Bug Spray

Hi. California Baby makes a nice bug spray. It's made with citronella and other essential oils and seems to work well.

Take care
:) C.

I know that bounce fabric sheets repel mosquitoes.
And I just recently got an e-mail about listerine as a repellent. You are suppose to spray it around doors and windows, so I don't know how helpful that would be. Good luck.

Hi M.,
This past summer we tried bug repellant from Dr. Mercola. It is all natural and it worked great. I was really surprised at how great it worked. It does however have some interesting smell to it, but all the ingredients are natural and not artificial fragrance. It has mint oil and citronella so not sure if that would bother your child but since it's natural and not chemicals, perhaps it might be worth a try. good luck

Go to a Health Food store like Good Health located in Hanover and Quincy, MA. They usually carry all natural, un-scented stuff.

How about Avon Skin-So-Soft. That's supposed to repel bugs. I don't know if they made a fragrance free version though... check the Avon website. Good luck.

I would recommend going to your local health food store and speaking with someone in the health and beauty section. Health food stores carry a variety of "clean", additive-free, products. There are many companies within the healthy living industry that make products specifically for children, as well as, for those who are highly sensitive to certain ingredients. In the book section, you may also be able to find publications on the subject of children and allergies or maybe a book that has suggestions for making your own bug repellent, cleaning products, etc.....
Good Luck!
M. P

Bounce dryer sheets. Tuck it in his belt loops, rub one on his skin and face. Good luck!

I found by accident that Arbonne's sunscreen keeps the bugs away. It has rosemary in it and apparently that smell is a deterent to insects in general. My family including my 2 boys have been bite free all summer & fall so far this year. check it out at www.seethedifference.myarbonne.com They have a 45 day guarantee, you use very little (it goes a long way) and is botanically based. No chemical dyes or fragrances. Sounds like a perfect fit for your son. You can choose from spf 15 or spf 30, anything higher in spf you will need to add chemicals. Choose healthy for your family, there is a choice now available to us. :)

Avon's Skin So Soft product used to be very popular for just this sort of thing. Even though it's marketed as a moisturizer, it actually is also a very good mosquito-repellant.

Also, try a whole foods store, they have all sorts of effective, natural products, which leave out harsh chemicals and perfumes and are about the same price as a drug store spray, but usually cause far fewer skin problems.

Blessings on your search,
S.

Hi M.,

I like OFF Cutter spray. I haven't noticed an odor once it dries, and have used it for years. In my before children life, and shortly into it, I performed professionally with an outdoor concert band during the summer months. If we didn't use some type of bug spray at the various venues we performed in/at, we were eaten alive. Once I found this spray, not once did I get a single bite--normally I didn't use anything before this because I couldn't find anything that truly worked.

I use Swy Flotter by Kiss My Face. It's Deet free and all natural. It's made of essential oils, so it does have a frangrance, but it's not over powering. If you have ever had a massage, it smells like the oils the therapists use. It's made from oil, so it's for skin only, not clothes.

Hi - I would recommend Burts Bee's Bug Spray. It's the Best!! We used it camping this summer in Nova Scotia and it worked better than Cutters and Deet - and is all natural. My daughter has sensitive skin (eczema) and I am always worried about putting too many chemicals on her. M. :)

Hi M.,

Jason products makes a bug spray called, "Quit Bugging Me," that is all natural and made from plant oils. The parent company is Earth's Best, and they make many healthy, earth friendly products that are good for children with sensitive systems. The only issue is its pricey, but its a fine mist and lasts a long time. It comes in a little green spray bottle.

Here's a link: http://www.shopwiki.com/detail/d=Quit_Bugging_Me_-_Insect...

Hi M.
I am not sure of an unscented one but I was an allergic kid (spent more time at the allergists than the playground) as a child and I did grow out of a lot of them..more or less. I still cant smell perfume and stuff. I can however, use Burts Bees all natural which works really really good. It smells nice like lemon and citronella but doesnt bother my my nose at all. Worth a test maybe? Doesnt bother my sensitive son either.

Or maybe put it not by his face, but on top of head, back, legs and feet? Good luck...
R.

I've been using Lewey's Eco-Blends (used to be called Buzz Off) for the last few years with great results against mosquitoes. Yes, it has a scent, but it is all plant based and natural. I'm a lifelong allergy sufferer, but haven't had an issue with this product because nothing is artificial.
http://www.buzzoff.us/testimonials.asp

My son has the uber allergies/eczema, food allergies and environmental, and he has never had a problem with OFF fragrance-free. I hear the call for non-artificial products, chemical-free, etc.(which I usually support), but I've seen the video of the mosquitoes chowing on any hand not covered in a product with DEET, I've read the research, and I'm sorry, but with West Nile around, I will not take the chance with eucalyptus, citronelle, grapefruit, or anything else. Nature doesn't always mean "safe" anyway... citronelle is a plant poison. Don't assume just because it is "natural" it is all good for humans as well.

Dunno if this helps any, but I dont know of any bug sprays, but with my child, I would dress him in long pants and spray the bug spray on his clothes and shoes, rather than on his skin.

We've been happy with OFF's Natrapel which is fragrance free, but does have a scent.