An alcohol-free insect repellent composition includes an essential oil mixture that includes: (a) from about 30 to about 60 weight % of lemongrass oil; (b) from about 15 to about 40 weight % of essential oil of lemon eucalyptus; (c) from about 10 to about 30 weight % of rose geranium oil; and (d) from about 2 to about 20 weight % of Litsea cubeba oil; the balance of the insect repellent composition to 100 weight % being water; wherein the insect repellent composition further comprises a weight ratio of lemongrass oil to lemon eucalyptus oil of between about 1:10 and about 10:1; a weight ratio of lemongrass oil to Litsea cubeba oil of between about 6:1 and about 1:1; a weight ratio of rose geranium oil to Litsea cubeba oil of between about 5:1 and about 1:5; and a weight ratio of rose geranium oil to lemon eucalyptus oil of between about 5:1 and about 1:5.