How to choose a good mosquito repellent lotion?

turcheseturchese
edited June 2015 in Ask the Beauty Brains
Good evening,

Here in Italy the summer has already arrived, hot and humid as always! 
I would like to buy a mosquito repellent product, but how do I choose it? Many sites recommend basil or lemongrass based lotions, but I've already tried them and they didn't work as planned. Do you have any products to recommend? 

Have a nice day!

Comments

  • RandySRandyS
    Look for products with DEET. It's proven to be the most efficacious ingredient.   
  • turcheseturchese
    Ok, thank you Randy! :D
  • ArgonOilsTheNuRadiumArgonOilsTheNuRadium
    You could do that.... You could just hire a man to stand near you after feeding him a half a roll of salami and a few bags of pop corn while breathing through a gas mask. <--- Chemical engineering! :P
  • ArgonOilsTheNuRadiumArgonOilsTheNuRadium
    Wait DEET, didn't that have something crazy to do with Agent Orange?
  • ArgonOilsTheNuRadiumArgonOilsTheNuRadium
    Wait hold on, Yeah, yeah, it did. Why is this a legal thing we sell to people meant for skin contact? Did we learn nothing from Vietnam? This is horrifically disturbing.

    Plus I like how this just seem to have convenient tons of data gaps.
    I can't seem to decipher this even this to be able to figure out how much to apply or how long to wear it, or what constitutes as "short term exposure" Can you? It seems to me that kind of info should be safely printed on the directions in like a warning label of some kind. You know, like a place a consumer knows to look for precautionary details... -_-

    http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/risk/guidance/gw/deet.pdf

    Spoiler alert, it fails tons of stupidly vital tests. I'm starting to think just because something goes through safety testing, that doesn't mean it safe, it was just scientifically observed through a battery of observations.


    @Randy, did you know about this before telling reccomending her that chemical?

  • RandySRandyS
    Here's what we previously wrote about DEET in Episode 49: 

    These days there’s much more concern over mosquito borne diseases like West Niles Virus and dengue fever. Fortunately, DEET is a good mosquito repellant but you’ll still hear the chemophobes complain that it’s not safe, particularly that it’s linked to brain swelling. Well, rest easy because a recent study has confirmed the safety of DEET. BTW – the study also confirmed that changes in diet (like eating lots of garlic) does NOT reduce the number of mosquito bites.
  • ArgonOilsTheNuRadiumArgonOilsTheNuRadium
    Sir with due respect there is no new research in that link you posted. There is just a BBC news article from the internet. I have a hard time accepting that as staight forward proof of safety, when I have done the research last night to make sure I wasn't mistaking before I spoke. I found the study, and tried to link it but I couldn't, I couldn't even copy and paste because text size would not convert down to size.  It was a thing from an assesment from Minisota that would state otherwise, I also found a site with a study saying it's pretty terri-bad for kids,

    I honestly looked for a study that says it's safe, or recent, but couldn't find any, except a silly little abstract on Pubmed that says that it actually doesn't impact your breathing. It just fails to mention every other multiple count of toxicity it has on record.

    To your credit, it doesn't cause cancer, and there's a whole lot of lack of safety testing to prove whether it's unsafe in specific areas yet, :P  But as it stands, no sir, it is not safe. And she would be best off finding an alternative. Wait aren't you guys like paid to come up with new things like solutions for deet?
  • RandySRandyS
    I see that the direct link to the study which is mentioned in the article I linked to is broken. Sorry about that. But the point is that the scientific consensus is that DEET is safe.  
  • sarahfsarahf
    DEET all the way.
  • ArgonOilsTheNuRadiumArgonOilsTheNuRadium
    I tried linking the studies a few times last night saying other wise, I do not believe it. I'm sorry. Not this time. I don't know what is going on, or why, but It's not okay.
  • RandySRandyS
    I'm not sure why you're having trouble creating links. It seems fine from this end. You can always just cut and paste the URL as text. It's a little messier but at least people will be able to check them out. 
  • rungrace01rungrace01
    DEET All the way.  None of the so-called natural stuff works.  Houston had floods recently and after the floods came the plague of mosquitoes.  We bought the mosquito dunks for soggy parts of the yard, Cutter spray that you use on a garden hose to spray your yard and bushes, foggers and citronella candles (which don't work but are nice smelling and pretty).  We already had an electric bug zapper specifically for mosquitoes.

    With all that, and even if I use Backwoods Off,  I still get bites.  I have bites on my eyelids. They bite through my clothes!

    Lesson:  stay off the deck until the drought comes?  There is no appreciable winter in Houston.  Better Living Through Chemistry I say.
  • RandySRandyS
    Itchy eyelids? Yikes!!
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