Read the ingredient list on most repellent products and you'll hit a wall of chemical names or a vague "botanical fragrance blend" that could mean almost anything.
Ours doesn't do that. Every ingredient in Bush Balm and Bite Balm is named, and every one of them is there for a reason. Here's what they are and what they're doing.
Bush Balm, ingredient by ingredient
Cocoa butter and shea butter form the nourishing base. Both work together to support skin's natural barrier and keep the balm feeling like something you'd actually want on your skin, not just a functional coating.
Citronella oil, neem oil and lemon eucalyptus oil are the working trio. All three have a long traditional history of use in natural insect deterrents, and they're the reason Bush Balm helps naturally deter bugs while it's on your skin. Citronella also gives the balm its fresh, uplifting citrus aroma.
Lavender oil and peppermint oil round out the scent profile and add their own traditional calming and cooling qualities.
Olive oil, coconut oil and sunflower oil are the lightweight carrier oils that help everything glide onto skin smoothly instead of sitting on top of it.
Rice bran wax gives the balm its solid, push-up-tube texture, the reason it doesn't need a plastic squeeze bottle or a screw-top jar.
Vitamin E (tocopherol) and rosemary leaf extract are there for skin conditioning and to help keep the oils in the formula stable.
Bite Balm, ingredient by ingredient
Cocoa butter and shea butter again form the base, doing the same nourishing job as in Bush Balm.
Lavender oil, lemon eucalyptus oil and lemongrass oil are the working trio here, chosen specifically to calm rather than repel. Lavender has a traditional reputation for its calming aroma, and all three work together to help soothe skin that's already irritated.
Sunflower oil is the lightweight carrier, helping the balm absorb rather than sit on the surface.
Rice bran wax again provides the solid texture and structure.
Vitamin E and rosemary leaf extract do the same conditioning and stabilising work as in Bush Balm.
Notice what's different: no citronella, no neem, no peppermint. Bite Balm isn't Bush Balm with a different label, it's a genuinely different formula built for a genuinely different job, calming skin rather than deterring insects.
What's not in either one
No synthetic fragrance. No parabens. No sulphates. No silicones. No palm oil. Neither formula is tested on animals, and both are vegan.
Neither is a "proprietary blend" hiding behind a marketing name. Every ingredient is listed, in plain language, because that's the whole point of making something you can trust.
Why these ingredients and not others
There's a longer list of essential oils with some traditional association to insect deterrence, things like tea tree or cedarwood. We didn't throw everything at Bush Balm hoping something would stick. Citronella, neem and lemon eucalyptus were chosen specifically, blended at a level that works with the cocoa butter and shea butter base rather than fighting it, and tested for how the finished balm actually feels and smells on skin, not just what's theoretically possible on paper.
Same logic for Bite Balm. Lavender, lemon eucalyptus and lemongrass were chosen for their calming, traditional use, not because they were left over from another formula.
If you want the full picture on what natural insect care can and can't promise, that's covered in Natural Bug Repellent That Actually Works. and the direct comparison in Bush Balm vs DEET.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ingredients are in Bush Balm?
Cocoa butter, rice bran wax, shea butter, olive oil, coconut oil, citronella oil, neem oil, lavender oil, peppermint oil, lemon eucalyptus oil, vitamin E, rosemary leaf extract and sunflower oil.
What ingredients are in Bite Balm?
Cocoa butter, rice bran wax, shea butter, lavender oil, lemon eucalyptus oil, lemongrass oil, vitamin E, rosemary leaf extract and sunflower oil.
Which ingredients help deter insects in Bush Balm?
Citronella oil, neem oil and lemon eucalyptus oil are the ingredients with a traditional history of use as natural insect deterrents in the Bush Balm formula.
Does Bite Balm contain citronella?
No. Bite Balm is a different formula to Bush Balm, built around lavender, lemon eucalyptus and lemongrass to help calm irritated skin, rather than deter insects.
Are Bush Balm and Bite Balm free from synthetic fragrance?
Yes. Both are free from synthetic fragrance, parabens, sulphates, silicones and palm oil, and both are vegan.
What gives Bush Balm and Bite Balm their solid texture?
Rice bran wax provides the solid structure that lets both balms work in a push-up tube rather than a jar or bottle.
Real talk.
Every ingredient in Bush Balm and Bite Balm is on the label because it's doing a job, not because it sounds impressive. If you can't say it out loud, it's not in there.