Safe Insect Repellent

We used Listerine the other evening and had zero bites. I'm hooked! We just put it in a clean spray bottle and spritzed everywhere, then again when the kids came out of the pool. Worked beautifully.

Avon's SSS spray repellent works just as good as the one's with DEET and is safe for kids of all ages and you.

Last time I bought it it was in a green can and they were running a special so I got 4 cans for 24 dollars. They are around 12.00 a can.

For product safety reports google "skin deep" I get a lot of good information on their site. We like both burt's bees and skedattle by mexitan products. They are both effective and safe for the little ones.

BTY - skin so soft is pretty toxic according to the cosmetic database.

I extensively research ALL products I put on myself (still nursing) and my daughter. My best friend is the cosmetics database which breaks down virtually every product and explains the risks. It also provides recommendations.

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/wordsearch.php?query=bug...

If the link doesn't work then just go to cosmetics database and type bug repellant.

I used this when I was pregnant and when my litlle one was little. I loved that it was Deet free and I quickly got used to the smell.

http://www.gentlenaturals.com/products/bug_repellent.cfm

Good luck. (Oh and it does work, I spent my first pregnancy in Michigan and Indiana where there are tons more bugs than there are in Colorado).

While low concentrations of DEET are probably safe, many of us are still not comfortable using it on our children. Currently, research is being conducted on natural products from tomatoes, grapefruits, etc. Currently, an excellent product called BioUD (www.bioud.com)is available. The main ingredient is a component of tomato plants and has been shown to be as effective as DEET. You can purchase BioUD, Bite Blocker, etc online and even at your local Wal-Mart.

p.s. skin so soft by AVON is not an insect repellent.

Have you tried Avon's Skin So Soft? They have one now that is specifically for insect repellant, but my family has used the basic SSS for years and it seems to work well for us.

As far as you going with a lesser protection and risking getting a few bites, you may want to reconsider. It would be no fun to get West Nile Virus as pass it to your little ones, or any other illnesses that mosquitos carry. Your best bet may be to wear long sleeves & long pants in the evening hours (lightweight but cover you) and avoid being outside when mosquitos are most active. Insect repellant along with that should help a lot.

When my kids were infants, I remember the pediatrician saying not to put sunscreen on them until they are 6 months old. So I would stay away from sunscreen and DEET until then. I mix Renew lotion and Melaleuca oil to make an insect repellant. It doesn't necessarily keep the insects from landing on me, but both the kids and me have never been bitten! I'd rather use natural products than chemicals like DEET anyway. Besides I read somewhere that DEET has been linked to parkinson's. If you want to know more about how I mix it, let me know. Good luck! It sounds like you have a wonderful family!

I have the burt's bees one that uses lemongrass and some other ingredients. it smells good and it works, you just have to make sure to cover all of your skin with it. it is fine on my boys and I have seen others that use the same ingredients.

Though I don't have children, I am also interested in finding out which natural repellent is preferred by average users.

I agree with Sunny M. Burt's Bees Lemongrass Insect Lotion. It smells good, does not contain any DEET and it works! Only trouble I have had, is finding it in any stores. There is a website however...

www.burtsbees.com

~J

We had tried several natural remedies and were pretty disappointed and I was doing some research online and read in several places that the basic brown Listerine works great. We got some and put it in a spray bottle and so far (it's been a few days), it's been very effective. You can also do a mix of essential oils as well, just google (or bing) natural homemade mosquito repellant. I've heard that eating bananas attracts mosquitos, so perhaps saving those for the cooler months would also be helpful.

H.
www.naturalchoicesforliving.com

J.,

I use Avon's Skin-so-soft sunscreen/bug spray combination. It protects my kids from sunburn AND keeps them from being eaten alive! Plus, you don't get that yucky bug spray smell.

They have wipes too, so you don't have to spray it on if you don't want to. I usually don't promote a product on when answering a request - but this stuff really does work and it's safe.

You can contact me or check it out at: YourAvon.com/CarrieEdwards.com

God Bless
C.

I have heard that one of the most effective mosquito repellents is Skin So Soft lotion by Avon.

We like Quantum Buzz Away. I get it at Whole Foods. We use it on our almost one yo and have no problem. The boys, 3 and 6, both like it.

http://www.amazon.com/Bug-Off-Biting-Insect-Repelling/dp/...

I haven't tried this yet - only seen the commercials recently.

I've heard that mint/peppermint/lemon mint naturally repels bugs. Some people add a drop of peppermint oil to their liquid soaps. But, I have not tried this either.

I just found this online and I'm super excited to try it. It's called the Don't Bite Me! patch and it uses only natural ingredients and lasts up to 36 hours. I got a sample from www.dontbitemepatch.com and the next time I go camping or to the lake I'm going to use it. Oh, essentially, it's just a patch that you put on your body 2 hours before going out that delivers a blend of Vitamin B1 and Aloe, that reduces the human odors that are attractive to insects.

If it works, I think I'll never go back to the yucky sprays! Get a free sample at their website and check it out.

I agree with Carrie, skin so soft is wonderful. I have used that on my older two kids, and myself. Its worth the money, you dont have that nasty smell and it also doesnt dry out your skin after being on for a couple hours. Atleast I have the skin drying problem with all the other ones. Skin so soft is the only thing I'll buy.

I do not know what is safe or not for someone nursing but I know I am allergic to DEET therefore I have to find alternatives for myself and my kids (I can't even touch them if they have DEET on them). My favorite choice lately is the OFF (with DEET) that comes in a little plastic fan looking thing and you hook it on your belt. I wish I had the official name but do not have it in front of me. Needless to say, nothing touches the skin and the mosquitoes seem repelled! Good luck!

Eucalyptus oil in a cup (maybe 5 drops) poured over and patted dry after a bath (not on the head) helps a lot. If it gets washed off we would put a few drops in our hands with water in palms and pat neck etc and they left us alone! If bit a couple of drops of it straight and rubbed in would get rid of the red. Works for sunburns too...just put in some water and pat on.

I've used a product called Dakota Free. No DEET, completely natural. I'm not sure if it's in stores, but you can order it online at www.dakotafree.com.

I just found a fan that you clip to your belt or whereever. No deet required. I'm not sure how it works but with a try.

my cousin told me wonderful things about the Off! clip on mosquito repellent. She used it back east so there were a lot of mosquito's because she was close to the coast. It's a little pricey the first go round because you have to purchase the fan, but afterwards you just need to pick up refills. :) hope this helps

Like you, I've tried several natural insect repellents but have not had much luck with them really working. What we are doing instead is using the DEET kind, but spraying it on clothing instead of on skin. For my DD, I spray a long sleeved shirt and pants, as well as her hat, and that does the trick. Same for me. You have to be careful, however, because the high concentrations of DEET will eat holes in some synthetics (creepy, I know.) But I do feel better than I would spraying it on skin, and we are all happier without the itchy bites. When we come in, it is easy to change clothing too so we can limit the time we are exposed to the chemical.