Are your children devoured by mosquitoes? You dwell in a tick-endemic region. Or are you intending to spend your summer vacation in a region rife with insects and tropical diseases? One of the hardest aspects of summer is having to worry about all the insects that want to feed on our flesh. But we are here to provide some advice and solutions you may not have thought about.
This is a wonderful discovery, as Permethrin is safe for adults, children, and infants. Permethrin spray repels mosquitoes and ticks from your clothing. It is odorless when dry and can withstand six washing. You can purchase it from Amazon or REI – just be sure you get one that says “clothing and supplies.”
To apply, go to an outdoor place, saturate the clothing with the spray, and then allow it to dry completely. Permethrin-treated clothing helps kill ticks and repel mosquitoes.
Since mosquitoes are attracted to dark hues, we prefer white or light-colored textiles. Given that the pants are patterned, we match them with light-colored basic tees and Primary long-sleeved tops. The long-sleeve pajama tops resemble “regular” shirts, are quite comfortable and contain mosquito-repellent sleeves.
We tend to believe that disease-carrying mosquitoes are most active at dusk. However, some mosquito species, particularly those that transmit Zika virus and Dengue fever, are active during the day. To dispel the notion that these are exotic tropical diseases, both were discovered in the United States this year. If you or your children are prone to insect bites, you should consider protecting yourself 24 hours a day.
Insect repellent is partially rendered ineffective if applied after sunscreen. Before applying insect repellent, use sunscreen first and wait around 10 minutes for it to dry or absorb. Every time you reapply sunscreen, you must also reapply insect repellent. And avoid sunscreen/repellent combination products, as they are inferior on both counts.
Applying insect repellent lotions or sprays to the skin might be unsettling. Individually packaged, single-use wipes are easier to apply to a wriggling child, have less of an odor, and can be carried in your bag without the chance of leaking or spilling. Two people can be protected against mosquitoes for around eight hours with wipes containing 30% DEET, such as those manufactured by Ben (more if your people are little).
While DEET is the king of insect repellents, there are other options available. Picaridin is a common insect repellent and DEET substitute in Europe. It is difficult to locate because it has only been available in the United States since 2005, yet it provides comparable protection to DEET with less stink and a less greasy texture. Picaridin is available as a lotion, a spray, and wipes.
You may have observed that some insect repellents contain 20% DEET or 10% Picaridin. The greater the percentage, the greater the duration. If you are going out for 1-2 hours, then you can use a lower dosage of the active repellent ingredient – like 10%. For protection that lasts 6 to 8 hours, a 30% active component is required.
In case you were wondering, the recommended DEET concentration for children is 30% or less. (It has not been determined that levels above 30% are much more effective, so they are not missing out.) The CDC has approved DEET and picaridin concentrations of up to 30% for infants older than 2 months.
When applying insect repellent to newborns or toddlers, avoid putting it on their hands. Although the repellent is safe for the skin, you do not want the baby to be able to consume it. If you are breastfeeding, you should avoid applying repellent on your breasts so that the infant does not receive it on his or her hands or mouth when nursing. Some mothers swear by Avon Skin-So-Soft as a nontoxic insect repellent for moms to wear while holding the baby to keep insects at bay without applying anything to the baby or exposing the baby to the repellent’s active chemicals.
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