Best Insect Repellent at Asda in 2026: Five Options Compared
There's no faster way to spoil a British camping trip than a cloud of Scottish midges, and no faster way to spoil a holiday abroad than a mosquito bite…
Best Insect Repellent at Asda in 2026: Five Options Compared
There’s no faster way to spoil a British camping trip than a cloud of Scottish midges, and no faster way to spoil a holiday abroad than a mosquito bite — or the disease a mosquito can carry. The insect-repellent shelf at Asda, stocked seasonally from around March to September, covers both ends of that spectrum: a budget own-label DEET bottle at around £3–£4, and specialist formulas for tropical disease-risk zones. The challenge is decoding the small print — the percentage of DEET, unfamiliar active ingredients like icaridin and citriodiol, and competing claims about how long protection actually lasts.
This guide compares five repellents you’re likely to find at Asda or on asda.com, weighing manufacturer specifications against NHS Fit for Travel, NaTHNaC, CDC and HSE guidance, along with the consensus of verified owner reviews. Every price below is approximate — shelf prices shift between stores, seasons and online promotions — so treat them as a budgeting guide rather than a quote.
At a glance: quick picks
| Pick | Best for | Approximate price |
|---|---|---|
| Asda own-label repellent | Budget trips, festivals and UK evenings | around £3–£4 (100ml) |
| Jungle Formula Original | All-round protection, including malaria-risk destinations | around £6–£9 (125ml) |
| Jungle Formula Maximum | High-risk tropical zones (malaria, dengue, Zika) | Check price at Asda |
| Smidge | Scottish Highland midges and synthetic fabrics | Check price at Asda |
| Mosi-guard Natural | DEET-free, sensitive skin, children aged 3+ | Check price at Asda |
If you only remember one thing: match the active ingredient to the trip, not the brand. A 50% DEET product is the public-health recommendation for malaria-risk destinations; a 20% icaridin product is the camper’s friend in midge country; and a citriodiol-based product is the DEET-free compromise for sensitive skin — provided you reapply it diligently.
How to choose an insect repellent
The active ingredient is everything
The brand name matters far less than the active ingredient printed on the front of the bottle. On UK shelves you’ll meet three main families:
- DEET — the gold standard, with decades of safety data and field use behind it. NHS Fit for Travel / NaTHNaC guidance recommends 50% DEET for malaria-risk destinations, and it repels mosquitoes, midges, ticks and biting flies alike. Its main downsides are a slightly greasy feel and a distinctive smell.
- Icaridin (picaridin; trade name Saltidin) — the World Health Organization’s international non-proprietary name is icaridin; it’s known as picaridin in the US and sold under the trade name Saltidin. It’s odourless, non-greasy and won’t damage plastics or synthetic fabrics, and expert reviews consistently place it almost on par with DEET against mosquitoes. Smidge, one of the Asda options below, uses it at 20%.
- Citriodiol — the branded name for PMD (para-menthane-3,8-diol), a plant-derived compound extracted from Eucalyptus citriodora. It works well in UK conditions, has a far milder, more pleasant scent than DEET, and is the main DEET-free alternative — but it typically needs more frequent reapplication.
Concentration and protection time
Percentage matters, but bigger isn’t always better. As a general rule drawn from manufacturer specs and public-health guidance:
- Around 20% concentration is plenty for UK evenings and short exposure — the level most midge and everyday mosquito products use.
- 50% concentration is the level recommended for high-risk tropical areas or long days out, per NHS Fit for Travel / NaTHNaC.
- Above 50%, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes diminishing returns: protection duration plateaus, so a 65% product adds grease and scent without a meaningful jump in protection time.
That CDC point matters when you’re standing in the aisle deciding between Jungle Formula Original and Jungle Formula Maximum — more on which to choose below.
