Skin so Soft

iampatman

iampatman

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Hi all,
I'm looking to stock up on Skin so Soft as recommended on these forums. Lass at work has brought in her Avon catalogue but there are two types; Moisture replenishing with Argon oil & Vitamin E or Original with Jojoba oil. Which one should I buy?
Cheers,
Pat
 
Don't bother with Skin So Soft, the active ingredient is Citronella (and placebo effect due to the mystical powers this stuff allegedly has).

Save yourself a load of dosh and get yourself a bottle of Citronella oil for about £2 from a health food shop, and put about 15 drops into your bottle of shampoo, shower gel, sun cream, after sun, and a cheap body lotion. Also put about 5 drops into bath water, and into the fabric conditioner tray in the washing machine. Mix about 15 drops with some water in a spray jar and spray curtains, carpet and other fabrics in your van.

When midges are bad, rub a few drops of neat oil into your hair, and make up a stronger body lotion mix for your skin.

You and your van will smell like a lemon but I'd put money on it keeping the insects away.

Also safe for use on dogs btw.
 
whitevanwoman said:
Don't bother with Skin So Soft, the active ingredient is Citronella (and placebo effect due to the mystical powers this stuff allegedly has).

Save yourself a load of dosh and get yourself a bottle of Citronella oil for about £2 from a health food shop, and put about 15 drops into your bottle of shampoo, shower gel, sun cream, after sun, and a cheap body lotion. Also put about 5 drops into bath water, and into the fabric conditioner tray in the washing machine. Mix about 15 drops with some water in a spray jar and spray curtains, carpet and other fabrics in your van.

When midges are bad, rub a few drops of neat oil into your hair, and make up a stronger body lotion mix for your skin.

You and your van will smell like a lemon but I'd put money on it keeping the insects away.

Also safe for use on dogs btw.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. Does it work on clegs? One of those buggers bit me a fortnight ago in the Lake District, hand ended up like a bunch of bananas. Anti-hystemines were the cure, could do with a deterrent 'cos we're going back this weekend. Got bitten twice when we lived in Bowness, they're horrible things.
 
iampatman said:
Thanks for that. Does it work on clegs? One of those buggers bit me a fortnight ago in the Lake District, hand ended up like a bunch of bananas. Anti-hystemines were the cure, could do with a deterrent 'cos we're going back this weekend. Got bitten twice when we lived in Bowness, they're horrible things.
Click to expand...

I got a horse fly bite, still itching 2 weeks later. I'm permanently on antihistamines for something else and that definitely helps, also a antihistamine cream every hour or so.

When I got bit, I only got 1 horse fly bite and was in bikini for several days at the beach - my neighbour had been bitten several times, so can't be sure the Citronella oil helped but I think it did.

Try googling it.

Tea tree oil is also a very good insect repellent and it could be added to the citronella. Tea tree is also antiseptic so will help prevent any bites getting infected. And Lavender oil is a very good anti itching and anti inflammatory treatment. All these are only about £2-3 per bottle so even a bottle each of all 3 oils would work out cheaper than other products, and would probably last much longer.
 
The Avon skin so soft original did apparently work, but this year I read somewhere they have revised the formula so the jury is out.

The Avon ladies at Faslane must be weeping in their tea ( Martin ? )

WVW is offering excellent advice though in respect of Citronella and the best way to make it work for you ....If I didnt know better, I would say only ex services would know that, but I never saw many women in bikinis, the odd bloke but we shot them!!!......twice on occasions just to make sure.

Channa
 
all you need is camomile

whitevanwoman said:
I got a horse fly bite, still itching 2 weeks later. I'm permanently on antihistamines for something else and that definitely helps, also a antihistamine cream every hour or so.

When I got bit, I only got 1 horse fly bite and was in bikini for several days at the beach - my neighbour had been bitten several times, so can't be sure the Citronella oil helped but I think it did.

Try googling it.

Tea tree oil is also a very good insect repellent and it could be added to the citronella. Tea tree is also antiseptic so will help prevent any bites getting infected. And Lavender oil is a very good anti itching and anti inflammatory treatment. All these are only about £2-3 per bottle so even a bottle each of all 3 oils would work out cheaper than other products, and would probably last much longer.
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to stop ll itching of insect bites all you need is camomile lotion, works a treat and is instant. to repel, citronella doesnt work unless in a confineed space, those outside candles arent much help and can cost a bpmb, try burning teatree and citronella in an oil burner much more effective. as for the lotions with it in to repel some work some dont literlly depends on your skin type
 
I saw some tv consumer investigation programme such as watchdog a couple of years ago - they had done scientific tests etc with Skin So Soft to find out what it was which seemed to make it work. Citronella (an ingredient in the original Woodland Fresh version) was the only proven ingredient to have any effective insect repellent action. They did say that they couldn't rule out that the effect could be the result of mixing two or more ingredients to have a previously unknown side effect and that Avon were undertaking tests to this effect.

