Avon Crystal Lake

Avon Skin-So-Soft enjoys a decades-long reputation as an effective mosquito repellent. While Avon explicitly states that the bath oil isn’t designed as a repellent and makes no claims to that effect, numerous Amazon reviewers and TripAdvisor contributors have noted that it does indeed work.

IR 3535, the active ingredient in Skin So Soft bug guard, is proven to effectively repel mosquitoes, deer ticks, black flies, gnats and biting midges. It also works as a dry oil that moisturizes skin.

Product Description

Avon’s Skin So Soft bath oil and lotion (which contain the insect repellent icaridin) have been anecdotally reported to work as mosquito repellents. However, we’ve tested them, and they don’t work as well as DEET-based products. In a head-to-head comparison study, they only provided about 40 minutes of protection in lab tests.

This light oil smells much less harsh than DEET-based products and leaves your skin feeling moisturized. It’s cheaper than bug spray, smells nice, and might be a good option for you if you have sensitive skin or find DEET-based products too harsh. It can also be used to remove makeup, as a tanning oil, as a hot oil treatment for cuticles, as a massage oil for tired muscles, as a hair detangler, as a nail polish remover, and as a way to clean ink off skin (like from stamps). It can even be used to help prevent peeling from dry skin conditions such as psoriasis.

Scent

Skin so soft is a light oil that smells nice and moisturizes your skin as it repels insects. It also does not sting your skin like other bug sprays do, which makes it more comfortable for little ones to use. It is less expensive than insect-specific oils and has been shown to be just as effective at preventing mosquito bites as IR 3535 in head-to-head evaluations.

This product is an excellent alternative to DEET, as it contains only icaridin (and not picaridin) in its formula. It works well to repel mosquitos, deer ticks, black flies, gnats, no-seeums and biting midges. It can also be used to soothe itchy insect bites and is an excellent sunscreen.

It cleans heavy oil and grease off hands, removes crayon marks from surfaces, and can be rubbed on to prevent ants from crawling in cupboards. It also cleans rust off tools, helps remove gum from hair and skin, and can be mixed with water in a spray bottle to make cleaning windows easier.

Application

The IR 3535 in this product repels mosquitoes, deer ticks, black flies, sand flies, gnats and no-seeums. It has been compared to DEET in head-to-head tests, and provides 3-4 hours of protection from these insects. It is also very gentle on skin, making it great for children and babies.

This spray has a clean feel, and has an easy to use spray top. It has a nice scent, which is not overpowering, and it doesn’t leave a sticky residue on the skin. This product is a good alternative to regular Avon body oil, which will repel insects as well, but doesn’t last nearly as long.

Besides being an excellent bug spray, this is also a great moisturizer for the skin, and can be used as a bath oil. It can also be used to remove paint from the hands, and it helps relieve dry itchy skin. It even makes a great massage oil for tired muscles.

Overall

Nothing ruins a day of hiking or camping like an entourage of pesky mosquitoes chowing down on your arms and legs. The good news is that you may be able to avoid them with this light oil spray that doesn’t smell like a chemistry class or leave your skin feeling greasy and weighed down.

This oil contains icaridin instead of DEET, which isn’t as effective but works well enough to prevent bites in our tests. But be sure to cover every inch of your skin (including the tops of your feet) and reapply often, especially if you’re sweating or getting wet.

We also found that this oil spray repelled flies, bees and wasps but didn’t do as well at repelling ticks and mosquitoes—the type of insects that can carry disease. Luckily, the company’s full line of Bug Guard products is specially formulated to keep Lyme disease-carrying deer ticks, mosquitoes, gnats, flies and no-seeums away from you.