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Avon "Skin so soft" and midges

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 nomisb 07 Jul 2010
Have just heard from a guy who used it when he lived in Fort Willian that this stuff works - in fact it's the muts nuts.

Is this true? Has anyone used it?
Cheers....
 The Lemming 07 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb:

I get about 10-15 minutes bite free time with the stuff.
Slugain Howff 07 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb:

Everyone uses it and yes it works to a certain degree.

I don't find the smell pleasant.

S
In reply to nomisb: It has a horrible smell and sticky feel, and any effectiveness is placebo I suspect.
 Bill Davidson 07 Jul 2010
In reply to dan bailey:
> (In reply to nomisb)

and any effectiveness is placebo I suspect.


Do midges know what a placebo is though...


Doesn't work for me at all

Autan does, for an hour or so
In reply to Bill Davidson: The palcebo effect is very complex and mysterious, and even midges are fooled sometimes.
 bigbobbyking 07 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb:

I find the most annoying thing about midges is the fact that they swarm around you and climb on you. It's not actually the biting that bothers me. So in that respect skin so soft doesn't really help at all, since all it does (as far as I know, although I may be wrong) is stop them biting.
 hokkyokusei 07 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb:
For my sins, I've being going to Scotland in August every year since the mid 90s, and my blood appears to be midge ambrosia. Skin so soft works better than anything else I've used, but it's not perfect. You do have to keep reapplying it, but I've found that a liberal does in the morning and again in the early evening avoids the peak assaults.
 Mita 07 Jul 2010
In reply to darrenlonghorn:
> (In reply to nomisb) Skin so soft works better than anything else I've used, but it's not perfect. You do have to keep reapplying it, but I've found that a liberal does in the morning and again in the early evening avoids the peak assaults.

I agree... I need to get some more as I gave my last bottle to Grumps...
OP nomisb 07 Jul 2010
In reply to all:

I may well give it a go. a)It may work , b) even if it doesn't then at least my skin will be lovely and soft,,


Thanks all!
 Mita 07 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb: You might as well, it's only a couple of quid... Good luck with it...
In reply to nomisb: 'smidge' was on sale in red squirrel campsite - sold out I think? it works better than anything else I've tried, google it
 paco nacho 07 Jul 2010
Best thing that I have used and you can usually get it really cheap about £2 a bottle.
Chris James 07 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb:

My wife is an Avon rep. There is a FAQ section on Skin So Soft in the rep only area.

Basically Avon say that the effect (if any) is because one of the ingredients is citronella.

Skin So Soft is a large range of products. You want the dry oil body spray.
 summitjunkie 07 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb: Works for me. Got attacked by a swarm coming off Derry Cairngorm last year - was as irritated as hell by the little buggers but very gratified that as soon as they landed on the Skin-So-Soft they died before they got to bite... in their thousands! Looked like tea leaves in the water when I finally got to wash.
 Gturner71 07 Jul 2010
I work at an outdor centre and have found it to be the most effective thing for me, however you do have to re-apply it alot throughout the day.
 Smelly Fox 07 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb:
Snake oil would work better...

The only thing that works for me is long sleeves, trousers, head net and DEET.

Enjoy!

Trist
 Offwidth 07 Jul 2010
In reply to Smelly Fox:

DEET is really nasty stuff in so many ways. Skin so Soft Forest Glade spray works for me (and midges love me). Some people complain after using the wrong product, others are annoyed you have to keep applying it (better this for me than skin problems and damage to plastics). You are right that covering up is the best solution.
 joan cooper 07 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb: The American sister company of UK Avon do a product called Avon Skin so soft Bug repellant costituant bug repellant is Picaridin a new chemical that is supposed to be less of a problem than Deet. it is anti mosquito and anti tick also Go to Amazon uk and there search>>>>>Avon skin so soft Bug Repellant>>>>gets you the US company and you can order spray sun screen 30 + the anti bug I have about 6 lots of spray and cream which I use on Skye and I dont get bitten Try it There is a new UK product using the same chemical called SMIDGE which is difficult to find as they sold out .I have posted this several times Has anyone taken up the challenge and got some?
 AlH 07 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb: I've used it on and off working in Lochaber in the last 5 years. It makes you smell like your grannies bedroom but is at least partially effective as a barrier. I haven't noticed any repellant effects but if you apply enough of it the drown in it before they can bite you. If you sweat a lot or your skin absorbs it you need to reapply it. I have found liberal slathering of sun cream almost as effective and have heard of similar consistency compounds (like oliv oil and baby oil) being used in a similar fashion- even a huge amount of chalk has been partially effective.
Al
iceaxe 07 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb:
We use it and it works. You have to apply it liberally and repeat often. The smell is pleasantish - a bit flowery - but we can cope with that
 richparry 07 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb:

I've never used the Avon stuff but know someone who does, and it seems to work for them.

