Thanks to both of you for the advice, unfortunately I would not ever entertain soltan products again, we used the F20 on hubby when we went away at Whit (normally use NoAd 15) and he burnt with the Soltan, it was rubbish. So personally I couldn`t risk it on Katie.

Sanji. As you seem to be well informed on these types of things I wonder if you can help me. My son has just finnished a course of antibiotics for a bad infection from the mossie bites. The infection seems to have cleared up but the bites have started itching again (probs due to this stifling heat that we're having). What can you suggest he puts on them to relieve the itch. Somebody suggested lavendar oil. Do you think this will work or can you suggest something else? Thanks for your help.

If the infecton has cleared up why dont you try calamine lotion. We use this to stop the itches and it does releive it although you have to go about with white blotches on you. We also found this works wonders on prickly heat to stop the itching.

Somebody suggested lavendar oil

Hiya Shirley...that somebody was me. and yes todays weather will irritate any "venom" still around the bite....when I say venom, it is the chemicals in the saliva that I refer too.
Good old fashion calamine lotion.
Ice packs wrapped in a towel.
Lavender oil....also a few drops in a cool/tepid bath
Tea tree oil also because it has anaesthetic and antibacterial properties
Sea salt mixed in water is reported to be very good for itching.
Anti-histamine cream bought from over the counter.
Aloe Vera....in any form
Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply over the bites.
Oh and I nearly forgot...toothpaste but has to be the mint type...not the gel.!

Commonsense tells you to keep away from the eyes and lips.

SanJi x

thank you for all the tips on here. my son is only 4 so i really need to find something that will work for him. i have got the calamine cream (it's mixed with aqueous cream) already packed to put on any bites and he takes piriton for his eczema anyway so that might help.

he's at the dr's on thursday so i'm going to see if they can suggest anything as well. he hates the heat ( remind me why i am going to the canaries in august please? ) and wont be pleased when i get his full length pjs out of the case. he's got chicken pox at the moment and is refusing to wear anything at all.

i'm going to get some SSS this week

madasafishy - we've never had a problem with mossies in the Canaries, I don't think the islands are 'green' enough for mossies. We spent 3 weeks last August in the Canaries; we were in Lanzarote for 2 weeks and had a day over in Fuerteventura, then we had a week in Tenerife with a day over on La Gomera. No bites, and we didn't even take any lotions/sprays etc. La Gomera was greener and 'steamier' than the other islands but we didn't even have a problem there.
Now this year we're off to Turkey in 5 weeks and I'm really worried about mossies So far, I've written down every tip on this thread and my anti-bite shopping list seems to get bigger every day! At this rate I can see us getting charged for excess baggage because of it... Thanks for all those tips guys - keep 'em coming!

thanks for that. my son got bitten so bad in bulgaria that i don't want to take any risks! he's a tootal magnet for t hem, so if there is a single mozzie on the island they will find him

Hi Katiesmum, I'm sorry and surprised to hear that you've not had a good experience with Soltan. I've used it for years because their range for sun sensitive skin is one of the few I can use and have never had a problem. It's kept me safe in both West Africa and the Caribbean in it's time. I guess we all have different skins that different product ranges suit best. Soltan was recommended as one of the best to me by my dermatologist and I've never had cause to regret taking her advice.

SM

SM, we thought as their range is so vast would be a good one to try, and I know they do one with insect repellant in which would have solved all my problems. It could be great for Katie, but I just don`t want to risk it, especially as she will be away from home for 3 days. Think I`ll get some of the mozzie bands, don`t really rate them (tried them on past holidays) but better than nothing.

hi sanji.............need your help if poss.( hope you are keeping well)

anyway, we go on our hols soon and i need to know, am i best making up a mixture of tea tree, lavender,and keeping it in a little squirty bottle, or should i just put the oils on there wrists and ankles?

what about eucalyptus, is that any good at scaring the blighters? i have some in my cupboard!

Hi Karen.
I'm keeping very well thank you.
First of all, I just want to say that I am not a qualified Aromatherapist, I'm just someone who has read a lot of books on the subject and dabble in it daily.
Any advice that I pass on, is in fact what I have read.

