Avon Skin-So-Soft as Insect Repellent??

mercedes10 · Jun 15th, 2004, 22:27

I have heard from a number of different sources now that Avon's Skin-So-Soft products are effective insect repellents. Can anyone verify this? Apparently they contain some ingredient that insects dislike but, for some reason, they are not allowed to advertise the product as such. Does anyone here know about this? and if it's true, does it apply to all the products in this range or just certain ones??? Thanks!!

KariB · Jun 15th, 2004, 23:15

Mercedes10

Yes, I had heard the same thing about Skin so Soft repelling fleas. It's the original scent, and I think it had to do with pine oil being the actual repellant. I'm going on vague memory for this info, so I could be wrong about the ingredient.

Before the invention of "Frontline" or "Advantage"(one dose flea repellent)we used to use it when bathing our 3 dogs, we didn't have much of a flea problem and the dogs always smelled pretty good!!

It's the bath oil I believe that you're supposed to use. I imagine though with the humidity in India, the last thing I would want to do would be add more slipperyness to my skin!! I hate humidity, must have taken 4 showers a day when I was there......

Good luck!!

aether · Jun 16th, 2004, 00:11

This is from the website: http://www.snopes.com/spoons/oldwives/skeeters.htm

It's a site devoted to debunking urban myths...

"For decades rumor has held that Skin-So-Soft Bath Oil is an effective counter to mosquitoes, yet a 1993 Consumer Reports analysis found it ineffective for that purpose. Because so many people were buying the product for its purported mosquito combating properties, in 1994 Avon added a non-DEET repellent and a sunscreen to the popular bath oil and began marketing the new concoction as Avon Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard Repellent. Avon disputes the 2002 results posted in the New England Journal of Medicine study, claiming its Bug Guard Repellent works for three hours, not the 10.3 minutes for its Bug Guard Repellent and the 22.9 minutes for its Bug Guard Repellent Plus the study found, but a 2003 Consumer Reports analysis found the Skin-So-Soft repellent deterred mosquitoes for only one hour."

julieellen · Jun 16th, 2004, 07:38

i used skin so soft from avon on my trip to mumbai last year. after one day of use, i had to stop because of the humidity - like KariB said - it never fully got absorbed into my skin and felt gross for the whole day.
i took the malaria medicine (malarone) to be safe. some bug bit my hand one day and i had a mini panic attack thinking i would get some terrific disease, but i'm fine - unless it has a long term incubation period so check back with me in five years.

julie

Jun 15th, 2004, 22:27	#1
mercedes10 Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 556	Avon Skin-So-Soft as Insect Repellent?? I have heard from a number of different sources now that Avon's Skin-So-Soft products are effective insect repellents. Can anyone verify this? Apparently they contain some ingredient that insects dislike but, for some reason, they are not allowed to advertise the product as such. Does anyone here know about this? and if it's true, does it apply to all the products in this range or just certain ones??? Thanks!!

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Jun 15th, 2004, 23:15	#2
KariB Perpetual Lurker Join Date: May 2003 Location: So. California Posts: 56	Mercedes10 Yes, I had heard the same thing about Skin so Soft repelling fleas. It's the original scent, and I think it had to do with pine oil being the actual repellant. I'm going on vague memory for this info, so I could be wrong about the ingredient. Before the invention of "Frontline" or "Advantage"(one dose flea repellent)we used to use it when bathing our 3 dogs, we didn't have much of a flea problem and the dogs always smelled pretty good!! It's the bath oil I believe that you're supposed to use. I imagine though with the humidity in India, the last thing I would want to do would be add more slipperyness to my skin!! I hate humidity, must have taken 4 showers a day when I was there...... Good luck!!

Jun 16th, 2004, 00:11	#3
aether Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: portland, oregon Posts: 46	This is from the website: http://www.snopes.com/spoons/oldwives/skeeters.htm It's a site devoted to debunking urban myths... "For decades rumor has held that Skin-So-Soft Bath Oil is an effective counter to mosquitoes, yet a 1993 Consumer Reports analysis found it ineffective for that purpose. Because so many people were buying the product for its purported mosquito combating properties, in 1994 Avon added a non-DEET repellent and a sunscreen to the popular bath oil and began marketing the new concoction as Avon Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard Repellent. Avon disputes the 2002 results posted in the New England Journal of Medicine study, claiming its Bug Guard Repellent works for three hours, not the 10.3 minutes for its Bug Guard Repellent and the 22.9 minutes for its Bug Guard Repellent Plus the study found, but a 2003 Consumer Reports analysis found the Skin-So-Soft repellent deterred mosquitoes for only one hour."

Jun 16th, 2004, 07:38	#4
julieellen Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: maryland, usa Posts: 52	i used skin so soft from avon on my trip to mumbai last year. after one day of use, i had to stop because of the humidity - like KariB said - it never fully got absorbed into my skin and felt gross for the whole day. i took the malaria medicine (malarone) to be safe. some bug bit my hand one day and i had a mini panic attack thinking i would get some terrific disease, but i'm fine - unless it has a long term incubation period so check back with me in five years. julie

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