Key takeaways
- incognito® has won the Travel award at the 2026 P.E.A. (People. Environment. Achievement.) Awards, announced at the green-carpet ceremony in London on 22 June 2026.
- The P.E.A. Awards celebrate the people and brands driving genuine environmental and social change; past honourees include Sir David Attenborough and Juliet Davenport OBE.
- The recognition reflects incognito®’s approach to travel protection: a DEET-free, clinically tested repellent that guards against mosquitoes and ticks while staying gentler on rivers, reefs and wildlife.
- Its active ingredient is PMD (para-menthane-3,8-diol), branded Citrepel®, a plant-based repellent class recognised by the EPA and CDC alongside DEET.
- For travellers it means effective, biodegradable, vegan protection that, unlike DEET, won’t melt synthetic gear, watch straps or sunglasses.
incognito®, the British natural insect-repellent brand, has been named the winner of the Travel category at the 2026 P.E.A. Awards. Founder Howard Carter accepted the award at a ceremony held during London Climate Action Week on 22 June 2026 — a recognition that places sustainable, DEET-free bite protection firmly on the responsible-travel map.
What are the P.E.A. Awards?
The P.E.A. Awards — short for People. Environment. Achievement. — are among the UK’s best-known sustainability awards. For more than sixteen years they have spotlighted the individuals, projects and brands changing the face of the planet, from grassroots campaigners to household names. Winning a P.E.A. Award is not about marketing budgets; entries are judged on real-world environmental and social impact, which is why the honour matters to a small, mission-led brand.
The Travel category recognises work that helps people explore the world more responsibly — protecting both the traveller and the places they visit. That framing fits a product whose whole reason for existing is to keep people bite-free without the environmental trade-offs of conventional chemistry.
Why a DEET-free repellent won in the Travel category
Insect bites are not just an itch on holiday — mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest animal, carrying malaria, dengue and Zika, while ticks across Europe spread Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Effective repellent is genuinely part of safe travel. The question is what you put on your skin, and what it leaves behind.
incognito® uses PMD (para-menthane-3,8-diol) — marketed as Citrepel® — a plant-derived active that public-health bodies place in the same recommended class as DEET and picaridin. The difference is what happens after it does its job: PMD is biodegradable and the formula is vegan and free from synthetic pesticides.
Protection that travels light on the planet
Sustainable travel is not only about flights and hotels; it is also about the small, repeated choices that add up — including what washes off your skin into a hotel shower, a river or the sea. A repellent that protects you without persisting in the environment is a quietly meaningful one. That is the thinking the Travel award rewards, and it sits alongside incognito®’s other recent recognition, the King’s Award for Enterprise 2026 for Sustainable Development.
What the award means for travellers
For anyone packing for a trip, the practical takeaway is that you don’t have to choose between strong protection and a clear conscience. Here is how plant-based PMD compares with DEET on the factors travellers actually notice:
| Factor | DEET | PMD / Citrepel® (plant-based) |
|---|---|---|
| Recognised by EPA & CDC | Yes | Yes |
| Works against mosquitoes | Yes | Yes |
| Works against ticks | Yes | Yes |
| Source | Synthetic | Plant-derived (from Cymbopogon winterianus) |
| Biodegradable | No | Yes |
| Effect on plastics & synthetics | Can damage gear, straps, lenses | Does not melt synthetics |
| Vegan | Varies by product | Yes |
Both DEET and PMD are effective, recognised options — the EPA’s own guidance lets you search registered repellents by active ingredient and protection time. The point is not that one is universally “better”; it is that PMD offers comparable protection from a plant-based, biodegradable starting point, which is exactly what a responsible traveller is looking for.
A word from our founder
“Travel should broaden the world, not burden it,” said Howard Carter, founder of incognito®. “We have always believed you should be able to protect yourself from mosquitoes and ticks without DEET — and without harming the rivers and reefs you’ve travelled across the world to see. This award belongs to every traveller who chose a kinder way to stay bite-free.”
How incognito® helps
incognito® makes a full range of DEET-free, clinically tested, vegan and biodegradable protection, all made in the UK. For travel, two products do most of the heavy lifting. The everyday Insect Repellent Spray (100ml) is the cabin-bag staple — light, fast-drying and effective against both mosquitoes and ticks. Heading somewhere sunny? The 2-in-1 Mineral Sunblock & Insect Repellent SPF30 combines reef-safer mineral sun protection with repellent in one bottle, so you carry less and protect more. Both are part of incognito®’s Simple Step System for staying bite-free.
FAQs
What did incognito® win at the 2026 P.E.A. Awards?
incognito® won the Travel category at the 2026 P.E.A. Awards, announced in London on 22 June 2026, for its sustainable, DEET-free approach to protecting travellers from insect bites.
What are the P.E.A. Awards?
The P.E.A. (People. Environment. Achievement.) Awards are long-running UK sustainability awards recognising people and organisations making a real environmental and social difference. Past honourees include Sir David Attenborough.
Is a DEET-free repellent strong enough for travel?
Yes. incognito® uses PMD (Citrepel®), a plant-based active that the EPA and CDC place in the same recommended class as DEET, and it is clinically tested against mosquitoes and ticks.
Why choose PMD instead of DEET when travelling?
PMD is biodegradable, vegan and plant-derived, and unlike DEET it won’t damage synthetic clothing, watch straps, sunglasses or phone cases — useful when everything is in one small bag.
Does incognito® protect against ticks as well as mosquitoes?
Yes. incognito® is recommended against both mosquitoes and ticks, which matters in parts of Europe where ticks can carry Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE).
Where is incognito® made?
incognito® is made in the UK and is the holder of the King’s Award for Enterprise 2026 for Sustainable Development.
Sources
- P.E.A. Awards — 2026 shortlist and categories
- US EPA — Skin-Applied Repellent Ingredients (DEET, OLE/PMD, picaridin, IR3535)
- US EPA — Find the Repellent that is Right for You
- CDC — Prevent Mosquito Bites
- ECDC — Protective measures against mosquitoes
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Always read the product label and, for travel to areas with malaria or other vector-borne diseases, consult a qualified healthcare professional or travel clinic.