When it comes to avoiding bug bites, we have two options: stay inside or apply insect repellent. The former isn’t realistic and the latter comes with a plethora of negatives ranging from annoying (greasy, smelly repellents are “yucky”) to down-right dangerous (many, if not most, repellents use the effective, yet toxic chemical DEET).
Fortunately, I’ve found a repellent that addresses these issues and more — Proven. According to the company, the founders were frustrated by the available insect repellent options: either toxic DEET-based or ineffective natural repellents. They didn’t want to choose between the risk of disease and the risk of putting harmful chemicals on their bodies, especially their children’s.
Proven is DEET-free and offers both a spray and lotion and use Picaridin (20%) as their active ingredient. Whoa … another chemical? What’s this one? I checked with the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) and they said, “Picaridin repels insects, ticks and chiggers. It is a synthetic compound first made in the 1980s. It was made to resemble the natural compound piperine, which is found in the group of plants that are used to produce black pepper. Picaridin has been widely used as an insect repellent in Europe and Australia, but has only been available in the United States since 2005.”
Researchers have studied Picaridin and determined that it does not increase the chances of cancer and children are no more sensitive to it than adults … both very reassuring bits of information. Proven is safe for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and for children and babies older than 2 months.
Proven uses Saltidin, a patented ingredient, which is recommended by the EPA, CDC and the World Health Organization.
Now that we know it’s safe, let’s look at what we’re repelling … mosquitoes, ticks, black flies, biting flies, stable flies, gnats, chiggers, sand flies and No-see-ums (biting midges). According to the company, Proven is an effective protection from mosquitoes that may transmit Zika, Dengue, West Nile Virus, and Chikungunya, and ticks carrying Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis.
On the practical side, Proven is smooth and non-greasy, and enriched with Aloe Vera. Not only will you be able to effectively grip the golf club after applying, but your hands will come away feeling soft and supple.
Both the spray and lotion are available in odorless and “gentle scent.” The gender-neutral scent has a light hint of rosemary, coriander and lavender, while the Odorless is perfect for people who are scent sensitive or want to combine Proven with their own fragrance or for people who want to be outdoors surrounded by only nature’s scent.
Aside from the obvious application methods, there are a couple differences between the spray and lotion. For one, the lotion protects up to 14 hours, while the spray offers 12 hours of protection. Also, the lotion is preferred for face application.
Made in the United States by EPA-approved factories, prices for Proven range from $7.95 to $12.95. Log onto www.provenrepellent.com to learn more.
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