Choosing Bug Spray This Summer

It can be so hard to choose bug spray!  I’m one of those people who simply goes outside and is all of a sudden eaten up by bugs.  Everything from your blood type, the amount of exercise you do, drinking beer or even being pregnant can make you more susceptible to bug bites, according to Smithsonian Magazine.  There are also so many choices, whether it’s something from the Avon lady, home remedies, or those stinky chemical ones. I’d rather use a natural repellant. How do you choose bug spray?  We have a few tips.

How to Choose Bug Repellant: Natural is Better

We just don’t know how common bug repellant chemicals will react — with our skin, our immune systems, or even with nature! People have been using natural remedies, such as citronella, for years.  When I go camping or to a place where I know there will be mosquitos or other bitey bugs, I use Jao Brand OutScent .  Jao makes natural products, and this one is great because it doesn’t smell like bug spray (and who wants to smell like bug spray? No one, that’s who.). It smells like essential oils:  Grapefruit, fir needle, patchouli and other oils make this a woodsy, interesting scent that can pair well with other green, forest scents or you can wear it as your fragrance itself! Remember those citronella candles your family burned when we were kids?  Jao OutScent works the same way:  bugs just don’t like the smell, so they stay away from you!  It only contains oils, water and alcohol. Bonus: you smell amazing.

How to Choose Bug Repellant:  Slather It On

Want something less fragrant? Jao has another product to try: Jao Brand Patio Oil. This lotion uses eucalyptus oil and lemon oil to keep bugs away, and it’s got a lot of great ingredients like soy oil, jojoba, hemp, and chamomile to soften and soothe your skin at the same time.  It’s got a light green citrus scent that will make the bugs look for another target.  This one is particularly good for outdoor activities like hiking and gardening.

How to Choose Bug Repellant: Spray It Away

Do you want to keep a bottle of spray around for people who forgot to put bug spray on before your big grill-out or pool party (like I usually do)?  Try Jao Brand Patio Oil Moisture Mist to keep on hand to spray on your guests.  It uses 20% lemon and eucalyptus oil, much like the fragrance and the lotion, which is disgusting to bugs but appealing to your human guests! It has a pleasant lemon-herb scent because it’s  98% bug-repelling oils, with no chemicals or fillers.  Keep a bottle on the table and reach for it whenever you think you need it.  Sometimes I even put it on when my skin is feeling a little dry from the sun!

What are your favorite bug repellants?  Tell us on Facebook and pick up supplies for picnics, Fourth of July and pool parties at Manhattan Wardrobe Supply.