Repel — Mosquito Defense Oil

EVERY INGREDIENT, EXPLAINED

What's in the bottle

• MCT Oil (C8/C10)Base carrier oil

  INCI: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

  Fractionated medium-chain triglyceride — fast-absorbing, odourless, and exceptionally stable. Pulled from coconut, refined to isolate the C8 (caprylic) and C10 (capric) chains. Base oil of the formulation — its tactile smoothness and rapid absorption are why Bio Gold feels like a serum rather than an oil despite being entirely lipid-based.

  Sourcing: Coconut-derived, fractionated.

• Golden Jojoba Oil (unrefined)Sebum-mimetic carrier

  INCI: Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

  First-press, unrefined, retains phytosterols and tocopherols that refinement removes. Wax-ester structure is a close match to human sebum — the skin recognises this as 'skin lipid' rather than occluding against it. Jojoba is technically a liquid wax, not an oil, and its ~98% long-chain wax ester structure gives it a stability and skin-recognition profile nothing else in the kingdom matches.

  Sourcing: First-press, unrefined. Not cosmetic-grade refined.

• Meadowfoam Seed Oil (unrefined)Stability anchor

  INCI: Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil

  The most oxidatively stable botanical oil routinely available. Approximately 95% of its fatty-acid profile is long-chain (C20 and above), with unsaturations at the ∆5 position rather than the more common ∆9 or ∆12. That geometric detail is why meadowfoam resists oxidation not only by its own chemistry but extends the stability of other oils it is blended with. The reason Bio Gold is preservative-free.

  Sourcing: Unrefined, cold-pressed.

• Java CitronellaPrimary mosquito repellent active

  INCI: Cymbopogon Winterianus Oil

  Java citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus) is the workhorse of natural mosquito repellents. It is distinct from Ceylon citronella (Cymbopogon nardus) — the two are chemically different, and Java is stronger. The active compounds are the monoterpenoids citronellal and geraniol, which together comprise roughly 45–55% of the oil. Both are documented mosquito-deterrents: citronellal interferes with the odorant-binding proteins Aedes aegypti uses to locate human hosts; geraniol acts on similar targets and adds effective duration. Lab-verified repellent activity is well established in the entomology literature (Trongtokit et al., 2005; Gillij et al., 2008, among others). The operational weakness of citronella alone is brevity: as a volatile monoterpenoid, it evaporates in 60–90 minutes. That is why we pair it with vanilla CO2, which slows the evaporation and extends the working window. The oil is steam-distilled from the grass, Indonesia-sourced.

  Sourcing: C. winterianus (Java, stronger) — not C. nardus (Ceylon). Indonesia-sourced.

• Vanilla CO2 ExtractRepellent extender — slows volatilisation

  INCI: Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract (CO2)

  Vanilla CO2 extract is a technical ingredient, not a scent ingredient — though it does contribute a soft vanilla base note. Its job in the formula is extender: by slowing the rate at which the citronellal in the citronella evaporates off the skin, it doubles or more the effective working window of the repellent. The mechanism is matrix-retention — the heavier vanilla constituents form a lipid-soluble depot that releases the more volatile terpenoids gradually. This is the same principle fragrance chemists use with benzyl benzoate and related fixatives in fine perfumery, but with a natural extract rather than a synthetic. CO2 extraction — as opposed to solvent or ethanol extraction — preserves the full aromatic profile including the heavier vanillin derivatives that make vanilla a good fixative. The concentration is low by weight but meaningful by effect.

  Sourcing: CO2-extracted (not solvent). Madagascar or Tahitian Vanilla planifolia.

• Patchouli Essential OilSecondary repellent; scent balance

  INCI: Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil

  Patchouli is a secondary repellent in the formula — it is not the primary defence, but it adds measurable mosquito-repellent activity through its patchoulol content (the sesquiterpene alcohol that gives patchouli its signature earthy profile). Beyond the technical role, it plays a scent-balancing role: citronella alone reads as aggressive, medicinal, recognisably insect-repellent. Patchouli softens that character and makes the product wearable as an everyday skin oil rather than something you only apply when mosquitoes are the specific problem. We use the steam-distilled Indonesian grade, aged 12 months minimum — fresh patchouli is harsher, and the aromatic profile improves with brief aging. No added synthetic vanillin, no modified patchouli — just the single steam-distilled oil. The amount is measured in drops, consistent with the overall formulation philosophy.

  Sourcing: Steam-distilled, Indonesian (Sumatra-sourced). Aged 12 months minimum.

• d-alpha TocopherolAntioxidant (vitamin E)

  INCI: Tocopherol

  Natural vitamin E (d-alpha is the naturally occurring stereoisomer, as opposed to the synthetic dl-alpha). Protects the formula's oxidative stability in the bottle and contributes its own antioxidant behaviour on the skin. Works in combination with the tocopherol fraction of prickly pear to give Bio Gold a multi-pathway antioxidant profile without synthetic preservatives.

  Sourcing: Natural d-alpha, not synthetic dl-alpha.