-applied repellent ingredients, last updated 23 January 2026. https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/skin-applied-repellent-ingredients
- US EPA, Regulation of Skin-Applied Repellents, last updated 25 June 2026. https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/regulation-skin-applied-repellents
- US EPA, Using Insect Repellents Safely and Effectively, last updated 10 November
- eCFR, 40 CFR 152.25 (minimum risk exemption, active ingredient list including clove oil, CAS 8000-34-8). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-152/subpart-B/section-152.25 (the EPA's own list page, https://www.epa.gov/minimum-risk-pesticides/active-ingredients-allowed-minimum-risk-pesticide-products, last updated 10 August 2026, points to the same regulation.)
- NPIC (Oregon State University), Insect Repellents Fact Sheet, date reviewed February
- misajskin.com, Glow Protect product page (active ingredient wording and ingredient list quoted from the page, checked 2026-10-19). https://misajskin.com/products/glow-protect