Take In The Sun … Without The Bite!
Barbeque? Lit.
Glam shades? Rocked.
An ice-cold pitcher of lemonade (or something stronger…)? Empty.
It’s Memorial Day, which means summer is just around the corner, and it’s finally time to light up the grill, break out that surf board, and catch those sweet summer rays!
But with the unofficial start of summer about to begin, many are forgetting the often overlooked danger of going outside – bugs.
Neglecting these irritating insects can lead to bites and rashes that take weeks to heal, and, in some cases, potentially deadly diseases with side effects that will keep you sidelined well into summer.
In this blog we’ll cover the basics of fending off those pesky summer insects, and how to make this Memorial Day weekend one you won’t ever forget!
WHAT IS BUG SPRAY?
Bugs are drawn to you, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Blood-sucking insects like mosquitos and ticks rely on their strong sense of smell to detect the lactic acid and carbon dioxide you naturally exude as a human being. (1)
But there is one way to trick them... bug spray.
HOW IT WORKS
Bug sprays work by making the wearer unattractive or invisible to insects, depending on the ingredients in the spray.
The CDC goes one step further, recommending the use of bug spray on our bodies AND clothes as the best protection against the spread of insect-related disease, designating bug spray as more effective than antimalarial and similar drugs. (2)
WHY IT MATTERS
The Smithsonian Institute found there are 200 million insects for each human on the planet. (3) Sounds like a lot, right?
Well, it is.
And that’s a problem because bugs carry disease.
Statistics show insect-carrying diseases like lyme disease, malaria, Zika, West Nile, and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) are climbing at an alarming rate.
In fact, cases of EEE, which is fatal in 30-50% of reported cases, were twelve times higher in 2019 than in the previous four years combined. (4)
Even less fatal, vector-borne diseases from blood-sucking insects like ticks and mosquitos, such as lyme disease and malaria, are seeing an uptick in cases, with triple the infections in 2016 than in 2014. (5)
And given the times, these diseases are more dangerous than ever.
Many of these insect-carrying diseases cause the same symptoms as COVID-19, including fevers, aches, fatigue, sore throat, rashes, headaches, and blood count disruptions, confusing the health care system and causing undo worry and stress on victims.
Dr. Todd Ellerin, a doctor of infectious disease at South Shore Hospital, says we need to take the same precautions we’ve taken to prevent COVID-19 in order to prevent bug-related illness. “Masks and social distancing will do nothing to protect you from what ticks and mosquitos naturally carry,” he says. (6)
Applying bug spray is the only way to do it.
SO WHICH ONE IS BEST?
You’re at the store or online, and you see hundreds of bug sprays promising to protect you. But when you look more closely, you see that about half of these bug sprays contain confusing chemicals like DEET, cyfluthrin, permethrin, and pyrethroids to help keep bugs at bay. (7)
But here’s the problem with this…
These chemicals do more harm than good.
Studies show common chemicals in bug spray have been liked to a variety of dangerous ailments, including cancer, neurological disorders, endocrine problems, and itchy rashes and blisters. (8)
As a result, 25 percent of Americans say they avoid DEET at all costs. (9)
So how do you get the benefits of bug spray without all the risk?
GO CHEMICAL FREE!
Garner’s Garden All-Natural DEET Free Bug Spray is DEET and chemical-free. Instead, it uses powerful natural oils like citronella, tea tree, eucalyptus, lemongrass, and peppermint to repel those troublesome bugs humanely, all the while providing antifungal and antibacterial properties to keep your skin looking healthier longer.
Also pair our All-Natural DEET Free Bug Spray with our All-Natural DEET Free Bug Repellent Oil for DOUBLE the protection day and night, so you can enjoy the outdoors bug-free all summer!
AND REMEMBER …
Once the sun goes down this Memorial Day weekend, or it’s time to come in from the heat, the CDC recommends people wash off insect repellant immediately with body soap and water.
Using a chemical-free body soap, like Garner’s Garden All-Natural Mango Papaya Soap and Summer Sage Soap, will replenish the moisture you lose from spending the day out in the sun, and leave your skin looking naturally radiant and rich for every tomorrow this season!
Also pair our All-Natural DEET Free Bug Spray, All-Natural DEET Free Bug Repellent Oil, and our All-Natural Lemongrass Organic Body Wash in our Natural Bug Repellent Package!
Garner’s Garden products use raw and unrefined ingredients, and are safe on babies, animals, and all skin types, which will leave you bug free, glowing, and ready to enjoy all that summer has to offer this season!
Click HERE to see all the natural products Garner’s Garden offers, designed to keep you enjoying the sunshine with your skin out all summer long!
Source: Garner's Garden Instagram
Sources:
https://www.hunker.com/12196421/how-do-bug-sprays-work
https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/resources/pdf/fsp/Repellents_2015.pdf
http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmnh/buginfo/bugnos.htm
https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2019/08/27/understanding-the-threat-of-eee
https://pestdefense.com/vector-borne-diseases-climbing-u-s/
https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2019/08/27/understanding-the-threat-of-eee
https://www.madesafe.org/education/chemicals-bug-repellent/
https://www.livescience.com/6687-bug-spray-dangerous.html 3.
https://www.consumerreports.org/insect-repellent/how-safe-is-deet-insect-repellent-safety/