Best Soap for repelling Insects

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TeeDee

Full Member
Nov 6, 2008
10,446
3,650
50
Exeter
I can 100% vouch for that, spent a week roughing it on a caye off Belize. Mate and I were pretty much bathing in skin so soft, sand flies didn’t touch us. A lot of the other lads were eaten alive. It was way more effective than Deet.

The stink of cheap rum coming off us might have helped too. :badger:

Images of THAT Volleyball scene from Top Gun run through my mind...

:)
 

Fadcode

Full Member
Feb 13, 2016
2,857
894
Cornwall
Don't know about insects, but pests yes, the best soap to get rid of pests has to be Eastenders, because when thats on , my missus leaves me alone
 

Wayland

Hárbarðr
I make my own bug dope with an equal mix of Beck Oil, Citronella Oil, Eucalyptus Oil and Tea Tree Oil. Works well for me.

Something I discovered a while ago was that sealing any bites I did get pretty much takes the itch away as an after treatment.

I use a useful product made by Germalene called "New Skin" for the job.

I keep a bottle in my FAK for treating blisters and small cuts so I've usually got it on hand. Very useful stuff.
 

Wayland

Hárbarðr
I think you will find it useful for all sorts of things.

Very good for sealing up those annoying little paper cuts that catch on everything. Great for blisters although it stings when you first apply it. I found the bite sealing trick while trying to treat chigger bites which itch like crazy but it seems to work on most itchy bites.
 
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Danqrl

Tenderfoot
Jan 14, 2021
51
25
43
Derbyshire
I heard a rumour that they changed the recipe so it’s not too good now. Anyone know if that’s true?
My wife bought me some Avon skin so soft about 2 weeks ago after she had read about its effectiveness for repelling bitey insects. I used it with my daughter out in our local woods for a few hours and we got bit to pieces lol. I cant say if the recipe has changed but i can say for me on that occasion it didnt do anything to repel the bitey things. I could have just been unlucky though?
 
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Minotaur

Native
Apr 27, 2005
1,600
232
Birmingham
I wonder why no one uses Elder in some form as it is the UK tree I was always told to use.
I have just seen an article recommending Lavender oil which sounds insane to me. You would be bee and wasp candy.
 

JonathanD

Ophiological Genius
Sep 3, 2004
12,809
1,479
Stourton,UK
Lavender has insect repellant qualities. It’s been used for eons to protect clothes from moths. It’s a variety of factors that attract bees to lavender flowers. The smell alone from the oils won’t attract them.
 

henchy3rd

Settler
Apr 16, 2012
611
423
Derby
Pine tar soap, only thing is it smells of.. well, tar
You’ll get a funny look from your mates when a bottle of skin so soft falls out of your rucksack, but I can say it does work.. can’t remember if it’s the blue or pink one that works best?
 

fingertrouble

Tenderfoot
Sep 6, 2021
65
44
51
London, UK
Lemon Eucalpytus Oil OLE aka PMD seems to repel them - not 100% (the only 100% is DEET but as others have said, it is very bad stuff unless you are going to the jungle/malarial areas, I'd avoid) but they don't like it, I add it to my suncream and it smells nice AND pisses most biteys off...I had other issues when camping over the last few weeks with blundering into plants that caused nasty rashes (poison ivy? Does that exist in the UK?) but never got bitten. I also have eczema so DEET is like kryptonite to my skin, causes crawlies and lots of scratching.

There are alternative sprays you can get at Boots/Superdrug that don't have DEET - PMD which is based off OLE.

Not tried Skin So Soft but heard it doesn't work anymore, they changed the formula. Will try Pine and Tar soap.
 
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