1 Mother 2 Another

I’ve had a couple mommies ask about baby-friendly bug repellant, so here ya go.

When summer came and we began hitting the park twice a day, I didn’t think much about insect repellant. After all, I’d never been one to get a lot of bites myself, so how bad could it be? Still, being the over-researched mommy that I am, I asked our pediatrician about it at our 12-month visit as a “just in case” scenario.

She told me we need to stay away from any chemical bug repellant for a few years still. Anything with Deet or pesticides in it is off-limits, since the chemicals are absorbed through the skin. The best solutions she offered were to either buy a “natural” bug spray, or stay indoors from dawn to dusk and avoid things like camping. Because of where we live, the West Nile Virus is a real possibility and she urged us to not look on mosquito bites as a rite of passage for kids.

I dutifully tucked the information away at the back of my brain, not really thinking I’d ever need to use it. Three nights later we returned from our evening park trip, only to discover four huge new welts on the back of Maddie’s legs. The next day, another one appeared after our morning play time!

Obviously, the mosquitos had discovered Madeleine’s delicious sweetness and declared it Open Season. 

So I hit the internet and thankfully discovered a couple of great products, which we now use religiously. The first is California Baby’s Bug Repellant Lotion. All natural, this lotion smells like citronella and a blend of citrus oils – way better than the Deet smell. It’s totally safe for babies and Maddie loves getting her nightly “massage” before the evening park time.

The second product we bought is California Baby’s SPF 30 Sunscreen + Bug Blend. It’s the same insect-repelling properties, but combined with a sunscreen to make daytime play safer. The water-resistant (though note, not waterproof) formula is perfect for running through the park sprinkler, and since it’s natural you can safely apply it more than once. The sunscreen+bug blend is what we use for Maddie’s morning “massage”.

Does this stuff work? Short of locking Maddie in a room with a family of mosquitoes there’s no way to know for sure, but I can tell you that since we’ve been using these two products Maddie’s only been bitten once, and that was on the face where she has no lotion. So either the critters have decided she’s not so tasty (impossible!), or the stuff’s doing its job.

You can find California Baby products in several larger baby stores, or you can order it online. I order from Our Natural Baby  since their prices are low and I want to support mom and pop stores, but you can find it many places.

So take that family vacation! Go camping in the woods! Just remember that you’re not the only one that likes to nibble on Pumpkin’s legs.

And mommies, if you’ve got other all-natural suggestions – I’ve heard there’s some sort of a noise clip you can attach to kids, and to try garlic – please post here so we can share the wealth!