There may be actually one thing more annoying than getting bitten by clouds of hungry midges, and that's trying to find a insect repellent that works! I have tried a few over the years, and more recently a few more rather intensively so feel able to offer a little advice, my feelings and findings on the ones I've used. I've used them all in fairly heavy midge concentrations but only used Autan, Smidge and Nordic Summer in work /warm conditions as well ( warm sunny days, wearing chainsaw PPE, chainsaw etc.) West coast of Scotland, in warm days, wet days etc. Sometimes the midges were wating for us as the vans pulled up.. sneaky gits so they are.
All of these contain NO DEET
As with all things, every person is different, and what works for one may not for you, when using for the first time, you may wish to check to see if you will suffer an allergic reaction.
Avon Skin So Soft.
Price: Around £3.00
Ease of use: Very easy to use, simply spray on the area and rub in, or on to hands to apply where you wish.
Effectiveness: I've had very mixed results with Avon, at times it's works brilliantly other times it's been like I've not put it on. Frequent reapplication is required.
Overall:It certainly can work, however if you find it does work for you, you must be very careful when out and about in sunshine as the oils can increase the chances of burning.
Stop Bite
Price: Around £3.00
Ease of use: Very easy, just spray and apply, as above.
Effectiveness: None, in tests in high levels of midges we found that there was no reduction in the number of bites.
Overall:I was really hoping this would work as it's all natural herbs etc. etc. However all it did was make us stink for a while.
Patches.
Price: Varies a lot depending on brand. £1 per patch +
Ease of use: Very simple, peel off backing paper and stick patch to an area of body, just like nicotine or pain relief patches.
Effectiveness: We've tried a couple of different brands, with varying levels of vitamin B, and neither of them had any effect on the number of bites.
Overall: They can work for some people, however if you can try a patch out before you buy a packet it could save you a lot money.
Autan
Price:£2.50 +
Ease of use:Very easy, spray on to skin and rub or on to hands and apply.
Effectiveness:Very Good. When used in 'Midge Central' I've noticed an immediate stop to all bites.
Overall: I like it, it works. However while I'm working getting warm and sweaty it loses effectiveness after about 1 hour and needs re-applying. Sweat running into your eyes will also sting or nip a bit too, so you have to be careful depending on what you are doing.
Smidge That Midge
Price:£7 +
Ease of use: As with all sprays or pumps - very easy.
Effectiveness: Very good. While used in 'Midgey Hell' ( same place as 'Midge Central' different day ) it stopped all bites straight away.
Overall: The active ingredient is the same as the one used in Autan, with a massive price difference, so what's the difference if any? The blurb and PR speak tell us it's got waterproof and sweatproof qualities to it, so if you're working or playing hard, you shouldn't need to reapply it as often. In like for like conditions which were warm, and I was working hard i.e. sweat was certainly an issue.. well I found there to be no difference at all. If anything I'd say Smidge stung my eyes more than Autan, but thats fairly neither here nor there. Reapplications were needed after around a hour or so.
Nordic Summer
Price:£7.00 +
Ease of use:Average, although out of all products it takes the longest to apply. Comes in a tin, and looks like boot polish, smells like a woodland BBQ. Using your fingers rubs some onto all areas you want it on.
Effectiveness:It works. In similar conditions to Autan and Smidge I noticed an immediate lack of midge attacks once it was on.
Overall:I like this one, a lot. In bad midge conditions it stopped them from biting, it didn't run into my eyes while I was working - which was good. It's a little more of a pain to apply - as with all insect repellents - you have to cover all areas of exposed skin, with the pumps or sprays the liquid is much easier to spread about. However in real life it means you take a few minutes extra to apply. The downside to it is that it can make your skin feel waxy for sometime. I suspect make-up remover may be the best way to get it off, as a hot bath and soap didn't remove all the residue.
The Final Verdict
A tough one this, really is. Autan and Smidge work so very similarly - on effectiveness I can't decide between them. On price, it's a no brainer. Nordic Summer, while similar price to Smidge, lasts much longer than both of Autan or Smidge and didn't sting my eyes, but was harder to clean off.
