jack@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin) (06/08/91)
mm@lectroid.sw.stratus.com (Michael Mahler) writes: > To repell black flies, try Avon's Skin So Soft (rub a weak > mixture - 1 cap to quart of water - into your hair or hat). I've tried asking this question twice before on rec.backcountry without success, so here goes again but crossposted to sci.chem, sci.bio and misc.consumers: What _is_ this stuff? Fabric conditioner? Water softener? Moisturizing lotion? Leather softening oil? Vitamin E? Sexual lubricant? The brand name doesn't sound like one anybody would give to a purpose-designed insect repellent. What is its chemical composition? Does it work, and if so, how? -- -- Jack Campin Computing Science Department, Glasgow University, 17 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland 041 339 8855 x6854 work 041 556 1878 home JANET: jack@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk BANG!net: via mcsun and ukc FAX: 041 330 4913 INTERNET: via nsfnet-relay.ac.uk BITNET: via UKACRL UUCP: jack@glasgow.uucp
ronald@uhunix1.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Ronald A. Amundson) (06/09/91)
In article <1991Jun7.170618.7515@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk> jack@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin) writes: >> To repell black flies, try Avon's Skin So Soft > >What _is_ this stuff? Fabric conditioner? [etc., etc.] ... >Does it work, and if so, how? How do Brits stay beautiful without Avon? Avon is a door-to-door American cosmetic vendor. Skin So Soft is a light, scented oil designed (I'm told) as a bath oil. You can rub it on skin. (You can rub just about anything on skin, of course, with varying results.) Yes it works. Not especially well. It was a big fad a few years ago, and I saw a study done by some group like Consumer Reports. Results were that _any_ light oil rubbed on skin will repell biting insects for a short time. As the oil gets absorbed, the biters return. It lasts only for 20 minutes or so, per dose. It is _not_ as effective as commercial insect repellents, probably since its only protection is a mechanical barrier. A heavier oil might last longer. Perhaps axle grease. Avon does not peddle axle grease from door to door, probably because of its negligible cosmetic properties. Ron Amundson Univ. of Hawaii at Hilo
chemist@techbook.com (Steve Bonds) (06/09/91)
In article <1991Jun7.170618.7515@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk> jack@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin) writes: >mm@lectroid.sw.stratus.com (Michael Mahler) writes: >> To repell black flies, try Avon's Skin So Soft (rub a weak >> mixture - 1 cap to quart of water - into your hair or hat). >What _is_ this stuff? Fabric conditioner? Water softener? Moisturizing >lotion? Leather softening oil? Vitamin E? Sexual lubricant? The brand >name doesn't sound like one anybody would give to a purpose-designed insect >repellent. It's billed as a moisturizing bath lotion. You're supposed to add it to bath water to give softer skin. I've never known anyone to use it for this purpose though- everyone seems to use it as an insect repellent. In an article about it, AVON claims to have heard of its insect-repelling properties, but they can't bill it as an insect repellent since that would mean several years of lab tests, paperwork for the EPA and FDA, and maybe a couple other acronynmic agencies as well. In short, a BIG hassle! It seems to work fine on mosquitos and Oregon-bred biting flies, can't say if it works on New England black flies or not. While I don't have a bottle here to read, I do remember checking the list of ingredients against a few insect repellents I knew. So far as I know, nothing in the lotion should repel insects! (It doesn't contain DEET or anything like that ;-) But it seems to work just the same... -- 007 (note new name and address) -- ============================================================================= The Chemist | chemist@techbook.com (The Chemist) | ...!{tektronix!nosun,uunet}techbook!chemist aka 007 | sbonds@jarthur.claremont.edu (007)