Avon Skin So Soft Bug Spray Review
Skin So Soft bath oil and eucalyptus oils have been anecdotally reported to be effective at repelling mosquitoes. However the New England Journal of Medicine study found that they provided no protection when compared to 95% DEET and a special mixture of ingredients.
Many people wonder, does skin so soft really work as a mosquito repellent?
Insect Repellent
There are many kinds of mosquito repellents available on the market. Some are sprays, some are lotions and some use ingredients like deet or picaridin or IR-3535. Some are even plant based and natural. Avon makes a product called Skin so soft that comes in bath oil, lotion and bug guard. The bath oil and lotion don’t really excel at repelling, but the bug guard works pretty well, repelling two of the most common types of mosquitoes. It also lasts for a long time, up to 6 hours.
There’s also a liquid version of it that has a longer lasting effect, up to 10 hours. That one also smells better than the spray. It doesn’t smell as strong, though. Whether or not it is effective at repelling bugs depends on the person and how much they react to bites.
This Avon product contains an ingredient called icaridin which has been shown to be comparable to DEET. DEET is a very effective insect repellent, but it isn’t good for people with sensitive skin. This is why a lot of people use Skin So Soft as a repellent, because it’s less toxic.
Besides being an insect repellent, it’s also a good moisturizer and is gentle on the skin. It feels a bit wet and greasy when you apply it but it dries quickly. It leaves your skin with the signature Skin So Soft light floral scent and doesn’t smell like the typical chemical-y bug spray.
There are also studies that show that regular Skin So Soft bath oil and suncare lotion, containing icaridin, will repel insects for a short period of time. They won’t hold a candle to products with DEET, but they can be useful for avoiding mosquito bites while camping or hiking in areas where mosquitoes are a problem.
Moisturizes
Avon’s Skin So Soft bath oil got a bit of an overhaul when it came to repelling insects. They added a little bug spray to the mix and created a product that’s great for hikers, campers, and other outdoor enthusiasts who need help keeping mosquitoes and other bugs away. The new product also moisturizes your skin while it’s repelling insects. It’s a great option for people who have sensitive skin or don’t like the feel of DEET-based repellents on their bodies.
The main ingredient in Avon’s Skin So Soft bug repellent is IR 3535, which is an insect-repelling chemical. This chemical has been around for a long time and isn’t harmful to the environment or humans in small amounts. It has been found to be effective against mosquitoes and other insects, and it is safe for children to use. However, you should still follow the safety directions on the label to avoid skin irritation.
Unlike other insect repellents, Skin So Soft contains no DEET or Pircaridin. This means it won’t be as effective at preventing insect bites, especially when used in conjunction with other repellents. You may also need to reapply it more often than other products. However, the product is gentle on your skin and has a pleasant fragrance.
Avon’s Bug Guard is available in aerosol, towelettes, and family size pump sprays. It comes in a variety of scents and offers protection from mosquitoes, gnats, sand flies, no-seeums, and biting midges. It’s also hypoallergenic and dermatologist-tested. It’s an excellent choice for families who want to stay protected on their next camping trip or hike.
Avon’s Skin So Soft isn’t as strong as other insect repellents, but it can definitely be a helpful addition to your hiking gear. It’s cheap, smells good, and moisturizes your skin as it repels insects. It’s also easy to use – just apply it liberally to any area that needs protection and remember to reapply it frequently.
Smells Good
Nothing ruins a sojourn outdoors quite like an entourage of pesky mosquitoes chewing on your arms and legs. The good news is that bug spray is a handy product for avoiding these annoying insects, and there are many options available. Many repellents smell like a chemistry class or make you feel like you took a dip in oil, but this option from Avon smells pleasant and is easy to use. It also moisturizes your skin, making it a great choice for those with sensitive skin or who find the strong scent of some repellents to be unpleasant.
While it’s not the strongest repellent on the market, skin so soft does a decent job of keeping mosquitoes and other biting insects away. The main ingredient is Picaridin, an effective alternative to DEET. It’s also free of other harsh chemicals, which makes it more gentle on your skin. While it’s not as effective as the higher-concentration products, this product is a good option for those with sensitive skin or who dislike the strong, chemical-laden smell of stronger repellents.
The Avon bug guard plus spray also contains vitamin E and aloe to soothe your skin while it works. It’s a convenient size and sprays easily, so you can easily carry it in your pocket or backpack. The spray has a mild, clean scent and is safe to use on children. It’s not recommended for use in areas where mosquitoes are prone to carrying diseases like malaria or West Nile Virus, though, so be sure to choose a stronger insect repellent if you’re heading into that region.
Although some studies have found that this product works well, others haven’t. A 2002 New England Journal of Medicine study, for example, found that the oil protected volunteers’ arms from mosquito bites for only 9.6 minutes. It did far better than Victoria’s Secret Bombshell perfume or a similar product, but not nearly as well as DEET. Another recent study, by Immo Hansen of New Mexico State University, found that Skin So Soft performed fairly well against a group of hungry mosquitoes, but didn’t hold up as long as DEET or other commercial products.
Effectiveness
If you want to repel mosquitoes and ticks you may be interested in trying a bug spray with the active ingredient IR 3535. This ingredient has been shown to provide effective insect repellent activity and protect against bites from a wide range of insects including mosquitoes, deer ticks, black flies, gnats, sand flies, no-seeums and biting midges. This ingredient is also odorless and safe for children.
In a head-to-head evaluation of multiple insect repellents at various concentrations, IR 3535 demonstrated similar efficacy to DEET (ethylbutylacetylaminopropionate) in preventing tick and mosquito bites. The duration of effectiveness for IR 3535 was shorter than for DEET, however, and in a laboratory test Avon Skin So Soft bug spray with IR 3535 provided only 40 minutes of protection against mosquitoes compared to 5 hours for DEET products. One of the reasons for this difference is that the Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard formulas contain an additional repellent ingredient called icaridin which may shorten the time for which the product works against mosquitoes.
Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard is a low-odor, low-toxicity repellent that does not have any known harmful effects on the environment or human health. This product is a great choice for outdoor enthusiasts who want to protect themselves from bugs without the use of harsh chemicals.
Although DEET is the most effective mosquito repellent available, many people choose not to use it because of concerns about health and environmental impacts. Alternatives include a variety of “natural” products containing mineral oils or plant-based essential oils such as eucalyptus oil. The Avon Skin So Soft line of products includes a number of different sprays and lotions that contain these natural ingredients. This study analyzed the ability of these products to confer repellency against two species of mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Both DEET and Avon Skin So Soft conferred strong repellency against Ae. aegypti females, while Cutter Natural Insect Repellent and EcoSmart Organic Insect Repellent did not have any effect against these mosquitoes. Avon Skin So Soft bath oil and Victoria Secret Bombshell perfume, on the other hand, repelled Ae. albopictus mosquitoes quite effectively.
