Does this stuff work only on midges and mosquitos or will it work on bl00dy horse flies too? Or any other biting thing.

Many *itch…scratch* thanks!

Think they removed the anti midge ingredient.

It’s the green one you want. If they did remove the anti midge nobody told the midges as I have no problem in the Vienna woods when I use it. Without I end up like a measles epidemic.

It is NOT an insect repellant. It will stop midge bites by drowning the little **** in it’s odorous stickiness. Tests (real, proper ones) have shown that it does NOT work against mosquitoes so you’ve no chance of stopping a horse fly.

Try Smidge or Deet.

I tried deet once, it melted my jacket (seriously) so decided against using it agan

I had deet melt through a nylon bag which surprised me a bit. It did however seem to keep the nasties away in central America and I’d use it again. Just be cautious with how you store it and make sure the top goes on properly.

DEET is the only chemical that really works and yes, neat, it attacks some plastics. It is also very readily absorbed and comes out in your urine for 24 hours after you’ve applied it. The Avon product hasn’t changed at all although Avon would like to drop it but can’t because it sells too well. I work in the perfume industry so I know there isn’t anything special in it although the perfume does contain a tiny amount of citronella oil. Having worn it in a very midgey place and seen how it surrounds you with an aura of that green ferny scent my belief is that it just overwhelms the midges’ sense of smell, since it’s odour and CO2 that attract them.

what onion said ^

Avon skin soft soft dry oil spray is the one you want. But ONLY for dealing with midges.

It is not a repellent for midges or any other flying beastie.

I think the dry oil spray on the skin either prevents or deters midge’s sinking their chops in. But however it does work, I think it really does work well.

smidge works better for me… and it doesn’t make me feel slimey and weird. Really don’t like Avon SSS

Made up a batch of Skin so soft with added deet 100 a few years ago

Bloody Brilliant!

It will stop midge bites by drowning the little **** in it’s odorous stickiness

That’s my impression. Mates who work in the outdoors all use Smidge now.

Smidge is good. But some of the super midges still get through. It doesn’t seem to repel them, they still land on you and walk around, but then fly away again (or get smushed).

Its fine through general use, but staying in one place doing some trail maintenance they started to get through. Not sure whether it was just that the sweat washed it off?

Certainly one of the best ones I have used. with the added benefit that it doesn’t contain DEET.

scotroutes – Member

It is NOT an insect repellant. It will stop midge bites by drowning the little **** in it’s odorous stickiness. Tests (real, proper ones) have shown that it does NOT work against mosquitoes so you’ve no chance of stopping a horse fly.

Try Smidge or Deet.
^this

Avon would like to drop it but can’t because it sells too well.

Why would Avon like to drop it?

I first came across skin so soft in caye caulker, Belize. Th American dive guides swore by it to keep the Mosquitos off.

My preferred method for midge avoidance is to ride with someone they like more than me and use them as a sacrificial anode, Failing that Skin so soft works for me. I thought that with nice soft smooth skin the little blighters could not grip onto your skin to bite.

So far this week

Without SSS…2 bites…..With SSS…0 Bites

It’s the homeopathy of insect repellents. Avon Skin So Soft has never worked.

Now, thats not true

midge spp: (not as good as DEET, but about 75% as effective)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2045813

mosquito: (caution on small sample size, but about 85% as effective as DEET)
http://www.bccdc.ca/NR/rdonlyres/375F9347-AF4E-4165-A697-50076354513F/0/WNv_MosquitoRepellentEffectiveness.pdf

Avon do do a SSS version with IR3535 repellent in too, that CDC regard as effective for mosquitos.

Personally I found that the combination of DEET and SSS was great – as using just DEET tended to sweat/wear off too quickly – deet in SSS also makes the expensive deet 100 go a lot further

Some versions of skin so soft used to contain picardrin which is a very effective insect repellent, the other versions are useless

Picardrin is still availible but not as common as Deet it needs more frequent Applications but doesn’t eat plastics etc.

Main thing with skinsosoft is that you can combine it with a repellant, 2 layers is better than one.

The skin so soft I have is bloody old so it’s probably the one with insect repellant

I bought some SSS with a built in sunscreen and IR3535 off Amazon a couple of years ago. Handy combination.

Made up a batch of Skin so soft with added deet 100 a few years ago

You sir, are a gentlemen and a scholar. I will try this.