Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus - Gentle Breeze Review

Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus has provided average protection for my family. I think the idea of combining a sunscreen with bug protection is great. My kids and I are very fair skinned and tend to attract lots of mosquitoes. It is a welcome relief to apply one rather than two products. However, one website did not recommend using a combined product such as this for children.

I purchased the white lotion variety of this product at a 50% off deal. At 50% off, it was about the same price as another manufacturer's bug spray without sunscreen that we purchased as well.

According to one website that tested numerous types of bug repellents, Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus provided 23 minutes of complete bug protection, with Skin So Soft bug guard (10 minutes) and Skin So Soft moisturizing sun care (3 minutes) not fairing nearly as well. The longest lasting repellent provided 302 minutes of complete protection according to that website, but this product ranked fifth best, and much better than the least effective product that only provided 0.2 minutes of protection. It appears that high levels of DEET and soy oil were more effective than the IR3535 that is found in Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus. Oils of various herbs, citronella, and low levels of DEET seemed to provide less complete protection than this product.

Personally, I found Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus to feel a bit oily when I applied it to my skin. I did not notice any stains on my clothing after using it. Because I had seen the above information in a website, I did not use this product when planning to be out all day. I tend to be a mosquito magnet. Everyone else can be sitting outside enjoying a nice chat while I'm busy swatting and swelling because I have about 100 mosquito welts on me in about 30 minutes. After using this product, I probably got less bites than I would have normally, but I still got mosquito bites after less than 30 minutes outside. However, I did not get sunburned.

My Viewpoint:

I'm recommending this product only for short periods of time outside. Its ingredient seems to be safer for children than DEET, and the sunscreen is a definite plus. If planning to be outside for more than 20-25 minutes or if you are a mosquito magnet or planning to be in an area with high mosquito counts, I would go with another product such as Cutter Advanced Sport.

UPDATE:

I just read some information and discovered that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) does not recommend products that are intended to repel mosquitoes that are mixed with sunscreen. The thinking is that sunscreens are designed for freuent use throughout the day to provide maximum protection, while they recommend for safety reasons that mosquito repellents, especially those containing DEET (which this one doesn't contain DEET), should be used sparingly.