Pros: Super effective at repelling mosquitoes. I never get bitten when I wear this, and mosquitoes typically love me, so they must really hate this stuff.
Cons: Basically smells like you're rubbing paint thinner/poison all over your body. The toxic smell is scarily bad and would make those people who insist on only wearing the ineffective, all-natural repellent cry. It also has a super oily, slimy, and ultimately dirty feel on your skin, which rivals the smell in overall unpleasantness. Disconcertingly, it numbs your tongue and mouth as well, if you accidentally manage to get it there, i.e. by applying to your face and licking your lips. Seems healthy.
Side note: Mine arrived with a slow leak, and the bottle exterior and packaging were oily and stinky. But I had to take the repellent on a trip to Panama the very next day, so I didn't have time to exchange it. It now has a designated, stinky/oily, Ziploc freezer bag that it travels everywhere in, which is a nice touch. The repellent is effective enough for defects like this to be tolerated, at least in my case.
Conclusion: Loathsome stuff, but it works.
Works great. Just used in Indonesia and Thailand. I think the horror reviews are user errors. You don't need to spray directly on skin or wet yourself with the product. I sprayed about 8 inches away when all dressed... nothing happened to clothes or your skin, and bugs stayed away. I even sprayed it all over hotel room, aroud door, windows, under bed, etc...when i leave the room. No smell when i come back, and no Mosquitoes seen.
My boyfriend and I just stayed three nights / two days in Guadeloupe. I was freaking out over the fact that Zika is prevalent in the country, particularly because I get eaten alive by mosquitoes on the reg and we were going to trek through the jungles. I'm not kidding when I say I attract mosquitoes--I literally got bit in the time it took for us to get off the plane and get our rental car.
I immediately applied the Repel 100 after getting bit that first time and felt immediate relief. My boyfriend and I applied the bug spray probably two or three times every day and there was well over half the bottle left over. I was afraid 1 oz wouldn't be enough, but it was more than sufficient and it really works!
Definitely spray this in a well ventilated area--it's a bit suffocating. I did spray some on my hands to wipe on my face with no issues. Also be careful not to spray too close to clothing, as I accidentally stained one of my blue shirts by spraying it way too close. The spray itself is not sticky at all and sinks in really well. I usually hate hate hate wearing bug spray, but the Repel 100 was a godsend. I highly recommend this if you need a repellent!
I purchased this for my 3.5 trip to Costa Rica which involved a lot of hiking through forest and in itself Costa Rica is a tropical country which naturally has many bugs/insects. During this time while wearing this repellent I didn't get one bug bite!! I even wore shorts and low socks on my hikes and smiled as I watched other tourist go buy with hundreds of bites. For reference, one day after a hike I went back to the room to shower before dinner as usual, but this one day I decided not to reapply because I hate and was so tired of the awful smell and thought to myself "I'll only be out for 2-3 hours. Boy was that a big mistake! Let's just say that night I was on the menu and discovered at least 15 very itchy bug bites. Proof this stuff is excellent at the job it is intended for. Lesson Learned!
Now, why the 4 starts instead of 5? The smell and feel. It is thick, oily, and the smell is toxic. When applying please, please, please step out of your hotel room or home and spray it in the hallway or other open area. You'll be happy to have the fresh air or else you could get slightly dizzy for a minute. Also, when spraying be sure to aim in an area you and others won't walk because since it is oily the floor will turn into a slip and slide and someone is sure to get hurt. Last, try to keep a bit of distance between you and the spray bottle and hopefully the pump sprays it evenly. Most of my shirts had oily spots which was so disappointing. I mean who dresses up for a night out with a spotty oily shirt?
I'm the sort of person that hates mosquitos, but loves the wilderness. Naturally I permethrin all my gear that won't get wet. When I get into the wilderness, when the sun is out or when there is a nice breeze, you might not need much more than 30% DEET.
But when it's still, after a few nights rain, and you're in the wilderness all alone against an army of blood sucking insects, you'll want your (near) 100% DEET. Try not to apply it directly to skin (apply to your hat, your cuffs, etc.) and don't put it on plastics (watch out for your watch band, sun glasses, etc) as it will eat them a little, and you'll be a happier person.
For those worried about health effects of DEET, please recognize that there are also health effects of mosquito born illnesses. Concentrated DEET in areas where mosquitos are oppressive IS part of practicing sensible health decisions. If you go into the boundary waters in the fall without DEET and with your "natural" bug spray, you're going to have a bad time....
100% would recommend, pump bottle is small enough to pack, but large enough to last a good week or two long trip for two with ease.
Feature Product
- REPELS: Create a barrier against mosquitoes, including those that may transmit the Zika, West Nile, Dengue and Chikungunya viruses, ticks, gnats, biting flies, chiggers and fleas.
- FORMULATED FOR SEVERE INSECT CONDITIONS: Contains 98.11% DEET for protection in heavily infested conditions.
- PROTECTS FOR UP TO 10 HOURS: Enjoy the outdoors without the bite - provides long-lasting protection, so you don't have to limit your adventure because of bugs.
- ALSO REPELS TICKS, GNATS, BITING FLIES, CHIGGERS & FLEAS: Create a barrier against annoying bugs that can spoil the outdoors.
- TRAVEL-SIZE PUMP SPRAY: This 1-ounce, flip-cap bottle is perfect for outdoor travel - the compact size stores perfectly with whatever adventure gear you're taking that day.
