Enter BugBand Insect Repellent! One of the best-selling naturally-derived insect repellents in the US, BugBand uses Geraniol, a natural essential oil derived from geraniums, to repel a wide variety of bugs including mosquitoes, house flies, stable flies, horn flies, cockroaches, fire ants, fleas, gnats, dog ticks, lone star ticks, and no-see-ums.
DEET, a synthetic, manufactured chemical found in many insect repellents, is considered a pesticide when formulated with any ingredient (even water) by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and is a very good solvent that can melt or cause damage to plastic, like sunglasses, rubber and paint, like the paint job on your car! I don't know if that's something I want in contact with my skin! On the other hand Geraniol is a biodegradable ingredient that is safe to use and safe for the environment with no known toxicity to animals or wildlife.
Because BugBand uses Geraniol instead of DEET, they are safe for the whole family including, children, babies and even pets. They come in many forms and strengths so you can choose just the right one for you and your family.
I was sent a variety of BugBand products to try out with my family. On first opening the box, I was impressed with the smell. No harsh, chemical odor, just a natural, light, almost citrus-y smell. Then on to figuring out which product to use first - the wristbands, spray lotion, towelettes or bead bag?
With 3 people in our family, we tried them all at once! We headed out for a hike one day and my husband gave the spray lotion a try. We used the towelettes on our son and I opted for a wristband. We carried the bead bag along with us to set out by our picnic area.
I tend to be a bug magnet. I can be outside with a group and I'll be the only one covered in mosquito bites when we're done. But now I've found an easy, safe solution with Bugband! We hiked for several hours and we saw bugs, but we weren't bothered by them. We sat down for our lunch, and again, there were insects in the area but they steered clear of us. I'm in love!
The other great thing about the BugBand products is how long-lasting they are. My husband and son were both fine with just one application of the spray and towelette. And my wristband is reusable for up to 120 hours! A family 4-pack of wristbands is only $14.95. That's a great price for that much protection!
You can order BugBand products online or you can find them locally at Wal-Mart, Target, Whole Foods and Home Depot. To learn more about these great products and their other uses (some people attach the wristbands to their dog's collars to keep away fleas and ticks!), check out their website.
Disclosure: I was sent BugBand Insect Repellent products in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
