Lake Como – home to hundreds of exquisite gardens, villas and churches – and to countless swarms of biting mosquitoes Photo Gail
Recently CaFleureBon explored the controversy surrounding the use of fragrance in the workplace, and the perceived effect of scented products on indoor air quality.Today, after a 2 week-long trip to Italy, I realize that perfumes, and the sweet smell of natural insect repellents, might actually help us live healthier, happier lives.
Whether escaping the summer heat or searching for warmth in winter, we will probably encounter mosquitoes, fleas and possibly hitch-hiking bed bugs; nasty critters hanging out at beaches, in forests and in hotel rooms, just waiting to suck our blood. There is no doubt that insect repellents are necessary for many people. Unfortunately, the use of the most popular chemical insect repellent, DEET, is associated with well-documented health problems.
Fortunately I have never had to use DEET. But even though my natural skin chemistry seems to drive insects away, I like to imagine that my childhood love of potent perfumes and essential plant oils has transformed my entire being (much like that of Beatrice in Nathaniel Hawthorne's Rappaccini's Daughter) into one powerful insecticide! Decades of bathing in Avon Skin So Soft, perfume as insect repellent may also have rendered my person too slippery for pests. (In 1991 the US Military found that the original Avon Skin So Soft actually worked by trapping insects in an oily film).
Nootkatone found in citrus and Nookta Cypress
The search for a safe and effective insect repellent has led the Center for Disease Control beyond DEET and Avon Skin So Soft to the naturally occurring organic compound Nootkatone. Until recently Nootkatone, found in Nootka cypress trees, in herbs like vetiver and in citrus fruits, has been expensive to extract and synthesize. Enzymatic fermentation processes have made the molecule much more affordable. Nootkatone has been proven to repel (or kill) mosquitoes, bed bugs, ticks, fleas, head lice, midges and even Formosan (subterranean) termites. Because Nootkatone is a volatile essential oil that does not persist in the environment, it is considered to be environmentally friendly. Nontoxic to humans and an approved food additive, Nootkatone has been safely used for years in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and yes, even in perfumes, imparting a dry, sprightly, woody grapefruit or citrus/herbal note to fragrances. Used sparingly Nootkatone gives fresh, airy lifts to fruity florals. So yes, Perfume as Insect Repellent.
Perfumer Mesha Munyan in her lavender fields
Let's not forget the botanical repellants, essential oils like lavender, geranium, patchouli, rosemary, catnip, bergamot, peppermint, vetiver and citronella, to name but a few are in fact a form of perfume as insect repellant. My current daily "toilette" includes products that contain naturals.
I shower with Strange Invisible Perfumes Hydro-distilled Bergamot Body Wash, followed by Provision Purify, a spray deodorant featuring vetiver and clary sage. Subsequently I anoint my skin with Hawaiian Classic Perfumes Island Gardenia, a perfume oil that smells like fresh gardenia blossoms. I suspect the following insect repelling perfumes use something like Nootkatone (or one of the above essential oils) in their formulas: Diptyque Eau de 34, CB I Hate Perfume #610 Outside, Jo Malone Geranium & Verbena, Annick Goutal Les Nuits d' Hadrien, Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca and, the most touted of all – Victoria's Secret Bombshell are other examples of perfume as insect repellent.
Gail Gross – Senior Editor (who has converted her non scent loving husband to wear perfume as insect repellent).
Editor's Note: The brand owners of the various perfumes and apothecary products mentioned in this article do not claim that their products are insect repellents nor are they sold as such. This is Gail's anecdotal experience and her opinion.
Photo by Gail apped
For our Perfume as Insect Repellent draw we are offering two fabulous products that work for Gail (as she found out during her trip to Italy when her husband was covered with bites…the bugs stayed clear of her). We have a draw for Provision Scents Purify and Strange Invisible Perfumes Bergamot Hydro-distilled Bath Wash to one registered reader (register here) in the CON USA only. To be eligible please let us know if biting bugs is the bane of your life. What do you think of perfume as insect repellent? Draw closes 8/9/2018
We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like ÇaFleureBon and use our Blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.