高清福利片

Mosquitoes are an inevitable part of the Australian summer. And this year, with COVID a consideration, we might be spending more time outdoors than usual.

Supermarkets and pharmacies are stocked with a wide range of insect repellents including aerosols, creams, gels, sprays, roll-ons and wipes. There are even wristbands, fabric sprays, coils, sticks, plug-in devices and smartphone apps.

But not all products that purport to protect us from mosquito bites are equal.

So, how do you choose and use a repellent to best protect you and your family from mosquito bites?

The key ingredients

Health authorities聽聽recommend using insect repellents that you apply directly to exposed skin to prevent mosquito bites and reduce the risk of聽.

All insect repellents sold in Australia must be registered with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (), which checks that products are safe and effective.

Despite the wide range of formulations available, there are only a small number of active ingredients registered for use. So any insect repellent on the shelves in Australia will contain at least one of these ingredients.

Diethyltoumide聽(DEET) is one of the聽聽repellents across the world. It聽聽and has repeatedly been shown to have聽聽if used as directed.

DEET formulations in Australia are available in a range of concentrations, as low as 10% through to 鈥渉eavy duty鈥� or 鈥渢ropical strength鈥� products that may be as high as 80%.

Picaridin聽is a common ingredient in local mosquito repellent formulations and聽. Like DEET, it has been聽. Most formulations in Australia have concentrations of less than 20%.

Oil of lemon eucalyptus聽is increasingly common in mosquito repellents. The chemical, p-menthane-3,8-diol, is derived from the leaves of the lemon-scented gum聽.

This ingredient is a byproduct of the distillation process, not an essential oil extracted from the leaves of the plant. This is important, as this product is a much more effective repellent than聽聽(we鈥檒l get to these alternatives shortly).

Formulations containing oil of lemon eucalyptus聽聽to DEET-based repellents.

The active ingredient in the repellent will be listed on the packaging, along with the concentration.

Any insect repellent that contains these products should provide protection against biting mosquitoes. But the stronger the formulation, the longer the protection will last.

If you鈥檙e only outside for a couple of hours, say, in the backyard, there鈥檚 really no need for a high-concentration formulation. But if you鈥檙e going for a long bushwalk or fishing trip, pick a high-concentration product (regardless of the active ingredient).

How you use it matters too

A dab here and there, or spraying repellent into the air around you, as you might a perfume, won鈥檛 provide much protection.

These products need to be applied thinly and evenly to all exposed areas of skin. Think of repellents as camouflaging us from mosquitoes on the lookout for blood.

While an aerosol or pump spray may allow for application direct from the container, you鈥檒l need to rub creams, roll-ons and gels into your skin.

That doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean one is better than the other. But when choosing a formulation, think about which one you feel you鈥檒l be able to apply thoroughly most easily.

What about 鈥榥atural鈥� alternatives?

Some 鈥渘atural鈥� formulations that contain tea tree oil and other plant-based active ingredients have APVMA registration. Products sold at local markets or online may not be registered.

Notably, products that contain plant-based repellents聽聽from mosquito bites.

If you prefer to use products聽聽or other botanical repellents, you need to be prepared to reapply much more frequently than with DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus formulations.

And avoid making up your own insect repellents from essential oils. Without the checks in place associated with APVMA-registered repellents, there may be a greater risk of聽.

Can anything else help?

There鈥檚 no evidence mosquito-repellent聽听辞谤听聽will protect you from mosquito bites.

A range of聽,听,听,听听补苍诲听聽clothing offer varying assistance in reducing mosquito bites. But unfortunately, none of these provides complete protection and are always best combined with topical mosquito repellents.

Some people perceive so-called 鈥渃hemical鈥� repellents as聽. But, in most instances, they can be safely applied to anyone over 12 months of age. (For babies, it鈥檚 best to provide physical protection, such as covering the stroller with a mosquito net.)

It鈥檚 also often said these traditional repellents are unpleasant to use. But even though the active ingredients haven鈥檛 changed much, the cosmetic constituents of insect repellents have greatly improved in recent years.

To get you through summer, choose a repellent formulation registered with APVMA. Pick whichever one you find easiest to spread over the skin to provide complete cover. And always check the instructions on the label.

This article was first published on聽聽and written by Dr Cameron Webb.