Just one of many products that we get out during summer (or any time) and spray with abandon. One has to stop and consider that if it contains a chemical that will repel one of the most determined insects known to man (the female mosquito) then it must contain something that at some level is not good for a biological system to be exposed too.
We know from the medical/ pharmaceutical industry that substances placed on our skin are absorbed into our bodies. We also know from historical evidence that substances thought to be safe for human use have subsequently been proven to be extremely toxic or harmful to human health (eg thalidomide or asbestos).
So think about it – do you really need to use a substance containing DEET? Is there another way to tackle the problem of being bitten? Perhaps wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers, increase one’s vitamin B consumption?
Remember also that what we place on our skin eventually gets washed off and then accumulates in our waterways. Municipal water treatment programs are only concerned about treating sewerage and there are almost no municipal systems that address the issues of contamination from pharmaceuticals, household and back yard chemicals and everything else that gets ‘washed downstream’.
So please just think about it before grabbing the latest, television hyped, and largely untested products and slathering it all over your skin. Do you really need it? Is there a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative that you could use?
Enjoy the summer.
Original artlicle: http://bit.ly/aGvR80
I agree. There are two products that I would use:
a certified organic body spray, you can buy it at : http://oxygen.mionegroup.com/en/product/13304 – this works really well
or citronella spray from royalherbs.ca – still trying it but it came highly recommended.
Good post, a quick search on DEET shows it’s really not something we should putting on our skin, it’s a pesticide and can cause severe reactions let alone the long term damage. Mozzies have been brutal this summer, there’s a natural alternative called BuzzAway which I haven’t been able to find locally, still searching…