So which one do I pick? I pick Autan AND Nordic Summer. If I was out for a quick walk or hike, Autan would be the one to use, quick and easy, no lasting smells etc. If I'm working or out for a couple of days Nordic Summer is the one to use here, long lasting effects.
All of these contain NO DEET
As with all things, every person is different, and what works for one may not for you, when using for the first time, you may wish to check to see if you will suffer an allergic reaction.
Avon Skin So Soft.
Price: Around £3.00
Ease of use: Very easy to use, simply spray on the area and rub in, or on to hands to apply where you wish.
Effectiveness: I've had very mixed results with Avon, at times it's works brilliantly other times it's been like I've not put it on. Frequent reapplication is required.
Overall:It certainly can work, however if you find it does work for you, you must be very careful when out and about in sunshine as the oils can increase the chances of burning.
Stop Bite
Price: Around £3.00
Ease of use: Very easy, just spray and apply, as above.
Effectiveness: None, in tests in high levels of midges we found that there was no reduction in the number of bites.
Overall:I was really hoping this would work as it's all natural herbs etc. etc. However all it did was make us stink for a while.
Patches.
Price: Varies a lot depending on brand. £1 per patch +
Ease of use: Very simple, peel off backing paper and stick patch to an area of body, just like nicotine or pain relief patches.
Effectiveness: We've tried a couple of different brands, with varying levels of vitamin B, and neither of them had any effect on the number of bites.
Overall: They can work for some people, however if you can try a patch out before you buy a packet it could save you a lot money.
Autan
Price:£2.50 +
Ease of use:Very easy, spray on to skin and rub or on to hands and apply.
Effectiveness:Very Good. When used in 'Midge Central' I've noticed an immediate stop to all bites.
Overall: I like it, it works. However while I'm working getting warm and sweaty it loses effectiveness after about 1 hour and needs re-applying. Sweat running into your eyes will also sting or nip a bit too, so you have to be careful depending on what you are doing.
Smidge That Midge
Price:£7 +
Ease of use: As with all sprays or pumps - very easy.
Effectiveness: Very good. While used in 'Midgey Hell' ( same place as 'Midge Central' different day ) it stopped all bites straight away.
Overall: The active ingredient is the same as the one used in Autan, with a massive price difference, so what's the difference if any? The blurb and PR speak tell us it's got waterproof and sweatproof qualities to it, so if you're working or playing hard, you shouldn't need to reapply it as often. In like for like conditions which were warm, and I was working hard i.e. sweat was certainly an issue.. well I found there to be no difference at all. If anything I'd say Smidge stung my eyes more than Autan, but thats fairly neither here nor there. Reapplications were needed after around a hour or so.
Nordic Summer
Price:£7.00 +
Ease of use:Average, although out of all products it takes the longest to apply. Comes in a tin, and looks like boot polish, smells like a woodland BBQ. Using your fingers rubs some onto all areas you want it on.
Effectiveness:It works. In similar conditions to Autan and Smidge I noticed an immediate lack of midge attacks once it was on.
Overall:I like this one, a lot. In bad midge conditions it stopped them from biting, it didn't run into my eyes while I was working - which was good. It's a little more of a pain to apply - as with all insect repellents - you have to cover all areas of exposed skin, with the pumps or sprays the liquid is much easier to spread about. However in real life it means you take a few minutes extra to apply. The downside to it is that it can make your skin feel waxy for sometime. I suspect make-up remover may be the best way to get it off, as a hot bath and soap didn't remove all the residue.
The Final Verdict
A tough one this, really is. Autan and Smidge work so very similarly - on effectiveness I can't decide between them. On price, it's a no brainer. Nordic Summer, while similar price to Smidge, lasts much longer than both of Autan or Smidge and didn't sting my eyes, but was harder to clean off.
So which one do I pick? I pick Autan AND Nordic Summer. If I was out for a quick walk or hike, Autan would be the one to use, quick and easy, no lasting smells etc. If I'm working or out for a couple of days Nordic Summer is the one to use here, long lasting effects.