I use a 50/50 mixture of TCP and Detol and it works well. The only side effect being the strong smell, which doesn't wash off very easily. It doesn't make your hands soft either, which I'm certain the Avon stuff would.

 Chris Craggs Global Crag Moderator 07 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb:

The first time I used it was on a particularly grim day on Kinder - I thought it was useless but with hindsight they were so bad I don't think anything would have worked. Used a few times since it seems especially good at keeping mozzies away.
But, it is as greasy as Hell, don't get it on your hands if you are wanting to climb!


Chris
 Sam Mayfield 07 Jul 2010
We have a large bottle of the body oil but at The Orange House, but they dont sell the same stuff anymore and I am not sure if the new stuff has the same effect.

Everyone that used the bottle said it worked but that was on Mossies not midges, its the forest smell one that worked best!

Sam Orange
 middlevern 07 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb: It does work - not for keeping the midges off, but they don't seem to bite with it on in my experience. Thoroughly field tested in the Wiltons over multiple summers.
On a related note, can I just post my heartfelt thanks to the benevolent pyromaniac who burnt Wilton 1 earlier this year. Never has it been such a pleasant place to climb in my experience - July now and barely a midge has been seen. Perhaps we should make it a yearly event.
 Mike C 07 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb:

As Al & others have said it can work, but not as a repellant, rather as an oily surface that drowns the feckers. Olive oil can have a similar effect I'm told. Hence why it needs constant re-application at times.

I'm interested in Smidge as Alison Blackwell (who developed it) has spent a lot of time & effort into the fight against the highland midge.

The best solution is to have someone with you who is particularly attractive to midges, then you are bothered less!
 Solaris 07 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb:

Midges love me but Skin So Soft makes no difference at all. DEET, for all its plastic melting properties, is the only stuff that seems to work for me.
john 284 08 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb:

Don't waste your dosh
 Alun 08 Jul 2010
In reply to Chris James:
> Basically Avon say that the effect (if any) is because one of the ingredients is citronella.

I'm pretty sure I've read that nobody has actually proved that Citronella has any effect on midges or mozzies.

Avon So Soft could only possibly work against midgies because it coats the skin with a layer of oil which the midgies can't penetrate. It's useless against mozzies cos they have a proboscis that can poke through.

The only way to protect yourself properly is to use DEET, nasty stuff but there's plenty of decent scientific evidence that it works (at least against mozzies, though I'll be honest I've never read anything about midgies).
 Sam Mayfield 08 Jul 2010
In reply to Alun:

Hi Alun

SOS DOES work with mossie as I mentioned above(or did a few years ago), and I dont think its because its an oil, Avon put something else in years ago which they never told us about, I read a report on the army website once about it been used overseas but cant find it now.

Sam
 joan cooper 08 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb: Please read my blog above Avon do do a special anti bug repellant new containing a new repellant , same repellant as SMIDGE uses not sold in uk it is more effective than the uk sss please try it buy through Amazon.
In reply to nomisb: Wouldn't catch me with DEET anywhere near my slings or quickdraws.
Watch what Skin So Soft you buy, it has to be the one with citronella, there is a large range and the only one that contains citronella is the squirty bottle with a blue/turquoise label.
 Alun 08 Jul 2010
In reply to Sam Mayfield:
> SOS DOES work with mossie as I mentioned above(or did a few years ago)

Hi Sam,

I'm a scientist. Show me the peer-reviewed paper in a recognised independent journal, and I'll believe you


 Mark Morris 08 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb: www.bitefree.co.uk

It works, has a version you can wash in too.
 Sam Mayfield 08 Jul 2010
In reply to Alun:

you scientist dont always get it right you know :0)

can you find a contents list for what they used to put in the bottle a few years ago? when I looked into it they never gave the whole truth and I always wondered what they really did put in.

I found it was the smell more than the oil that made them leave us alone in Spain.

Sam
 simon geering 08 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb:

Worked for me for a week long trip on skye the other year. As others have said it needs to be used to drown the bliters before they get a chance to bite ya so you do need loads of it on.

Other thing to remember is to watch out for tics up that kneck of the woods as well so full length top and trousers is generally the best option - happy climbing.
 timofy 09 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb:
From the article linked above "In a field trial conducted in Alaska ... unprotected persons received an average of 1188 bites/h"

And i thought scotland was bad!!
blowingbubbles 12 Jul 2010
In reply to nomisb:
> Have just heard from a guy who used it when he lived in Fort Willian that this stuff works - in fact it's the muts nuts.

Bought this stuff whilst at Spiers House - camping. Fantastic

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