Natural Tick Repellent: What to Know Before You Hike

Name: Natural Bug & Tick Repellent For Skin Moose's Hiker's Friend
Brand: Moose's Tallow
Price: 15.0 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5.00 (5 reviews)

CDC's tick advice starts with habits. Stay on trails, check yourself after every outing, and use a repellent. Hiker's Friend is our DEET-free natural repellent balm stick, made with tallow, beeswax and plant oils, for $15. We tested it on ticks, so watch the video below. Keep the habits too.

By Brian "Moose" Smith, founder of Moose's Tallow · Updated November 10, 2026

A hiker swiping the Hiker's Friend balm stick onto a leg on the trail

What people ask

What smells do ticks hate?

Plant oils like cedarwood, lemongrass and citronella are common in natural repellents. A 2024 review in CDC's journal tested them on human skin. No natural ingredient gave complete protection past 2 hours, so reapply as you hike. Hiker's Friend blends several of these oils into a bold citrus, herb and woods scent.

What essential oils can be used to repel ticks?

CDC lists oil of lemon eucalyptus among its EPA-registered repellent ingredients. Hiker's Friend is a DEET-free balm with cedarwood, lemongrass, citronella, lemon eucalyptus and four more oils. The 2024 CDC journal review says independent tick data on plant oils is often lacking. So treat any natural repellent as one layer, and add tick checks.

Does apple cider vinegar really repel ticks?

We found no CDC or EPA support for apple cider vinegar as a tick repellent. CDC's list of repellent ingredients names DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, PMD and 2-undecanone. Vinegar isn't on it. Hiker's Friend has no vinegar. It's tallow, beeswax, MCT oil, vitamin E and plant oils, and every ingredient is on the label.

What is the best homemade tick repellent?

CDC doesn't list any homemade mix, so the best homemade step is a habit. Walk in the center of trails. Do a full body check when you get back. Shower within 2 hours, which CDC says has been shown to reduce Lyme risk. We hand-make Hiker's Friend in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, if you'd like a balm along.

What's the best way to remove a tick?

Grasp the tick as close to the skin as you can with clean fine-tipped tweezers. Pull away with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk it. CDC says to clean the bite and your hands with soap and water, rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. Skip petroleum jelly, heat and nail polish. Rash or fever within weeks? See your doctor.

What to immediately put on a tick bite?

Once the tick is out, CDC says to clean the bite and your hands. Use soap and water, rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. Don't use petroleum jelly, heat or nail polish to make a tick let go. See your doctor if a rash or fever shows up within weeks. Keep Hiker's Friend off the bite, since it's for unbroken skin.

The timeline

What to expect

Tonight

Twist up a small amount and swipe it over your arms and legs. It rubs in rather than sitting on top. You'll notice the bold citrus, herb and woods scent right away.
Week 1

The stick rides in your pack, jacket pocket or car door. Tick checks after each outing start to feel routine, and so does the stick.
Week 4

Trail days feel prepared. The habits you picked up from CDC do the heavy lifting. The stick is the easy-to-grab extra.

From real customers

★★★★★✓ Verified

I often take pictures in orchards

I often take pictures in orchards, parks, gardens and I love how I can just put it on my legs and not worry about insects🙌🏻

Vita L.

★★★★★✓ Verified

No mosquitos

I recently went camping and used this when we went for a walk. Mosquitos usually find me but not this time. Great product, soft and not sticky.

Ann K.

Read all the reviews on the product page →

Your tick-season checklist, from CDC

These steps come straight from CDC and EPA. They matter more than any single product, ours included.

Stay out of brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter, and walk in the center of trails.
Use an EPA-registered repellent on exposed skin, and look for the EPA registration number.
Put repellent on skin or clothes only. Don't use it under clothing or over cuts, wounds or irritated skin.
Treat clothing and gear with 0.5% permethrin, or buy pre-treated gear.
Do a full body check when you get back, even in your own backyard.
Shower within 2 hours of coming indoors.
If a rash or fever shows up within several weeks of a tick bite, see your doctor.

What is in Hiker's Friend

This is the label, ingredient by ingredient. Please patch test first, and keep it off eyes, mouth and broken skin. It isn't for children under 3.

Ingredient	What it is	Why it's there
Beef tallow	Rendered beef fat	The rich base that glides on and softens with body heat.
MCT oil	Light coconut-derived oil	Helps the stick stay smooth.
Beeswax	Wax from the honeycomb	Gives the stick its shape and helps it stay put.
Tocopherol	Vitamin E	Helps keep the oils fresh.
Cedarwood, lemongrass, citronella, geranium, lemon eucalyptus, thyme, peppermint and clove bud oils	Plant oils	The blend behind the bold citrus, herb and woods scent.

How do we render tallow?

It starts at a local butcher shop in farm country, where one cow yields about 12 pounds of suet. That suet is the fat around the cow's kidneys, rich in vitamins A, D, E and K. Its fatty acids are ones your skin loves, so we render it slowly, by hand.

Day 1 & 2

Two renders of tallow over low heat, six hours each
Day 3 & 4

Dry render for eight hours, cool & dry render again for another eight hours
Day 5

Infuse tallow and oil with organic herbs over low heat for 12-24 hours
Day 6

Add in beeswax and scent (if applicable), cool, whip and fill by hand

Brian "Moose" Smith with his family and their dogs

A note from the maker

I make Hiker's Friend in small batches in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. The label lists every ingredient. Customers take it on the trail, and I still check myself after every hike. If the stick isn't for you, the 60-day guarantee covers it.

Brian "Moose" Smith, Lebanon, Pennsylvania

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