Essential oils are very potent, some more than conventional medicines and all should be used with caution, especially on children, people with known allergies and epileptics.
Having got that out of the way .
Oils and water do not mix, and whilst most books say that you can use a few drops in the bath, the oils will naturally form a slick on the surface, therefore it is always a good idea to swish the water around before stepping in or better still mixing the oils with a drop of milk or alcohol if possible.

Oils, sunshine and plastic containers also do not mix, this is why most essential oils are stored in brown glass bottles and will deteriorate rapidly if stored any other way, plus in time the oils will "eat" away at the plastic.

IMO: The best thing to do is take the essential oils in their original bottles and a bottle of carrier oil"¦the essential oils are only in a bottle the size of nail polish, so they will not be taking up any room"¦the carrier oil can be bought in various sizes, depending on your individual needs"¦Sweet almond oil is very cheap and readily available.

You will also need a glass container to mix them, but as you can mix as much/little as you need on a daily basis, and not be storing any left over, then any glass container will do, ideally another glass bottle with a lid is best something about twice the size of a nail polish bottle in which to pour in the carrier oil, then the relevant drops of oil and screw on the lid and give it a good shake.!
If you do want to mix a large quantity to save faffing about, then use a brown glass bottle and store out of the sun.

This mixture can then be applied as an excellent body moisturiser and insect repellent the only drawback, is to give the oils time to be absorbed into the skin before getting dressed, but IMO it beats any aftersun that is on the market.
The advantage is, that you can make the mixture as strong or as weak as you want following the ratio table, and this is good for childrens point of view, but you dont need to apply that much oil that you end up like a walking oil slick.
When you start mixing oils, then you need the knowledge of what oils mix and work with each other, for example, it is no good mixing an oil that has sedative effects with an oil that is a stimulant...they will just counter balance each other out and the effects weakened

For this reason, I would use lavender oil or Citronella on its own, following the 1 drop oil to 1 millilitre rule and the ratio is posted previously for a blend as per my book"¦Also a drop of neat lavender oil on the wrists and ankles, or more can be used on the socks.
Remember though that lavender oil has sedative effects when used sparingly and a drop on your pillow will aid sleep, but use too much and you'll have hyperactive kids and be wide awake .
A few drops on your bedding will also help keep the little things that bite in the night away.

If I could only have one essential oil then without doubt it would be lavender oil its uses are vast, from burns, bumps, wounds, rashes, sunburn, sunstroke, insect repellent, prickly heat, jetlag, infections and relief from headaches plus many more.

Eucalyptus oil is more for the bronchial tubes and muscles"¦like having a cold, chest infection and strained muscles.

Finally, I do believe that "Boots" sell small brown bottles with a dropper, although it may not be the case today, as I bought mine yonks ago....but I`m sure we all have brown glass bottles floating around our homes containing various lotions, potions and the dredge ends of cough medicine.

Note: I said use lavender oil neat on the ankles/wrists. NOT Citronella.
Lavender and Tea tree are the only 2 oils that you can use neat on your skin...even if I repeat myself over and over, time after time....just in case someone doesn`t know that.

Sanji

sanji

Hi,

Got some mozzie bands in Superdrug yesterday £2.99 for 2, decided didn`t want Katie going away with loads of potions and lotions incase she starts her ezcema off. Notice that some of them now have a little deet in them, it says to wear on opposite wrist and ankle and last upto 14 days.
Better than nothing. I believe horseflies give horrible bites with nasty reactions, and it says it works for them as well.

Will let you know how we get on.

Hi just returned from cayo coc cuba and the mossie situation was bad, we took everything with us you could mention but nothing stopped them until the barman told us that after we had showered to cover our bodies in white rum (bacardi) this has no smell and is not sticky you do not even know you have it on, guess what we never got another bite. As you know the bites you do get seem to really itch when you are in bed at night someone gave me some tea tree oil and i put a few drops in with sss dry oil sprayed it all over bites at bedtime and it was only then i got a good nights sleep.

Hi ali47,

interesting theory regarding the use of white rum as a mozzie repelant!

what did you use to apply it?

we go to cuba on aug 1st.

Eifion.

eifion just poured it into our hands and rubbed it in but a little spray bottle would be handy if you are AI they might give you a bottle free as we got a free bottle from our barman.

Mmmmm,
I know a better use for it!

we have done bought 3/4 of a bottle back got to keep in cuba mood only been back 5days.

ali,
Does it still work if you pass it through your kidneys first ??