Frequently Asked Questions

Most insect repellents on the market contain DEET as their active ingredient – in fact, one of the most common pieces of misinformation that we hear is that you need to use a DEET-based insect repellent to be protected against the mozzies. Sure, it's an easy way to formulate a product that works, but it's certainly not the only option.

DEET is a registered pesticide. It is a member of the same family of chemicals (toluenes) that are used in paint removers and the solvents used in rubber and plastic cements. If you get too close to your car while you're applying DEET, chances are, you'll start to dissolve the tough wearing top coat. That's not something we wanted on our skin!

Research indicates that regular exposure to DEET may lead to memory loss, headache, weakness, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, tremors and shortness of breath. It is also toxic to the liver. Children are particularly susceptible to DEET as their skin more readily absorbs chemicals and their nervous systems are still developing.

We were also pretty concerned by the environmental effects of DEET. It remains highly persistent in water, soil and air. In fact, DEET is one of the most frequently detected organic contaminants in European and US streams and rivers. And testing of wastewater treatment plants found that they were not able to effectively filter out DEET. As a result, DEET has been found in sediments, soils and living organisms around waterways. Everyone worries about the effects of sunscreens on the reef – what about the effects of a pesticide on aquatic flora and fauna?

The entire Good Riddance range can be purchased online via the Shop page of this website. Alternatively, you can find a list of our stockists on the Stockists page and enter you postcode to find the closest stockist to you.

Absolutely! We recommend applying sunscreen first and then the Good Riddance Insect Repellent over the top. That way, you won't be locking in the essential oils with a layer of sunscreen and they'll be free to do their thing – repel the mozzies and midges.

No, we do not. We strive to minimise the amount of waste we produce to reduce our environmental impact. We don’t believe that samples align with this.

We do, however, provide a money back guarantee if you are not happy with the product.

If you would like to do a patch test of our products, all our stockists have full-sized testers in store and there is likely a stockist near you! You can find your nearest location on our Stockist page.

The effectiveness of Good Riddance relies on making sure that all of your exposed skin has been covered. If you accidentally miss an area of skin, particularly tasty-smelling mozzie magnets might find that they're still attracting the mozzies to those areas.

Additionally, midge bites can often take hours or even days to appear after actually being bitten. They are so small that you might be unaware of the fact that you were bitten before you had the chance to apply an insect repellent. The bites can then be irritated by excessive heat or sweat, triggering that crazy itch!

The first thing we would suggest doing is making sure that you have applied Good Riddance correctly, before the mozzies and midges have a chance to start biting.

We do recognise, however, that there is always a chance that Good Riddance might not be the right product for you.

When you apply Good Riddance to your skin, it interacts with your skin's bacterial flora and your body to produce a unique aroma on you. For most people, this will effectively repel mosquitoes and midges, however, there's a very small percentage of people who may find that Good Riddance doesn't work as well for them.

We want everyone to feel like they can try a DEET-free product and not have to worry about wasting their money.

That's why we offer a 100% money back guarantee if you find the product does not work for you.

All you need to do is send an email to info@goodriddance.com.au letting us know that you're not completely satisfied with the product and we'll be more than happy to refund you the entire cost of the product.

See our 100% customer happiness guarantee here.

To work out your shipping cost, just add the products you wish to purchase into your cart on our website, then enter your address in your cart to automatically calculate your shipping costs. Postage is worked out based on the weight of your order.

Orders over $100 receive free shipping to Australian addresses.

Yes we do! When going through the checkout on our website, it will ask if you have any gift items in your order and allow you to enter a message to send to the gift recipient. When we receive the order, we’ll gift wrap it and include a small card with your message in with your order.

Gift orders will only include a packing list (not the tax invoice).

Yes, we ship orders to many countries. To work out the shipping cost, select your chosen products and enter your address in the ‘Estimate Shipping’ area on the cart page. Click ‘Get a Quote’ and the freight options and costs should then be displayed.

If the estimate doesn’t work, it could be that your order weight is over 2kg and our shipping calculator is not able to work this out. If this is the case, not to worry! Just contact us on info@goodriddance.com.au with what you would like to order and we will provide a quote for shipping costs to you.

Mosquitoes are more inclined to bite someone who "smells" good to them. Your body biochemistry, determined by your skin's unique bacterial flora, breaks down components of sweat and produces a set of olfactory signals for mosquitoes. If it's any consolation, you probably smell like a fine dining experience for a mosquito – you can hardly blame them for wanting to take a bite!

The date stamped on the back of the tube refers to the date of manufacture and not the expiry date. This is a requirement of the APVMA legislation which regulates insect repellent products in Australia.

