Our Story, our why.

The conversation between husband and wife that led to the creation of Shubug.

“Ouch! I’m getting eaten by these bugs up here, she exclaims! We need to carry some kind of bug spray.

After all the work we put into making the vibe of our little country store feel wholesome and boutiquey, the brands that are out there won't seem right on our shelves? He chuckles as he asks. And after surviving breast cancer, we want you to feel good about everything you put on your body, right?? He asks again, this time more seriously.

I know, she says sadly. Well, we need something! Maybe we can look into coming up with something on our own…”

Founded on a simple belief: We should feel good about what we put on our body.

Co-founders, Mother and Son. Circa 2005 and now. The little guy on the left is all grown up and Mom is healthy. Both wear a lotta hats today bringing the dream of Shubug alternative repellents to life.

A brand-first approach.

Born from our own desires, we wanted an all day–everyday, feel-good bug spray. It was the mantra story we wanted to confidently say about our products. If we couldn’t honestly say it, we didn’t want to make it. We even came up with the brand before we had an actual product. We knew a belief-based brand would help attract the science help we would need to develop formulations that we could feel good about and that actually worked. Before long, we had a little team and Shubug was making waves.

We found that there were natural ingredients that aren't being used that should be.

Our cosmetic-grade Coconut MCT, Walnut and Almond Oils are nut-allergy-free, fast-absorbing, entirely plant-powered and work like crazy in the wild. Used as directed, it’s clean, nourishing, lasting protection, and we think it's exactly how nature meant it.

The First and Only On-body Repellent Brand Certified by The Detox Project.

We're not into bad vibes - bugs are enough of a bummer, so we don't like to use bad words like hate. But they have some weird rules that don't allow us to speak negatively about things we leave out of our products, so we just say how we hate it. We’re the only insect repellent brand certified by The Detox Project. They're the leaders in the rebellion and we're stoked to be a part of it.

The alternative we wanted was not hiding, it was there waiting. What we ended up with was so magical, it should never have been a secret. As the first Detox Project Approved insect repellent, we’re happy to be The Original, and even happier to be the ones who get to share the good news. We hope our story helps people have more fun outside, and we hope it inspires more stories like it! Enjoy nature, enjoy Shubug.