What Goes Into Every Rip Bug Spray

Three sprays, three different formulas, and a label on each one that tells you what is in it and how to use it. This page puts all of that in one place, including the parts most brands leave off.

Botanical oils instead of harsh synthetic pesticides

Every Rip Bug spray is built on plant-derived oils rather than synthetic pesticides, and every bottle prints its own active ingredients with the percentage of each.

That is the whole claim. Plant-based is a description of what is in the bottle, not a promise about what it will or will not do to you, and this page does not make one.

Rosemary, lemongrass, citronella, geranium, cedarwood and peppermint arranged on linen

The three formulas are not the same

Mosquito Repellent Spray. Rosemary 1.50%, citronella 0.90%, geranium 0.75%, cedarwood 0.70%, peppermint 0.60% and lemongrass 0.25%, in a soybean oil base at 95.25%. That totals 100% and it is printed on the bottle.

Multi-Insect Spray. An essential-oil powered formula for surfaces around the home.

Flea & Tick Spray for Pets. Clove and cottonseed oils.

People assume a range shares one formula. These do not, which is why the directions differ too, and why the label on the bottle in your hand is the one that counts.

Plant-based active ingredients in Rip Bug Mosquito Repellent, with percentages

Where each one belongs

Mosquito Repellent Spray goes on exposed skin and clothing, for time spent outdoors.
Multi-Insect Spray goes on surfaces: baseboards, entry points, corners, behind appliances and cabinets, around trash cans, window and door frames, vents, eaves, and in attics, basements and crawlspaces.
Flea & Tick Spray for Pets has its own directions, which differ from the other two. Read the label on the bottle before you use it.

Using one of them for another one's job is the most common mistake with a range like this.

The precautions, not buried

These are printed on the bottles and belong on the website too.

Multi-Insect Spray. May cause an allergic reaction. Avoid breathing the vapour, mist or spray. Avoid contact with skin and eyes. Do not spray on people or pets. Wear protective gloves.

Mosquito Repellent Spray. Not on faces. Not under clothing, in diaper areas or on armpits. Not on cuts, wounds or irritated skin. On children, apply to your own hands first. Ingredients found in essential oils cause allergies in individuals with sensitive skin.

All three. Keep out of reach of children. If it gets in the eyes, rinse slowly and gently for 15 to 20 minutes and call a physician or Poison Control on 1-800-222-1222.

Spraying inside a pet crate with Rip Bug Flea and Tick Spray, with no pets in the area

What the label says about the EPA

Printed on the back of every bottle, word for word:

This product has not been registered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Rip Bug represents that this product qualifies for exemption from registration under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.

We put it here rather than leaving you to find it on the bottle after you have bought it.

Questions people actually ask

What does plant-based actually mean here?

The active ingredients are oils derived from plants rather than synthetic pesticides. Each bottle lists its own actives and their percentages.

Do all three sprays contain the same oils?

No. The mosquito spray runs six oils in a soybean oil base, the flea and tick spray uses clove and cottonseed oils, and the multi-insect spray is its own essential-oil formula. Read the bottle you have.

Is it registered with the EPA?

No. The label states the product has not been registered with the EPA and that Rip Bug represents it as qualifying for exemption under FIFRA.

Can I spray it around people or pets?

Read the bottle, because the answer is different for each product. The Multi-Insect Spray label says do not spray on people or pets and to wear protective gloves. The Mosquito Repellent Spray is applied to skin and clothing with its own set of restrictions. The Flea & Tick Spray has its own directions again.

Can it cause a reaction?

The labels say ingredients found in essential oils cause allergies in individuals with sensitive skin, and that contact may cause irritation or an allergic reaction in some people.

Where are they made?

In the USA, by UB Brands Inc of Atlanta, Georgia.