Skin Biology,

I'm a magnet for bugs and could use a sunscreen with an insect repellent. Any chance Dr. Pickart could create a safe effective combination product?

Me too. I'm covered in bites. I was thinking of getting some Calypso oil, but I'm worried that even more bugs would head straight for me. I'd love a safe insect repellent. MJ

Dear JW and MJ:

We'll see if we can have Dr. Pickart make a comment on this.

Best Wishes and Thanks for posting,
-Skin Bio Team

It really depend on what insect you are trying to avoid.

Usually, the best approach is to remove the insects. For flying insects, some of the new traps attract them with UV lights and an air blower that traps them in a little cage. For yellow jackets, the pheromone traps work very well. For crawling insects, some of the sticky papers collect them.

Thanks Dr. Pickart. So far my enemies are the mosquitos in public places, such as when I am jogging or playing tennis. As amazing and fascinating our immune system is, someone forgot the mosquitos.

I also would be the worst off in a group.

It just seems comical and nonsensical to be eating clean and minimize the use of harmful topical products to have youthful and beautiful skin and then intentionally use an insect repellent that can damage synthetic fabrics, leather, plastic, and painted and varnished surfaces.

I grew up in Minnesota which is filled with small, fast, and hungry misquitos. The only solution that worked for myself was move to the West Coast where the mosquitos are big, slow, laid-back, and easy to catch with your hand.

Catching them with my hands may interfere with the accounting of my Karma ... unless some chemist can decode the mystery and invent the next revolutionary nontoxic insect repellent and sunscreen... hopefully without involving human gene "therapy".

JW, have you tried using citronella EO? You could just add a couple drops to a palmful of product before you slather it on. I bet there are other good EOs for that, too.

Like Dr. Pickart, I grew up in a very mosquitoey place (Swampachusettes) and even with bug repellant, I would get eaten alive. The mosquitoes her on the West Coast are, in fact, stupid, lazy bumbling things and could land right on you and not notice. Come on over! I'll throw you a big welcome party.

Pirate Jenny,

San Fran sounds good. I lived and was educated in Massachusetts before moving to San Diego and Dallas and know what you mean about the bugs from the West Coast

So, I assume this essential oil is human friendly without causing photo sensitivities and is mosquito-proof? It's scent is not going to put me in Brett's Woodstock hippie group, is it? Where can I find it?

quote:

Brett's Woodstock hippie group

haha

quote:

Originally posted by JW:
Pirate Jenny,

San Fran sounds good. I lived and was educated in Massachusetts before moving to San Diego and Dallas and know what you mean about the bugs from the West Coast

So, I assume this essential oil is human friendly without causing photo sensitivities and is mosquito-proof? It's scent is not going to put me in Brett's Woodstock hippie group, is it? Where can I find it?

Sorry it took me so long to get back! I think it's not sensitizing to humans. It's actually the same stuff they put in Ivory soap. You never smelled a citronella candle? It's vaguely lemony and mild. not so bad.