(SeaPRwire) –   By: Oliver Hawthorne

The global mosquito repellent market has never fixed its core flaw. Mosquitoes kill over 700,000 people every year across the world. Synthetic repellents work well, but carry well-documented safety risks. Japan bans DEET use for infants under six months old. Kids under 12 can only use low-concentration DEET products. Icaridin, the newer synthetic alternative, is safer but still chemically produced. Natural plant-based options are safe, but barely work and fade fast. That’s the trade-off no one has cracked until now.

Green Science Alliance, a Japanese green tech firm under Fuji Pigment Group, developed a nepetalactol-based repellent. Nepetalactol is a natural compound from silver vine and catnip. A 2021 joint study from Iwate and Nagoya universities confirmed it repels mosquitoes. It also triggers the euphoric response cats get from silver vine. The old plant extraction method was too expensive for mass production. Green Science Alliance developed a unique low-cost mass synthesis process. The team confirms its efficacy matches or even beats DEET. It is also far gentler on skin than any synthetic alternative.

Green Science Alliance will launch commercial sales immediately. It will expand R&D to cover other common pests next. This product eliminates the decades-old trade-off between safety and efficacy. The fast-growing natural personal care market has no comparable offering. Low-cost mass-produced nepetalactol will capture a third of the global repellent market within five years.

Author bio: Oliver Hawthorne, Principal Correspondent at an international technology review, covering green chemistry and consumer innovation.