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Avon’s Skin So Soft This moisturiser was not created as a midge fighter but for some reason, someone realised it works against the beasties. Many people swear by this pleasant smelling body cream as an anti-midge defender. You can buy it online from Avon and many outdoor stores. You bet they do. Midges, like us, find some people irresistible and others to be just a bit meh...Midges base most of their decision on the way you smell and body temperature. IS IT ENOUGH TO PUT PEOPLE OFF GOING TO SCOTLAND IN SUMMER? Due to their tiny jaw-span, midges aren't very adept at biting through clothing. It's a good idea to opt for full-length trousers and long-sleeved tops. Your very own midge trap. Keep materials lightweight and breathable if you're hiking in the summer. Get up high Avon Skin So Soft is a beauty product that has been recommended as a midge repellent for years, which I always thought was an old wives tale until I tried it myself. If you’re ahead of the game and already have some Avon products, then great! All you need to do is keep applying it like you are already, keeping your skin safe while free from itches. If you don’t have any Avon, their products are relatively cheap and easy to find, so what are you waiting for? Get going and keep those pesky mosquitoes away!
Midges are found in the Highlands of Scotland because they like to lay their eggs in wet soil. All the damp moss and rushes in the Highlands, therefore, makes it a paradise for midge egg-laying. Only half of them bite – male midges prefer chilling and eating – but the females need the protein in their blood to help grow her eggs. And that's where you come in. Icaridin works similar to DEET, but its adoption is not as widespread. For example, Canada only allowed the use of icaridin in 2012, a long time after the United States and the United Kingdom did. Scotland’s infamous midges can bring misery to your holiday, especially if you’re not suitably prepared for them. There are an estimated 181 trillion midges in Scotland and for every square metre of ground in the Highlands there could be 250,000 eggs waiting to hatch and go on the hunt for their next meal of tasty human blood.Wet, boggy, sheltered highland areas are the worst possible places for midges in Scotland. Glen Coe, the surroundings of Fort William, Great Glen and Torridon can be very bad. WHEN ARE THE MIDGE FREE MONTHS IN SCOTLAND? Having the right stalking clothing to help keep midges away is a good place to start, but you will still need something to deter them from making a meal out of any exposed flesh left on your body, such as your hands or head. If you've got little ones or are pregnant then it may be best to go with Smidge. Or if you're an 'I don't do chemicals' kinda person then there are completely natural alternatives like citronella. My other half swears by it so I thought I’d give it a go last year and… it actually works. No matter if I sat outside in the evening or walked through the Highlands in the early morning, midges seemed to avoid me whenever I used Avon Skin So Soft. Buzz Off Spray Although it says this repellent is for mosquitoes I have found it to be useful against Scottish midge. It has a very pungent repellent smell on your skin but it's good at midge protection. This is DEET based and you should be aware it can ruin some plastics, such as watchstraps, but it does see off a wide range of insects including midges. It works by deterring insects from landing on the skin. Buy from outdoor stores including Tiso.
Nature’s way There are said to be some natural midge such as essential oils like Eucalyptus, lavender and lemon. The results vary between people although these oils can make you smell rather nice! A brand called Incognito make hair and body wash infused with citronella and tee tree for "natural anti-insect camouflage". Eating Marmite before and during your time near midges is also meant to repel them. We’re not sure about this one. Make friends with bats! A single bat can eat 3,000 midges and other insects in one night. Scotland is famous for it's the weather. One such forecast you don't hear many other places is 'midge weather'. Midge weather is overcast, humid, mild, and still. DOES A MIDGE BITE HURT? There is also some evidence to suggest that 100% doesn't provide significant benefits over 50% so that should be more than enough. 25% strength should offer about 5 hours midge repellent of protection. The midges were biting and in a moment of inspiration, Mary soaked some kitchen roll in lemongrass oil and hung it from their stall. It worked a treat and an idea took seed, leading to the creation of Mary Jean Highland Midge Lotion. If you don't mind chilly temperatures, take a winter adventure to the Highlands and stay bite-free, well maybe not frostbite-free. Long sleeves are your friends
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All you need to do is spray your exposed areas. The spray should last long enough to ward off any potential mosquitoes. If you’re using a non-spray Avon product, you can rub the product over the exposed areas. The Royal Marines are said to swear by its midge-repelling powers when training or based in and around the west coast. Using Avon’s “Bug Guard” is a good solution for a (relatively) cheap repellent that also aids your skin. Regular Avon Skin-So-Soft will work too, but only for a fraction of the time, it seems. Though, it’s better than using other items around your house, such as Listerine. Mozzies are more often found in warm climates and make a distinctive and loud buzzing noise. Scottish midges, on the other hand, are only about 1-3mm, and often grey in colour (unless they've just been guzzling blood, in which case they turn red. Lovely). This is the go-to midge repellent to use in Scotland for several reasons, the first of which is this stuff simply works. I’ve been using Smidge for years and out of all the insect repellents I’ve used it’s the only one I always make sure I’ve got ready to go in my suitcase.
If you're unfamiliar with Scottish dialect, you'd be forgiven for mistaking midges for mosquitos. Both the midge and mosquito bite and draw blood, albeit only female midges are biters. However, mosquitoes are much, much larger than midges. If you want the best protection against midges, Skin So Soft from Avon is the ideal choice. It was originally created as a skin moisturiser, scented with citronella oils. However, outdoor types discovered that as well as keeping skin soft, the product was also highly effective at keeping away midges. Via word of mouth, the news spread about this unexpected benefit and Avon attracted a surprising new set of fans. Ingredients include lemongrass – of course – as well as bog myrtle, aloe vera, jojoba, neem and mango. It is a wholesome product: handmade, organic, palm oil-free, vegan-friendly and non-toxic. Available in a 30ml travel size. Can also be used to deter mosquitoes and horseflies. Avon Skin-So-Soft comes in many different forms, all with varying levels of reliability when it comes to repelling mosquitoes, but there are 3 types that are touted as being good repellents: bath oil, lotion, and bug guard.After a truly mind boggling year it looks as though we're on the right side of this corona madness. And with that our minds inevitably turn to thoughts of our next adventure in the great outdoors. But there's just one thing that can put a bit of a dampener on those seriously epic views found only in the Scottish Highlands. Well, more accurately, a swarm of things. The good news is that those local news stories about how great Avon products are at repelling insects don’t have to be totally wrong anymore! It’s also the cheapest of the bunch, has a manual pump dispenser, and is infused with natural oils so it’s virtually free of chemicals. Smidge keeps midges, mosquitoes, horseflies and other biting critters at bay for up to 8 hours with just one application and it’s also water-resistant, so if you feel the need to go wild swimming you won’t have to re-apply it. That’s me and my trusty bottle of Smidge at the Fairy Pools on Skye.
The recommended product to achieve that goal is Smidge which uses a proven formulation that deters midges while also being safe to use, non-greasy, well-priced, and comes in a tough, easy-to-use container. Verdict: A brilliant product that kept me midge-free. It also helped soothe redness on existing bites.When it comes to the worst one, the bath oil and lotion are tied. Neither one excels at repelling mosquitoes, with both only repelling two types of mosquitoes: Aedes and Culex. 6
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