Description
Outdoor enthusiasts know that when the going gets tough, so should their insect repellent. However extreme the activity or terrain, there's a Repel insect repellent designed to offer dependable coverage that lasts as long as you need it to. Repel products make effective mosquito protection simple under any circumstance—so you can heed the call of the wild wherever the trail takes you. Repel 100 Insect Repellent provides you with up to 10 hours of protection. Spending a long time outdoors can be refreshing, but mosquitoes can bring that to a halt. This convenient 1 ounce travel-size pump spray can be easily stored with whatever gear your adventure requires. Formulated for severe insect conditions, Repel 100 Insect Repellent contains 98.11% DEET. Repel mosquitoes that may transmit the Zika, West Nile, Dengue and Chikungunya viruses, as well as ticks, gnats, biting flies, chiggers and fleas. Extreme conditions call for strong protection. Make Repel 100 Insect Repellent your bug spray essential. DEET has been used as an insect repellent in the United States for more than 50 years. It’s recommended for those spending longer periods of time outdoors, in more heavily infested conditions. Recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for effective, long-lasting protection against mosquitoes, DEET is also an effective repellent for ticks. DEET-based products are available in a wide variety of Repel formulas, including aerosols, sprays and wipes.
Ok. It tells you on the bottle that you shouldnt use it on anything plastic. It will eat it somewhat. Try not to use it on you face if you have sensitive skin. After application WASH YOUR HANDS. It will takes the print of your camera buttons, and if you use the bathroom guys it will make your junk heat up. Girls I wouldn't chance it. That being said I was in Africa on Safari and everyone in the truck around me was getting bit by tsetse flies and mosquitoes. I shared this during lunch and not another bite for anyone the rest of the day. It works like nothing I have used before. All in all I spent a week in mosquitoe country and got one bite when I went 12 hours between applications.
It stinks. It'll take your breath away if you even think about inhaling without first taking several steps out of the "application zone" first.
But honestly ... THIS STUFF WORKS. I am one of those unfortunate ones that 'skeeters seem to see as a buffet or something.
But a couple sprays of this stuff keeps the pests away all day/evening.
If my husband and I just go sit on our deck in the evenings, I just spray this stuff on the cushions of the chairs, sit back, and relax. Nothing comes buzzing nor flying around looking for a quick bite. Like ... NOTHING.
We have an abundance of Black Flies this year that bite. Their favorite "feasting area" seems to be the back of the neck. Especially on girls with ponytails. Just a few quick pumps of this stuff allows me to work in the garden and in the yard all day long without being gnawed on by various biting pests. I havent had to pull the Caladryl lotion or Benadryl topical antihistamine out at all this year!!!
I'd give this product 100+ Stars if I could. Oh ... and this is my 3rd purchase of Repel 100. This is the first purchase of these little "on the go" pumps which are perfect for having around all over the place!!!
I have a way above average sensitivity to mosquito bites and that combined with being a mosquito magnet means that I will do anything to avoid getting bit. Since mosquito hours along the Gulf Coast can be around the clock for mosquito attractive people, there is no avoiding the problem for anyone that has to be outdoors. The high concentration of DEET in this spray means that it really does repel mosquitoes as well as a lot of other pests but there are trade-offs.
I find that this spray does tend to burn my skin so I spray my clothes with it before getting dressed. I actually take the clothes into my shower stall to spray them so that I don’t have to worry about drops of spray getting near my little dogs. I keep a heavily sprayed set of cover up clothes set aside for dog walking ,etc. which I can quickly slip into before venturing outdoors, particularly when the sun starts to shine after a period of heavy rain. The spray does reek so I don’t want to wear the clothes any longer than necessary. For exposed areas of my skin, I use the Repel lotion with 40% DEET.
I have tried other sprays that contain Picaridin or smaller amounts of DEET along with ingredients that are supposed to give a light and clean feel or a fresh scent and find that they really don’t work for me when up against hungry mosquitoes. I’ll stick with the DEET heavy Repel from now on since it really works.
The product itself works great. I used this in Florida a few months ago when they were having a bumper mosquito crop, and I was the only one in our group that didn't get bitten.
That said, you need to be very careful with this stuff. The sprayer isn't all that great and it's hard to get it applied to places like the back of your legs because the sprayer only works when the bottle is oriented straight up. Also, a little leaks around the sprayer, so you can end up with it on your hands.
Whatever you do though do not touch your eyes with your hands if they have some on them, or let the spray get near your eyes! I was spraying my legs one morning and of course was kind of bent over a little watching where it went, when a sudden gust of wind came up and blew a tiny bit of the spray into the corner of one of my eyes. I went inside and flushed out my eye with water, but it still burned a little for a while. A couple of days later that corner of the eye swelled up and got infected and I had to go to an urgent care place, where the doc said that I had an infected tear duct, likely due to the spray plugging it. She cleaned out my eye and gave me antibiotics. From then on I made sure I had my sunglasses on when I sprayed it on the rest of me, just in case.
Being Asian, I was taught to hate 2 evil things at a very young age: the sun and mosquitoes. My tiger mom has told me never to let my skin get dark or have red welts. It is very unbecoming for a lady, she said. Never mind that I was in kindergarten when she said this.
After marrying an American (years after kindergarten), I was introduced to the concept of "outdoors" and "camping." Not beach camping and sleeping under the stars because you got too drunk to go back to your tent, but actual camping under the canopy of trees... and insects. Of course, I didn't neglect my mother's words of wisdom. I armed myself with this product, an insect repellent treatment for the tent and a dozen bottles of sunscreen the first time I ventured outdoors.
This product came in handy when I heard the telltale buzz of a mosquito inside the tent. I sprayed the spawn of Satan with Repel 100 and saved me and my husband from certain death. I know I did my mother proud.
I highly recommend the company to add a "tiger mom approved" seal to their bottle.
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