Format: spray, lotion or roll-on
Sprays are the quickest way to cover arms, legs and backs, but they’re awkward on the face — the general advice is to spray onto your hands first, then pat onto the face, avoiding eyes and mouth. Lotions give more control and spread evenly, while roll-ons are precise but slow for large areas. If you’re prone to breakouts or have sensitive skin, look for non-comedogenic or alcohol-free formulas, and always wash repellent off at the end of the day.
Children, pregnancy and safety
Public-health guidance in the UK is clear that DEET-based repellents are safe for children aged 2 months and over, with 20% DEET the maximum recommended concentration for children in that age group. Repellent should be avoided entirely on infants under 2 months. Children should never apply repellent themselves — an adult should apply it to their own hands first — and it should be washed off at the end of the day. For parents who would rather avoid DEET entirely, citriodiol-based products are a reasonable alternative, though you must check the pack’s age guidance: Mosi-guard Natural, for example, is not recommended for children under 3.
On pregnancy, NHS guidance is reassuring: DEET is considered safe in pregnancy, but the advice is to use the minimum effective concentration for the trip. That typically means a lower-concentration product for UK evenings, saving 50% DEET for destinations where malaria or other mosquito-borne disease is a real risk.
The five best insect repellents at Asda
1. Asda own-label insect repellent — the budget pick
Best for: anyone who wants effective protection for the least money — festivals, camping weekends, UK evenings — without caring about the brand on the bottle.
The Asda own-label repellent is the cheapest SKU on the shelf, and it’s the price-per-millilitre winner in this comparison. It’s typically DEET-based, comes in a bottle of around 100ml, and usually sits at around £3–£4. That’s the headline: effective, supermarket-cheap DEET with no marketing premium.
Standout strength: the price. At roughly £3–£4 for 100ml, it undercuts the branded alternatives by a wide margin — the price-per-100ml comparison in the next section shows just how wide.
One honest caveat: availability is seasonal. Asda stocks repellents from around March to September, and the own-label bottle isn’t always on the shelf outside that window — check asda.com for current stock before you rely on it.
Verdict: the smart budget buy — if the own-label bottle is on the shelf, it’s all the protection most UK trips need.
Where to buy: Asda and asda.com.
Check price at Asda
2. Jungle Formula Original — the classic all-rounder
Best for: the traveller who wants one reliable bottle for everything from a UK festival to a malaria-risk destination.
Jungle Formula Original is the product public-health guidance keeps pointing back to. It contains 50% DEET — the concentration NHS Fit for Travel / NaTHNaC recommends for malaria-risk destinations — and the manufacturer’s Summary of Product Characteristics, listed on the HSE’s biocidal product register, states protection for up to 8 hours. At Asda it typically costs around £6–£9 for a 125ml bottle.
Standout strength: the concentration-to-price balance. You’re getting the public-health-recommended 50% DEET at a supermarket price, with a manufacturer-stated 8-hour protection window to plan your day around.
One honest caveat: the 125ml bottle exceeds the 100ml airport hand-luggage liquid limit — if you’re flying hand-luggage only, this one has to go in checked luggage or you’ll need a travel-size version.
Verdict: the bottle most travellers should reach for when they want the recognised standard without overpaying.
Where to buy: Asda and asda.com, with the same brand widely stocked at Boots, Superdrug and Go Outdoors.
Check price at Asda
3. Jungle Formula Maximum — for disease-risk zones
Best for: travellers heading to regions where malaria, dengue or Zika are a genuine risk and they want the strongest available DEET formulation.
Jungle Formula Maximum contains 65% DEET, and it’s worth understanding why that concentration exists: it’s designed specifically for disease-risk zones where the consequences of a single bite are serious. That’s the rationale for the higher percentage — not longer comfort on a UK evening, but a margin of reassurance where mosquito-borne disease is present.
Standout strength: the highest DEET concentration in this Asda lineup, positioned for exactly the destinations where the stakes are highest.
One honest caveat: as covered above, the CDC notes diminishing returns above 50% — protection duration plateaus, so the real-world gain over Jungle Formula Original’s 50% is modest, and the extra DEET means a greasier feel and stronger smell.
