Avon Skin So Soft Dry Oil Body Spray
Avon Skin So Soft Original Dry Oil Body Spray (also known as Avon Skin So Soft Soft & Fresh Replenishing Dry Oil Body Spray) is one of Avon's best-selling products and has received much media attention. The specially formulated, pleasantly scented, non-greasy oil spray, when applied after bathing or showering, absorbs into the skin quickly and locks in moisture. This body spray may also work as an insect repellent.
Bestselling Avon Skin So Soft Soft and Fresh Dry Oil Body Spray in a 150ml pump spray bottle. Non greasy, fresh-smelling spray, which contains citronella to repel insects.
A quick Google search reveals there are many people raving about Avon Skin So Soft Dry Oil Body Spray for its insect repellent properties. In fact, some people buy the Avon spray purely for its insect repelling properties rather than for its moisturising qualities. (There are even reports of people using it on their pets to keep the flies away.)
Midge Repellent
According to a 2005 report in Scotland on Sunday, the Avon spray is used by Royal Marines guarding nuclear missiles at Faslane on the west coast of Scotland. Faslane has a persistent biting midge problem and Marines use it to keep the critters at bay, instead of insect repellent.
Speaking to The Telegraph in 2006, Avon representative Lydia Durkan explained that although Avon Skin So Soft Dry Oil Body Spray is not marketed as a midge repellent, it has proved to be very popular. Apparently film crews in Scotland use it and Mel Gibson wore it when he was in the area filming Braveheart.
Avon Skin So Soft Dry Oil Body Spray contains citronellol, a chemical that occurs naturally in citronella oil (a widely-used insect repellent). Citronellol is the active ingredient in some pesticides. Could it be that citronellol is responsible for giving the Avon spray its alleged insect repellent properties?
Effectiveness
In insect repellent tests performed at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK consumer body Which? found Avon Skin So Soft body lotion was effective for one hour, providing only minimal protection against biting insects – a poor performance in comparison to other insect repellents that were tested. On the plus side, Avon Skin So Soft body lotion is not DEET-based and is cheaper than most other insect repellents.
It is difficult to find any robust evidence that Avon Skin So Soft Dry Oil Body Spray effectively repels mosquitoes, but is there any truth at all to the chitchat and rumours that it works well as an insect repellent? There is only one way to find out – try it for yourself!
If you decide to try Avon Skin So Soft Body Spray as an insect repellent, bear in mind that you may have to reapply it more frequently than other insect repellents in order for it to be effective. But, even if it does not keep away the mozzies, you’ve still got a body spray that will keep your skin soft and smelling gorgeous, and it didn’t break the bank.
If you are travelling to an area where there is a risk of an insect-borne disease such as malaria, now is not the time to test an Avon Skin So Soft body spray or lotion for its insect repellent properties. Pack a good insect repellent with proven effectiveness against mosquitoes. Luckily, Avon makes this too. A range of Avon insect repellents is available to buy at Amazon.
Sources:
Scotland on Sunday. "Avon's spray finds calling as midge repellent for Royal Marines" (Accessed 19th January 2012).
The Telegraph. "Don't let the midges bug you" (Accessed 19th January 2012).
Which? “Insect Repellents Compared” (Accessed 19th January 2012).
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Citronellol (167004) Fact Sheet" (Accessed 19th January 2012).