The product has been clinically proven to work for at least 2 years from this date.

Unfortunately, as you know, Australia isn’t that great at recycling all of the plastic we produce so we’ve chosen biodegradable tubes that have a back-up mechanism in them if they do make their way into landfill.

When our tubes are manufactured, an additive is mixed in with the plastic that helps to accelerate the enzymatic breakdown of plastic polymers through microbial activity in both anaerobic and aerobic landfill environments. This additive does not interfere with the plastic’s ability to be recycled. The biodegradability of the tubes was independently tested using the internationally recognised ASTM D5526 standard. The testing shows that the packaging breaks down completely under standard landfill conditions within 6-10 years, leaving behind only humus (soil) and gasses.

The material breakdown process is different to the old oxo-degradable process that results in microplastics. Our packaging will not create microplastics as it degrades.

We’re proud to say that Good Riddance Insect Repellent is now undoubtedly the most sustainable clinically tested, APVMA-approved insect repellent on the market.

It sure is! Our Good Riddance Insect Repellents and Rescue Balm are made from HDPE and LDPE and are not a bioplastic, which means they are fully recyclable in Australia. Recycling is first and foremost what we want customers to do with the new tubes when they’re done with them. Our candle tins are made from aluminium and our essential oils are packaged in glass bottles. All can be recycled in curb side recycling bins across Australia.

The packing materials we use for shipping are another touch point where we can do our part to minimise waste. The boxes we use are produced in Australia from recycled cardboard and yes - those packing peanuts are compostable!

Additionally, we've chosen to work with local packaging suppliers who produce their packaging right here in Australia. Not only does this help support Australian industry, it also helps us to minimise our travel footprint compared to sourcing packaging from overseas.

Insect repellents should not be used on babies under three months old as their skin barrier is still developing. Instead, keep them in a pram covered with netting in areas where mosquitoes are a problem. In babies over 3 months, we recommend our Good Riddance Sensitive Insect Repellent, but always patch test first and discontinue use if any skin irritation occurs.

We always recommend consulting a GP/health care professional when pregnant as everyone and every pregnancy journey is different. Our Sensitive formula is made with ingredients that are considered safe for pregnancy and has been used and loved by many expectant and new mums. We recommend a 24 hour patch test before application.

Everybody is different and what works for some will not for others.

We have designed and tested our Sensitive range for people with sensitive skin. The cream is rich with shea butter and beeswax which make it nourishing to the skin and the essential oil blend is free from citronella. We've even chosen a unique preservative that has been derived from basil.

But, even so, it is still possible to react to natural and low-irritant ingredients so we do suggest you patch test first to ensure no reactions.

If there is an ingredient that you know you react to, send an email to info@goodriddance.com.au and we'll be happy to let you know if it is present in the product.

Apply a pea-sized amount of product as close as possible to the most affected area and leave for 24 hours. If any sort of irritation occurs, discontinue use immediately. If you do not experience any irritation you may go ahead and use the product as directed.

Please contact us via email at info@goodriddance.com.au to let us know as soon as possible.

Products registered with the APVMA are only required to list their active ingredients. We have chosen to keep our unique cream and full essential oil blend a trade secret as it took us many years of research and trialing to ensure our products performed as well as they do! If, however, you do have a concern about a particular ingredient, please feel free to contact us and we are more than happy to let you know if it is present in the product.

The Good Riddance essential oil and Good Riddance candle are completely vegan.

The Good Riddance Tropical Insect Repellent, Good Riddance Sensitive Insect Repellent and Rescue Balm, however, contain ethically sourced beeswax which is essential for the effectiveness of these products. As such, these products are not vegan but are 100% vegetarian.

Yes, all our products are gluten free.

Our Tropical and Sensitive insect repellents and Rescue Balm all contain a vitamin E that has been derived from soybeans rather than wheat as it commonly is.

We are passionate advocates for animal protection and only include ingredients certified by Choose Cruelty Free to guarantee that our ingredients have never been tested on animals.

The Good Riddance Tropical and Sensitive Insect Repellents have both undergone clinical and field trials, however, where they were tested (on humans) to see if they repel mosquitoes and midges.

In Australia, all insect repellents must be approved by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). The APVMA is an Australian government regulatory body who manage the registration of all agricultural and veterinary chemical products in Australia. All insect repellents for human use, including chemical-based products and natural plant-based alternatives, like Good Riddance, are required by law to be registered with the APVMA before they can be sold in Australia. Products approved by the APVMA have been scientifically assessed as safe and effective.

If you require an SDS, please email info@goodriddance.com.au and we can send it through to you.

