TOXICS INFORMATION PROJECT (TIP)

(Lighting the Way to Less Toxic Living)

LIBERTY GOODWIN, DIRECTOR

P.O. Box 40572, Providence, RI 02940

Tel. 401-351-9193, E-Mail: TIP@toxicsinfo.org

WEBSITE:  www.toxicsinfo.org

 

LAST MINUTE FRAGRANCE-FREE BUG REPELLENT

SUGGESTIONS FROM TIP’S “CANARIES” LIST:

 

Subject  Re: Quandary - Bug Repellent for A Fragrance-Free Conference  

 

Hi Liberty,

 

I highly recommend my favorite bug repellent, Bite Away, which is available from www.gaiam.com.  It is GREAT and has ZERO fragrance.  It is made from, as I recall, soybean oil.  It actually works.  It has no DEET or any other pesticides.  It has no scented essential oils.  The only down side is that it goes on rather oily, but that's a small price to pay for a chemical-free situation.  One bottle lasts a long time, so though it's probably more expensive than typical bug spray, if you could find a good way to spread out that bottle it would work for a very large number of people.

 

I know others have this problem.  This is the best solution I have found so far.  I live in a very bug-heavy area and my PCAs have also worn it while working outdoors here, and they have commented on how effective it is.

 

Here's a link:

http://www.gaiam.com/retail/product/16-9104_MSTR

 

Bite Away™ Insect Repellent  

 

Why let mosquitoes rob your enjoyment of outdoor activities? Safeguard your entire family, including pets, this summer with nontoxic Bite Away™ Insect Repellent. Made from purified water, citrus concentrate and other food-grade ingredients, this SCENT-FREE FORMULA protects for up to four hours without irritation. Over 95% effective on black flies, ticks, chiggers, no-see-ums and gnats. USA.

 

Choose from the following:

• Bite Away for Humans (one 16-oz. bottle,

and one 2-oz. bottle FREE)

• Bite Away for Pets (one 32-oz. bottle)

 

Product available and ready to ship.

 

ORDER FROM ALONOVO.COM AND LET YOUR PURCHASE BENEFIT TIP:

Go to:  www.alonovo.com/community/affiliate/98   Select Outdoor Living in the Search engine, then Bite Away Insect Repellent.

CONTACTING GAIAM:  www.gaiam.com/retail/gai_content/shop/gai_ContactUs.asp

Or you may call them toll-free at 877-989-6321.  FULL INFO ABOUT SHIPPING RATES IS AT:

www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/shipping.html/103-8204142-7927862?ie=UTF8&seller=A3SZ3O2D0YQKWZ

 

REMARKS FROM ANOTHER “CANARY”

 

----- Original message -----

 

To: liberty@toxicsinfo.org

Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 20:46:21 -0700 (PDT)

Subject: Repellent issue

 

The use of DEET by any attendees will be very toxic to anyone in their vicinity with more devastating results than fragrances cause.  There is no way anyone with sensitivities can be in the vicinity of someone using this pesticide. People think repellent means something that discourages bugs from coming over, but DEET is a real pesticide which kills bugs and is used on people's skins at concentrations of thirty percent for adults or ten to fifteen percent in children.  DEET has been known to cause death and brain damage to people. 

 

Healthy people are also resistant to insect born infections while persons weakened from the effects of neurotoxins will be most vulnerable.  The organization must require people to shower that off before rejoining the group. 

 

Non Deet products like Avon skin so soft or other forms are scented but not registered poisons known to be neurotoxic.  Also, no one should be burning citronella since it is an aldehyde (as in formaldehyde) and therefore toxic.

  

  Optimally, outdoor use of a trap which emits carbon dioxide (that is

  what draws the skeeters to people, our exhaled air high in CO2) will

  draw all of them to that unoccupied corner of the property.

  

  For personal use, yes, taking large doses of B vitamins leads to

  excretion of the excess through the skin and it tastes bad to bugs of

  many types.  But many already CI persons don't do well with B vitamins

  and niacin in large amounts is toxic to many people.

  

  Plain cotton netting is good to put over open doorways and around beds

  (untreated).  Dusk and dawn outings should be curtailed as the prime

  time of mosquito activity. 

  

  For other suggestions, try www.thebestcontrol.com  .

 

NOTE ON SHAKLEE BASIC H FROM TIP DIRECTOR LIBERTY GOODWIN: 

Insect repellent has turned out to be the toughest thing to find in a fragrance-free formula.  There is a great deal of word-of-mouth endorsement of the off-label use of Shaklee Basic H as a bug repellent - many swear by it.  However, it is not registered for that purpose (although even a few Shaklee distributors mention it).  We will have some Basic H at the Access Table, for those interested in trying it for its variety of uses (officially a cleaner).  You can get it from a local Shaklee dealer rather quickly, if inclined.