Best insect repellent?

[youngone]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good insect repellent? I'm going to Australia, and want to be prepared. (Actually could do with some for this country now as I've been bitten by something that could be a mosquito according to the local paper - they're breeding here now because of the odd weather conditions)

[Drisgirl]

Although its not pitched as an insect repellant -Avons Skin so Soft comes highly recommended.I use it and it does work .
Maybe someone else can vouch for it as well.

[EngTeach]

I can vouch for it. Though Avon still never sells it as a bug spray. Iknow people (men and women) who are avid campers and fishers, who swear by this. It also smells a lot better than bug spray and is not sticky.

[meglet]

Use the insect repellent from Boots. You can get the wipes and I think the extra strong ones are in a grey packet. They contain DEET which my friend who has travelled extensively in Oz says is the stuff they use over there. Is potent stuff though, I have acrylic nails and it took the top layer off so maybe get the spray!

[moon_unit]

B vitamins

[Skreecheeboy]

Citronella is the base ingredient of most mozzie repelants and I believe you can buy it as oil. Smells good too. Also eating marmite and garlic make your blood taste nasty to them and apparently wards them off.

[Salas]

Autan,

Its great, If I don't wear in I end up looking like the elephant man. I use it in the UK too.

Another tip is to avoid bananas as the mozzies are attracted to you if you eat them.

Cheers

[bigmamma]

There are lots of insect repellents you can get in Australia once you are out there , all vary in their effects so good luck,
You will soon pick up the best flying pest repellent though I can assure you ...it's called the Australian wave .:-)

[silver_fern]

Easy: any DEET based product... all the others are useless...

[stewey]

I happen to live and play in one of the mosquito 'capitals' of the world; Central Ontario. Skin So Soft is by far the repellent of choice. However, I will not be so adamant as Silver-Fern as to bluntly say that the rest are useless! Different folks, different..........

[monkeyeyes]

Skreecheeboy is spot-on.

Start eating Marmite in the weeks before you go.........and whilst in Oz switch to Vegemite..........

I eat Marmite and Mrs Monkeyeyes doesn't. On our return from Kenya she looked like I'd had a go at her with set of darts .........and I had not a blemish about my fair person !

[FUZZYBEE]

quite right about the marmite, apparently they hate it. But if you too hate marmite then just pop to chemist and get multivitamins i think it's B complex because that's exactly what's in marmite. Also try a camping/outdoors shop John Pollocks (real name) i bought a spray from them once but I can't remember the name it was about �5 and it was just soo much better than the chemist/known brands.

[dot.hawkes]

I bought a local repellant in cuba and took it to turkey last week and on the coach from the airport to the resport the rep advised us on repellants and he showed us one available in turkey nd it is the same thing, a sort of lemony smell, can't tell u what it is called though cos it is in a foreign language, but for mozzies especially, a lemon based one is good.

[youngone]

Thanks all for your advice. I think I'll order some Skin So Soft and maybe buy a DEET based repellent to fall back on in case I need it. Not sure if you could use the 2 together?

Bigmamma I will also practise the wave <lol>

[David181]

WARNING! Mosquitoes are building rapid resistance to DEET. Certain mosquitoes in the Americas, Africa & Asia have already built up total resistance. I met a camera crew recently who were all completely covered in bites whilst using 100% DEET! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKm0gwldBdI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKm0gwldBdI

[David181]

WARNING! Mosquitoes are rapidly building resistance to DEET, certain mosquitoes in Africa, the Americas & Asia already have total resistance to it! I met a camera crew recently who were all completely covered in bites whilst using 100% DEET. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKm0gwldBdI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKm0gwldBdI