To unlock the lotion pump, simply twist the pump in a clockwise direction until it clicks in position. You will be able to click the pump back into a locked position after use by twisting it in an anti-clockwise direction.

We recommend always doing a patch test before you use the product for the first time. See our instructions above for more information.

To apply the cream, dot a small amount of cream on an area of exposed skin, then gently spread the cream to cover as much skin as possible. Continue this process until cream has been applied to all exposed skin.

Make sure you apply to all areas not covered by clothing, such as your neck, ears, behind your knees, under your arms, tops of feet and legs. Not only does the smell of the cream repel the mozzies, the cream itself is rich with shea butter and beeswax which create an additional physical barrier against the midges.

Reapply as you feel necessary. The repellent lasts at least for 90 minutes and generally up to 4-5 hours, however, every individual and situation is different.

We recommend always doing a patch test before you use the product for the first time. See our instructions above for more information.

To apply the cream, dot a small amount of cream on an area of exposed skin, then gently spread the cream to cover as much skin as possible. Continue this process until cream has been applied to all exposed skin.

Make sure you apply to all areas not covered by clothing, such as your neck, ears, behind your knees, under your arms, tops of feet and legs. Not only does the smell of the cream repel the mozzies, the cream itself is rich with shea butter and beeswax which create an additional physical barrier against the midges.

Reapply as you feel necessary. The repellent lasts at least for 90 minutes and generally up to 3-4 hours, however, every individual and situation is different.

The Good Riddance Tropical contains quite a strong blend of essential oils, including citronella, which can occasionally be irritating to sensitive skin.

The Good Riddance Sensitive insect repellent has been specifically formulated for babies 3 months and over, pregnant women and children with eczema. The product has gone through (and passed) the same level of safety and clinical testing as our Tropical range but contains a different blend of essential oils that are far gentler on the skin.

Yes, the lid of the pump clicks into a locked or unlocked position simply by moving the pump clockwise or anti-clockwise. There is no need to push down to lock it, so you won't lose any of the product in the process. We've travelled with it in our luggage many times before without a problem.

Our 100mL Good Riddance Tropical is packed in a 125mL bottle as we were unable to find a recyclable alternative in this shape. Because of this, the bottle may appear to be a little low on product. The product is dispensed via an automatic bottle filler to ensure each bottle receives a full 100mL of product.

We've chosen to sell the product as a 100mL size, rather than 125mL, so that it can be taken in carry-on luggage on international flights.

If you're concerned that you may have received a partially filled bottle, the best way to test is to weigh the bottle. It should weigh around 135 grams in total when unopened. If it is less than this amount, you may have received a partially filled bottle that slipped past our quality control and of course, we are more than happy to replace it for you. Just contact us on info@goodriddance.com.au.

The best way to use your essential oils is by vapourising them in an essential oil burner or ultrasonic diffuser.

You can develop your own spray or body oil to use for different purposes. For example, many of our customers dilute our Good Riddance Essential Oil Blend in a spray bottle with water to spray around door frames and window frames to prevent mosquitos from entering the house, or to spray on clothes while travelling in a mosquito prone area.

Please remember that essential oils will not dissolve in water so you will need to give the bottle a good shake immediately before using.

It is also possible to dilute essential oils with a carrier oil such as Sweet Almond Oil or Jojoba Oil to create your own personalised body oil. There are just a few simple things to keep in mind when diluting essential oils:

For use on the body: the safe dilution of essential oils to water or oil is 2.5% - 5% (approx 50 drops of essential oils to 100ml water/oil)

For use on the face: the safe dilution of essential oils is 0.5% (approx 10 drop of essential oils to 100ml water/oil).

Our products have been extensively tested and will last for at least 2 years from date of manufacture. You will find a batch number and date of manufacture printed on each of our products. Make sure you store the products in a cool place, preferably under 30 degrees and away from sunlight. We cannot guarantee the effectiveness of the products after 2 years, however, we generally find that the products maintain integrity well beyond this if stored correctly.

Absolutely! We have plenty of local Melbourne customers who pick up their orders direct to save on shipping. Please be aware that this is our manufacturing facility - we do not have a shop front.

To pick up your products, simply place your order online or over the phone and choose "local pickup" as your shipping option at the checkout. On the day you plan to collect your order, please call Sean on 1300 643 443 to let us know of your planned arrival time. We are generally there Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 5:30pm.

Our address is 6/27 Thornton Cres, Mitcham. There is a car park at the back of the premises and our entrance is also at the back. Just ring on the doorbell and someone will meet you at the door. If you have any difficulty locating our entrance, just give Sean a call and he'll be happy to help with directions. We'd love it if you gave our (guaranteed to work) insect repellent a try!