Pure-n-Simple Soap

Spring is in the air and before we know it, we will be spending much of our free time outdoors.  Unfortunately as we get closer and closer to warmer weather, the bugs come out as well.  I’m talking about those nasty mosquitoes, and all those other annoying buzzing, biting insects that seem to declare an all out war on all humans.  It’s as if our best defenses are  not going outside, or  spray on loads of bug spray.  Of course we will spray on just about anything to keep those annoying little insects from biting, so that we can enjoy our time in the outdoors.

Have you ever considered what might be in the bug repellent that you are spraying all over your body?  Chances are the main ingredient would be Deet, (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) which is a chemical that was patented by the US Army in 1946.  Deet is used in just about all insect repellents at different concentrations.  The reality of Deet, is that it is a pesticide that kills insects.  This pesticide is known to melt plastic, prolong exposure can impair cell function, and is even more harmful when mixed with other chemicals, that are commonly found in many every day skincare products such as deodorants, sunscreens, and soaps.

Short term exposure of Deet is not as harmful, and is recommended to not use a repellent that has over 30% concentration of Deet; however there are natural alternatives that effectively repel these insects, such as handmade soaps that have insect repelling ingredients like citronella in them.  When I know that I will be working outside, or going hiking / camping, I use a soap bar that is called Deep Woods.  It contains citronella, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, bergamot, and lemon grass essential oil, and does a wonderful job naturally repelling biting insects.  Sometimes I will just rub the bar as its dry on my neck and arms without any water, and is still very effective.

I highly recommend using natural insect repellents such as these soap bars, or products like Mercola’s  Bug Off, which is free of Deet having a fresh lemon scent and natural ingredients, such as vanilla, citronella, lemongrass oil, and peppermint oil.  Remember that our skin is permeable, what goes on gets in.  As we choose safer skin care products to wash our bodies with, let us not neglect the products that we use which are suppose to protect us from the sun and biting insects as well.