Insect repellent efficacy
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Deet-containing insect repellents protect against mosquito bites for a longer duration than botanical and "alternative" repellants currently available, Mark Fradin, MD, says in research published in July 4 New England Medical Journal. S.C. Johnson's Off! Deep Woods, formulated with 23.8% Deet, provided an average of 301.5 minutes of protection, while OFF! Skintastic for Kids, with 4.75% Deet protected for 88 minutes, study shows. By comparison, Avon's Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard Plus, made with 7.5% IR3535, protected for an average of 22.9 minutes. Other Skin-So-Soft formulations protected for even shorter durations of time, according to the findings. Study compared six Deet-containing repellents with 10 alternative formulations. Avon refutes results in July 3 statement, maintaining lab tests used in study are not as appropriate as field tests for establishing efficacy of repellents...