Verdict: choose it when the disease risk justifies the maximum concentration — and don’t pay the premium if it doesn’t.
Where to buy: Asda and asda.com — stock is seasonal, so check the product page.
Check price at Asda
4. Smidge — the Scottish midge specialist
Best for: campers, walkers and festival-goers heading into Scottish Highland midge country, and anyone wearing technical synthetic gear they don’t want damaged.
Smidge uses 20% icaridin (picaridin; trade name Saltidin) and is specifically formulated against Culicoides impunctatus — the Scottish Highland midge that makes summer evenings in the Highlands a misery. Its genuine differentiator is gentleness on equipment: unlike some repellents that can attack plastics and synthetic fabrics, icaridin is non-damaging to synthetics and plastics, so watch straps, sunglasses, tent zips and technical jackets stay safe.
Standout strength: the midge-specific formulation combined with a formula that won’t harm synthetic gear — a rare combination that owner reviews consistently single out.
One honest caveat: at 20% icaridin, it’s a lower-concentration formula than the 50% DEET that NHS Fit for Travel recommends for malaria-risk destinations — it’s positioned for UK outdoor life, and for tropical trips the NHS guidance still points to the higher DEET concentration.
Verdict: the pick for midge country and gear-conscious campers — odourless, non-greasy and kind to your kit.
Where to buy: Asda and asda.com seasonally, plus Boots, Superdrug and Go Outdoors.
Check price at Asda
5. Mosi-guard Natural — the DEET-free choice
Best for: anyone who wants to avoid DEET entirely — sensitive skin, households with children aged 3 and over, or people who simply can’t stand the smell of conventional repellents.
Mosi-guard Natural is built around the plant-derived alternative: its active ingredient is 30% PMD/citriodiol (Citriodiol being the branded name for PMD, para-menthane-3,8-diol, derived from Eucalyptus citriodora) — do check the current pack or Summary of Product Characteristics before buying, as formulations are periodically updated. The trade-off is the protection window: it needs reapplication every 2–3 hours, compared with the longer window of a 50% DEET product.
Standout strength: the pleasant eucalyptus-based scent and a DEET-free profile that makes it the go-to for sensitive skin — with the manufacturer’s guidance that it’s not recommended for children under 3, so verify the current pack before using it with younger kids.
One honest caveat: the reapplication discipline. Missing the 2–3 hour window leaves you exposed in a way a missed DEET application doesn’t, and as the tick note below explains, the evidence for citriodiol against ticks is weaker than for DEET or icaridin.
Verdict: the best DEET-free option on the shelf, provided you’re disciplined about reapplying.
Where to buy: Asda and asda.com seasonally, plus Boots, Superdrug and Go Outdoors.
Check price at Asda
Price per 100ml: the budget showdown
The sharpest comparison in this entire guide is Asda’s own-label against Jungle Formula Original — the two products most shoppers will weigh up in the aisle. Here’s the per-millilitre arithmetic, based on the approximate shelf prices above:
| Repellent | Pack size | Typical shelf price | Approx. price per 100ml |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asda own-label | around 100ml | around £3–£4 | around £3–£4 |
| Jungle Formula Original | 125ml | around £6–£9 | roughly £5–£7 |
The own-label bottle typically works out around £1–£4 cheaper per 100ml, depending on the exact prices you find on the day. For a family stocking up for a season of camping trips, that gap adds up quickly — and because both are DEET-based, the protection profile is essentially the same. What you’re paying the extra for with Jungle Formula is the brand, the manufacturer-stated 8-hour protection window, and the confidence of a product with a long track record in tropical medicine.
UK practical notes
Seasonal availability at Asda
Asda stocks insect repellents seasonally, typically from around March to September. Outside that window, shelves are often cleared to make room for other seasonal ranges — so if you’re reading this in November, don’t assume your local store will have stock. Check asda.com for live availability, and remember the same brands are widely stocked at Boots, Superdrug and Go Outdoors.
