I found this post interesting due to the essential oils references. It seems essential oils are some of the best products out there. I don't know enough about them.
But, this post shows essential oil for bug bites. I've also heard of essential oils helping with cancer treatment.
Something to look into much deeper.....
You have to remember that essential oils don't have to go through nearly the amount of product testing that other chemicals must go through. For example, if you read / hear that there are
no side-effects for an all-natural substance, it should be read that no side-effects have been ascribed to the chemical as of yet but doesn't preclude the possibility that the chemical elicits no side-effects. Similarly, by not testing the natural products as completely, there is no way to determine a product's efficacy (whether it works as described) nor ways to compare it with other, similar products (eg which is more effective at keeping bugs away: tea tree oil, essential oil blend, DEET sprays (like Off)). Now this is not to say that the natural products never work or live up to the hype, but rather that there may not be enough scientific investigations to determine how good a natural product is. I am glad that some places are doing more to actually put rigorous study into some of these alternative treatments / preventatives, like the Mayo Clinic's department of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine.