Insect repellents?

lola808 · March 2011

My boy gets monster-sized mosquito bites and I need to find a baby-friendly repellent. I've seen a bunch on Amazon, but everything gets mixed reviews. Anyone have any recs?

Also, I remember using citronella oil when camping as a kid. Would that work?

redshoegirl · March 2011

This is random, but the vast majority of my relatives swear by Skin So Soft (yes, the Avon product) to repel mosquitoes, and it's safe to use on babies older than 6 months. They also make an actual Skin So Soft Bug Guard, which I've read is also safe for older babies.

It doesn't work for me, but then nothing does - apparently I'm just too delicious lol! (Seriously, Ben doesn't even bother putting repellent on any more - he knows if I'm around, they'll all ignore him and attack me.)

expatjen · March 2011

We use Johnson Baby Anti-Mosquito Clear Lotion. Not sure if it's available in the States, but I've picked it up here in India (and in Singapore). Works well for us (I use it, too). We also burn citronella oil in our house near the doorways and windows to ward off the mosquitoes. We have TONS of them here in India ... they really are horrible creatures.

mrspresley · March 2011

how funny - before our trip to PR i did research on repellents and came across tons of recommendations for the 2 products mentioned above - the avon and johnson & johnson the avon product comes in wipes which i think is super convenient. i wanted to get them could not get them shipped in time. the J&J product isn't avail in the US so unless you can find someone to get it for you, you're out of luck there. i used a similar product made by another company when i was in vietnam and it worked GREAT and i am a mosquito magnet!! like lisa, they always go for me.... and when i was in thailand i had someone else who swore that they were the same way but they still went for me over her and she was super impressed that the mosquitoes love me even more than her LOL what i liked about the lotion was that it didn't leave a residue on you and had a pleasant smell.

FWIW the CDC says that there are only 2 products out there that are registered w/the EPA that are effective against mosquitoes - here's a link

i think most people want to avoid DEET....but picaridin is the active ingredient in the avon product.

Married2MrWright · March 2011

redshoegirl:

This is random, but the vast majority of my relatives swear by Skin So Soft (yes, the Avon product) to repel mosquitoes, and it's safe to use on babies older than 6 months. They also make an actual Skin So Soft Bug Guard, which I've read is also safe for older babies.

It doesn't work for me, but then nothing does - apparently I'm just too delicious lol! (Seriously, Ben doesn't even bother putting repellent on any more - he knows if I'm around, they'll all ignore him and attack me.)

We're in the SSS camp. Just their regular formulation not their newer bug guard one. My SIL turned me on to it years ago and it's the only Avon product I buy! I used it on Libby last summer and she did fine and only suffered from one or two bites (usually when we didn't use the lotion because "we'll only be outside a second."). Oh and my SIL swears by stuffing scented dryer sheets in her pockets to keep mosquitos away...never tried it myself though.

Here's two organic ones formulated for use on small children that I've bookmarked for this summer...although we also got a mosquito repeller for the yard so perhaps we won't need it!

https://www.amazon.com/Lafe-27s-Organic-Baby-Insect-Repellent/dp/B001KYEZ2Y

and

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ATGBNA?ie=UTF8&tag=babbab-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001ATGBNA

And this blog post with a few more:

https://www.baboobaby.com/natural-organic-insect-repellents-kid-safe/

mrs.winter · March 2011

Weird, I have been looking into this and I just got in the mail today, the Avon Skin So Soft. Ashton and I both get eaten a live and with the Dengue fever showings it's ugly face in Hawaii, I am even more determined to find something same and one that works. My coworker told me today that California Baby makes a bug repellent spray that she used with her kids and it really worked. I am going to try and find that at our local target. I've also wondered about those bug repellent things that you wear.

lola808 · March 2011

Thanks!

For the Avon product, do you get the Bug Guard spray or other versions of the Skin So Soft line, like the bath oil spray? My mom was recommending this as well, but I didn't believe her till now!

Insect repellents?

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