Hand luggage: the 100ml liquid limit
Most 125ml repellent bottles — including Jungle Formula Original — exceed the 100ml airport hand-luggage liquid limit, so they must go in checked luggage. The Asda own-label bottle at around 100ml sits within the allowance, though check the exact printed size on the bottle before you fly. If you’re travelling hand-luggage only, either pick the own-label option or buy a travel-size version of your chosen brand once you’re through security or at your destination.
Sunscreen first, repellent second
NaTHNaC guidance is unambiguous on the order: apply sunscreen first, then repellent on top. Applying sunscreen over a repellent reduces the sunscreen’s SPF, leaving you with less UV protection than you think. The reverse order — repellent over sunscreen — keeps both working as intended.
Ticks and Lyme disease
Repellent isn’t just for mosquitoes and midges. Both icaridin and DEET repel Ixodes ricinus, the UK tick species that transmits Lyme disease, making them the right choice for woodland walks and long grass. The evidence for citriodiol against ticks is weaker, so if ticks are your concern — which they should be for any UK countryside trip — choose a DEET or icaridin formula rather than a citriodiol one.
Frequently asked questions
Does Asda sell insect repellent all year round?
No — Asda stocks repellents seasonally, typically from around March to September each year. Outside that window, the brands covered here are usually still available at Boots, Superdrug and Go Outdoors, and asda.com will show current stock levels.
Is it safe to use DEET repellent while pregnant?
The NHS advises that DEET is considered safe in pregnancy, but recommends using the minimum effective concentration for the trip. That typically means a lower-concentration product for UK evenings and reserving 50% DEET for malaria-risk destinations. If you have any concerns, speak to a pharmacist or your GP before travel.
Can I take insect repellent in hand luggage?
Only if the container is 100ml or smaller, per the airport liquid limit. The Asda own-label bottle at around 100ml sits within the allowance, while the 125ml Jungle Formula bottles must go in checked luggage — or you’ll need to buy a travel-size version after security.
Does insect repellent protect against ticks as well as mosquitoes?
Yes, if you choose the right active ingredient. DEET and icaridin both repel Ixodes ricinus, the UK tick species that carries Lyme disease. Citriodiol-based products like Mosi-guard Natural have weaker evidence for tick protection, so for woodland walks and long grass, a DEET or icaridin formula is the safer choice.
How often do I need to reapply Mosi-guard Natural?
Roughly every 2–3 hours, because the 30% citriodiol formula has a shorter protection window than a 50% DEET product such as Jungle Formula Original, which the manufacturer states lasts up to 8 hours. Set a reminder on your phone for long days out — the reapplication discipline is what makes or breaks a DEET-free repellent.
What’s the cheapest insect repellent at Asda?
The Asda own-label repellent — typically DEET-based, around 100ml, and priced at around £3–£4. It’s usually the cheapest SKU on the shelf, and it works out cheaper per 100ml than Jungle Formula Original.
Why do some repellents damage watch straps and sunglasses?
Certain repellent formulations can damage plastics and synthetic fabrics, which is why Smidge’s 20% icaridin (picaridin; trade name Saltidin) formula is a genuine differentiator — it’s specifically non-damaging to synthetics and plastics, making it the safe choice for technical outdoor clothing, watch straps and eyewear.
The bottom line
For most UK trips, the Asda own-label repellent at around £3–£4 is genuinely all you need — it’s DEET-based, effective and the cheapest per millilitre on the shelf. Spend more on Jungle Formula Original (around £6–£9 for 125ml) when you want the manufacturer-stated 8-hour protection window and the public-health-recommended 50% DEET concentration for travel. Reserve Jungle Formula Maximum’s 65% for genuine disease-risk zones, pick Smidge for Scottish midge country and synthetic gear, and choose Mosi-guard Natural when you want to avoid DEET — just reapply it every 2–3 hours. Whichever you choose, remember the three ground rules: repellent goes on after sunscreen, DEET and icaridin are the ones that repel ticks, and anything over 100ml stays out of hand luggage.
