Lush products - mosquito repellant?

[CisMyArse]

I'm grasping at straws here. Parents (both 80) are travelling with us abroad (fit as fiddles) but they always get savages by mosquitos and the bites react horribly and swell.

Deet brings them both out in a rash that's equally as distressing for them.

Tried Avon SSS - no good.
Tried various other supermarket makes - no good.

I wear Lush Twilight and it's heavy with lavender. Has anyone tried it as a repellant? Lush employee couldn't comment on it when I asked. Lush are by far my favourite but my parents are probably on their last holiday with us and I don't want them bothered by mosquitos.

Help!

Aaargh awful typos!
savaged
by far NOT my favourite

Disclaimer - I don't buy their stuff - twilight was a gift.

Unfortunately, as you have discovered, woo products simply don't work on midge magnets like your parents.

OH is a walking all you can eat buffet for biting insects and always reacts badly to mosquito bites. The only stuff that works for him is deet.

Could your parents put a layer of moisturiser on before putting on a deet containing insect repellent?

I get attacked by midges and horseflies (I have horses) .. really attacked. Avon SSS is as effective as any of the commercial insect repellents, I've not used those for years I just use SSS, if I forget to put it on - I SUFFER!!

I get job lots of eBay cheap.

*off

How about suggesting they take a one a day anti-histamine to help with the reaction?

I take one a week before hols then every day on holiday to stop heat rash - one happy side effect is that if I get bitten it is little more than a pink mark with no swelling or itching.

Last holiday I took two a day - one loratidine and one cetirizine just to make sure! I use the cheap ones from Aldi rather than branded.

Good suggestions - thank you. My Dad has multiple medications despite being fit so I'll have to ask a GP about anti histamines. Mum can definitely start so we'll factor that it.

I realised the full extend of their mystery when I walked in on them one morning in Spain with a cuppa each and they were in a boiling sweating room, windows closed, (air con broken) and mummified tight like a shroud in a sheet each with just their noses poking out.

To add insult to injury, she was bitten in her nose too .

This year's villa has air con but I'm buying mosquito net material and masking tape for the windows so they can have a cool breeze at least in their bedroom and strict instructions for their door to be kept shut.

Incognito works well - I think they do it in Boots. Definitely Holland and Barrett. Smells fairly nice too. Used it last year in Italian lakes and the only time I got bitten (baaaaadly!) was when I forgot.

Believe it or not Sandstone lemon soap works but also Vosene kids headlice spray just down to sheer amount of citronella in it

We live beside major reservoirs and country park so we spray the pram when walking and nothing touches us.

Holiday though Is Deet or if family in Greece we buy Autan allergy and it's amazing.

Try MooGoo -tail swat body spray repellent, its deet free and smells really nice, its organic and natural and can be sprayed on your face too. From online or health shop, isn't expensive. Think it uses ingredients that they used on cows to stop insects bugging them but it works really well for mosquitos! It made my skin soft and I didn't get bitten (and was in a jungle area!)

I bought some citronella roll on stuff in Spain which seemed to work well. I forgot to take the bloody Avon stuff.

Friends who live in Spain have used the Spanish baby cologne you buy in the mercadona supermarkets. Apparently it works really well as a mosquito repellent. I’m yet to try it, but may be worth a shot. My mate decants it into a spray bottle and applies it that way.

DH doesn't get bitten, I do, bleedin' magnet for them.

He was drinking the local aniseed liquer in Turkey , it sweats through your pores and they don't like it (I don't drink alcohol )

I have a bite on my leg at the moment , itchy as Hell , red, raised and the size of my palm, I'm wearing leggings so I'm not tempted to attack it

How did it go OP ? Were the mossies defeated ? Any advice re what worked and what didn't ?