I'm sure if you hunt around google you'll find some article about the above tests. I seem to think I read something about it on the Avon website but this was a few years ago.

In my experience the army issue insect repellent which bleaches the collar of your shirt and burns holes in map cases is the best stuff I've ever used but I'm guessing it contains all kinds of horrendous chemicals.

As a natural product, both Citronella and Tea Tree are proved to be effective, maybe not as effective as chemicals but certainly as effective if not more so than Skin So Soft. It's up to you to test and try what's best for you, for me the oils work a treat, are cheap, easy to get hold of, take up no space in the van, bag etc.

Chamomile lotion is good too, same effect as lavender but has the disadvantage of leaving white blotches all over you, depends if that bothers you or not. Lavender oil is a smaller bottle too though ;) and has loads of other uses.

Channa - covert OP, that's why you never saw us :lol-053:
 
whitevanwoman said:
Channa - covert OP, that's why you never saw us :lol-053:
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With a nose the size of mine, My combined Air cadet, and Chindit training, and my heightend senses to personnel in bikinis ( especially the blokes )
I'd have seen yer......

Channa
 
Somebody on the forum recently recommended something called SMIDGE. Don't know if anyone has tried it?
 
carol said:
Somebody on the forum recently recommended something called SMIDGE. Don't know if anyone has tried it?
Click to expand...

I bought some Smidge and put it on after I'd been bitten!!! Effective but expensive, looking for a cheaper alternative. WVW's suggestions look good so I'm off to buy some oils tomorrow and a cheap tub of body lotion :)
 
Midge Repellant

We have used crushed bog myrtle leaves in our motorhome to deter midges. It smells quite nice and the best thing it is free. Can be found growing in boggy areas as the name suggests.
 
How to repel Clegs

Never fails...

nbc (158)(2).jpg
 
Some interesting info about natural insect repellent herbs and plants here Natural Insect Repellents

Which? guide to insect repellents Types of insect repellents - Insect repellents - Archive - Which? Home & garden

Avon statement on their website with regards to Skin So Soft
"I have heard you can use Skin So Soft as an insect repellent is it true?
We have had reports from Representatives and their customers that Avon Skin So Soft Soft & Fresh (originally Woodland Fresh) fragrance Bath Oil and Dry Body Spray acts as an effective insect repellent. Our Quality Control Department advise that it is the aroma of the product that has this effect. Citronella is in the perfume and as fragrance oils are 'propriety compositions' and the property of the vendor, due to vendor confidentiality, we list this ingredient as Parfum. However this product is marketed and sold by us as a bath preparation only. We would not recommend any Skin So Soft product for any other use. Skin So Soft products in any other fragrance do not contain the same ingredients as Soft & Fresh. "


So it seems that if you eat plenty of Marmite and Garlic, drink nettle tea, douse yourself in citronella and lavender, treat the bites with vinegar and tea tree and chamomile, that should keep the midges away although it'll probably keep most humans away too :D
 
whitevanwoman said:
Some interesting info about natural insect repellent herbs and plants here Natural Insect Repellents

Which? guide to insect repellents Types of insect repellents - Insect repellents - Archive - Which? Home & garden

Avon statement on their website with regards to Skin So Soft
"I have heard you can use Skin So Soft as an insect repellent is it true?
We have had reports from Representatives and their customers that Avon Skin So Soft Soft & Fresh (originally Woodland Fresh) fragrance Bath Oil and Dry Body Spray acts as an effective insect repellent. Our Quality Control Department advise that it is the aroma of the product that has this effect. Citronella is in the perfume and as fragrance oils are 'propriety compositions' and the property of the vendor, due to vendor confidentiality, we list this ingredient as Parfum. However this product is marketed and sold by us as a bath preparation only. We would not recommend any Skin So Soft product for any other use. Skin So Soft products in any other fragrance do not contain the same ingredients as Soft & Fresh. "


So it seems that if you eat plenty of Marmite and Garlic, drink nettle tea, douse yourself in citronella and lavender, treat the bites with vinegar and tea tree and chamomile, that should keep the midges away although it'll probably keep most humans away too :D
Click to expand...

Hi WVW,

I think the response is predictable, if they were to promote as a midge repellent, clinical trials and all the rest of it before it can come to market.

More a case of we are told it works, our QA dept dont seem surprised but legislitive loopholes mean we cant shout about it

Channa
 
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