Defeat The Skeete

Having a 'Skeeter Syndrome', also known as a mosquito allergy, has resulted in me avoiding the wilderness and loving it from afar. Unlike your typical itchy red bumps, my mosquito bites would swell, blister then bruise. The swelling would cover most of my arms and legs, making it difficult to move my joints and muscles.

So it was a brave decision I made six months ago, when my friends decided to book a camping ground at Sandbanks National Park for a summer weekend. I said YES to go camping for the first time in the last 13 years. In order to survive the weekend, I knew I needed a good insect repellent.

PART 1: THE SEARCH

What is DEET?
The majority of bug repellents contain DEET(also known as diethyl-meta toluamide), a dangerous toluene chemical, which is also used in rubber and plastic cements and paint removers. When a repellent is sprayed, DEET is absorbed through our skin and passes into the blood, which can not only lead to headaches and skin irritations but also to brain swelling in children, anaphylactic shock and low blood pressure.

Some of these repellents carry warning labels. Many aerosol sprays have "Do Not Inhale" sign, while others even have 'poison' warning on the label. How can we spray these repellents on our skin when it is dangerous or poisonous to inhale?

I decided to find an environmentally-friendly and natural alternatives to DEET insect repellents.

What makes me more susceptible to mosquito bites?
Growing up, my parents insisted that the mosquitos were attracted to me because I had too many sweet snacks. It was their motive to minimize the number of trips to my dentist. Since then, I've read and heard many reasons why some people are more susceptible. Some say mosquitos are attracted to young women, while others say that the bigger you are, the better you taste.

According to several sources, mosquitos are attracted to lactic acid, which is produced by muscles during exercise and released from the body through perspiration. So when I kept dancing around to avoid mosquito bites, I was preparing a feast for them.

What are the natural alternatives to insect repellent sprays, and where can I buy them?
There are many natural remedies for insect repellents available online. Many are made of oils such as Citronella, Eucalyptus, Cinnamon, Castor, Rosemary, Lemongrass, Cedar, Peppermint, Clove, and more. Many are simple enough, just mix with some water, shake and spray.

For those busy bees (like me), there are also already made natural repellents available for purchase. I've visited websites like Well.ca and Kai Kids, and stores like GrassRoots, Mountain Equipment Co-op and Big Carrot. Most common ones I found were the following four:

1. Butterfly Weed "In the Bush" Citronella Body Oil ($11.99-14.99, 62.5ml)

2. Alypsis Neem & Catnip Oil ($10.00-13.29, 115ml)

3. Druide Citronella Insect Repellent Spray Lotion ($14.50-15.39, 250ml, or $7.75-7.99, 130ml)

4. Quantum's Buzz Away Insect Repellent Spray ($10.49 60 ml. $18.99 180ml.)

When I picked the brains of sales associates and experienced consumers, there was a prominent winner out of the four, the Butterfly Weed "In the Bush" Citronella Body Oil.

PART 2: THE EXPERIENCE

A week prior to the trip, I picked up Druide's Citronella Shampoo and Shower Gel at GrassRoots store instead of my regular Giovanni shampoo. Mosquitos do sip nectar in addition to blood, so in my effort to avoid floral scents, I decided to reap the benefits of natural mosquito repellent, Citronella.

T minus two days, I picked up Butterfly Weed "In the Bush" Citronella Body Oil at the Big Carrot. It came in a skinny bottle of only 62.5 ml and compared to some of the products on display, it was more costly. I could buy other brands for the same price but double in quantity. Just when I was reaching for a different bottle, a lady walking by commented, " I bought this (pointing at Butterfly Weed Oil) for my cottage trip and it worked really well. I think I only had one or two bites." I smiled and walked back to the counter and made my purchase.

In the midst of packing sweaters and t-shirts, I remembered reading that mosquitos are more apt to bite people wearing dark and bright colours, especially blue. So I took my favorite blue sweater out and packed a light grey sweater along with army green cargo pants. It was a fashionable sacrifice I was willing to make.

The Friday finally came and I was excited to try my Butterfly Weed "In the Bush" Citronella Body Oil. The ingredients were eucalyptus leaves, lemongrass, pennyroyal leaves, tansy flowers and leaves infused in soya bean oil. Super simple and clear, I knew it was a safe product.

Throughout the weekend, I used the oil almost every 3-4 hours. To my surprise, I only used 10-15ml of the oil by Sunday afternoon. I only needed a little bit of the oil as it rubbed well on my skin, plus it didn't leave a greasy feel. As for the Druide's Citronella Shampoo and Shower Gel, I used it once and although my hair felt dry afterwards, I could smell Citronella in my hair for the rest of the day.

Despite the rains at night, the camping trip went beyond my expectations. We went for a quick swim, outdoor cooking, lots of walks and watched the sunset. The repellent worked like a charm and I had only gotten one mosquito bite by Sunday afternoon. The only concern was that Citronella was attracting bees at our campsite. The bees may have like the Citronella scent but it was only a minor problem. Bees won't sting you unless you attack them.

Will I be going camping again?
You can bet on it!