PureGard Botanical Repellent

Product Notes:

Outdoor with Confidence

PureGard was founded by Lisa Learning, who sought a safer, science-backed natural alternative to DEET or other pesticides or repellents after her sons contracted Lyme disease from tick bites.

She partnered up with Dr. Nicoletta Faraone, a chemistry professor at Acadia University well versed in both aromatherapy and ticks to bring the latest academic research to bear on the problem.

The result is a Lemon Eucalyptus-based personal spray that can effectively deter both mosquitoes and ticks from latching onto surfaces it's been sprayed on (whether your clothing or skin, or the fur and skin of a dog or horse - but NOT cats) for up to six and five hours before reapplying, respectively. (Stay tuned: they are also developing a 'stickier' version for campers and outdoor workers to soak into their tents and work clothing that can stay effective for about two weeks per application!)

It's a popular product not only for trail-walking parents like her, but also for trail riders (be it on bicycles, motorcycles, ATVs, or horses), as well as dog owners, avid hikers, and golfers.

PureGard's active ingredient (which makes up 30% of each bottle's volume, with the rest being just a blend of pure water and one or more types of alcohol) is derived from the leaves of sustainably harvested trees formerly known as Eucalyptus citriodora (which have recently been reclassified as Corymbia citriodora).

But this active is far more than just a rapidly evaporating steam-distilled essential oil (EO): it's been refined into an Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE) to contain at least a 64%  concentration (and an average of 71%) of the far more stable and complex PMD [P-Menthane-3,8-Diol] molecules, in addition to other more shorter-lived aromatic constituents such as citronellol, limonene, and linalool also present in the leaves. This results in a far more potent and lingering lemony aroma which is fairly pleasant for people and animals, but which utterly disorients bugs (especially ticks, which are effectively blind) and completely masks our scent to them. (To the point that even when they're on top of your clothing infused with it they won't sense what's beneath or know they should just start biting, already.)

PMD does appear naturally in the leaves as they age, but it becomes crystallized, making it quite difficult to extract. So natural repellent producers have learned how to convert much of the citronellal in the simple EO (which dissipates within mere minutes) to an OLE consisting mostly of that long-lasting PMD by using a relatively easy conversion process called the Cyclization (or Prins) Reaction, in which a catalyst (in this case, food-grade, naturally derived organic acids somewhat like citric acid) is temporarily added to the EO in order to, in effect, rapidly age the leaves' terpenes or aromatic compounds, to reconfigure their molecular structure (to circle around from an open, spaghetti shape, to a form a closed, geometric ring - a cyclic compound) and physical properties for our benefit - much as we do when we use fermentation, heat, and/or humidity to produce wine, cheese, raisins, or black garlic. 

Citriodiol

This active ingredient has been officially recognized and regulated and approved for consumer sales as a safe and effective mosquito and tick repellent (including for mosquitoes carrying the Zika and West Nile viruses) not only by Canada (with PCP number 35851) but also by the USA and many European countries, under its trade name, Citriodiol®. It's also rapidly biodegradable and is safe on nearly all wildlife (except for carnivores like cats, who lack an enzyme to break down plant compounds ingested while licking it off their fur), as well as on nearly all fabrics and surfaces (unlike DEET, which acts like a solvent that can damage plastics (like sunglasses), paints and synthetic fabrics).

Related: Also see the PureGard Bite-Relief Bag Response Kit

Naming Notes: PureGard was previously marketed as AtlanTICK Tick Attack. This formula has been available on the East Coast since 2017, and was re-branded in 2026 to broaden both its geographical reach (to across Canada and beyond) and its application, by underscoring the fact it works even better at repelling mosquitoes (providing 6 hours of deterrence per application for them, compared to five for ticks). This brand is also occasionally listed online (inaccurately) as PureGuard.