Mosquitos, Ticks and Flies Oh My! A Parent’s Guide to Insect Repellent

My daughter and husband are the exact opposite of an insect repellent. Mosquitoes seem to love my daughter; during the warm summer months she is a mosquito magnet, covered head to toe in mosquito bites. Not only does she seem to acquire several mosquito bites, but she also has the added bonus of being allergic to them. So mosquito bites for her are painful, red, swollen and very itchy.

You can then understand why I would be on a mission to find the safest, most effective insect repellent.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advocates that insect repellents should be:
1. non toxic
2. long lasting
3. chemically stable
4. odorless and not irritating
5. safe for clothes and other materials

Repellents can be divided as follows

Of interest, sunscreen mixed with DEET makes DEET more readily absorbed, so formulations can possibly cause DEET toxicity especially if reapplied often. Also, DEET slightly inactivates the sunscreen component. Better to apply sunscreen and bug spray separately.

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Looking for something specific? Write to Dr. Audrey Paul and let her know what topic you're interested in learning more about.

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