While Avon Skin-So-Soft is not as effective as DEET-based repellents, it still does a decent job of repelling mosquitoes. This is possibly due to one of its ingredients, icaridin.
However, the time of effectiveness varies from study to study. One study showed that Avon Skin-So-Soft worked for 40 minutes, ranking below DEET products while another showed a 5-hour working time. Though it’s unclear if the 40-minute study used Avon’s Bug Guard repellent brand, despite mentioning it in the paper. Also, the 5-hour study used Avon products that contained icaridin, an ingredient found in some lower-tier repellents, at least in Canada.
Icaridin works similar to DEET, but its adoption is not as widespread. For example, Canada only allowed the use of icaridin in 2012, a long time after the United States and the United Kingdom did.
Since Avon has embraced the repelling nature of their products, there’s no question about the effectiveness of Avon Skin-So-Soft. However, Avon is not the best on the market due to its lack of DEET, preferring icaridin instead.
Using Avon’s “Bug Guard” is a good solution for a (relatively) cheap repellent that also aids your skin. Regular Avon Skin-So-Soft will work too, but only for a fraction of the time, it seems. Though, it’s better than using other items around your house, such as Listerine.
The good news is that those local news stories about how great Avon products are at repelling insects don’t have to be totally wrong anymore!
Avon could have real money-makers on their hands if they opted to use DEET in their Bug Guard brand. However, some people claim that DEET is dangerous to the nervous system, though no study has found this to be true. Sure, bad reactions can happen, but that’s with every product.
However, icaridin makes a decent replacement. If it works, it works. Personally, if it can keep mosquitoes away from me, I’ll gladly suffer any reaction I get from using the product. You’re telling me that this can of Sprite Zero will repel mosquitoes? Don’t mind if I drink a whole 24-pack within the hour.
Forms of Avon SSS, Where to Get Them, and How to Use Them
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Oils & Creams
Avon Skin-So-Soft comes in many different forms, all with varying levels of reliability when it comes to repelling mosquitoes, but there are 3 types that are touted as being good repellents: bath oil, lotion, and bug guard.
When it comes to the worst one, the bath oil and lotion are tied. Neither one excels at repelling mosquitoes, with both only repelling two types of mosquitoes: Aedes and Culex.
Learn more about mosquito species by exploring our site. The oil also lasted only two hours, which is borderline shameful for repellents.
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Bug Guard Line
The Bug Guard works the best, which is unsurprising, considering it’s manufactured for the sole purpose of repelling insects.
All you need to do is spray your exposed areas. The spray should last long enough to ward off any potential mosquitoes. If you’re using a non-spray Avon product, you can rub the product over the exposed areas.
You can buy Avon products at any grocery store like Target or Walmart, but if you can’t find it in your area, you can easily shop for some online.
If you’re ahead of the game and already have some Avon products, then great! All you need to do is keep applying it like you are already, keeping your skin safe while free from itches. If you don’t have any Avon, their products are relatively cheap and easy to find, so what are you waiting for? Get going and keep those pesky mosquitoes away!
And remember — DEET is perfectly safe to use. It may sound scary, but all it will do is make mosquitoes plug their long noses and fly away. When shopping around for good mosquito repellents, or reading through this site, you’ll notice the mention of DEET a lot. Just think about it as any other ingredient.