The Vancouver-based Escents Aromatherapy offers a range of effective, natural bug-repellent products ideal for summer.
The scent of the Zap Away line is a mixture of lemongrass and lavender. Regardless of whether the Zap Away Essential Oil Blend ($13.95) actually repels mosquitos, I love the combination of refreshing lemongrass and calming lavender, and have been using drops of it in my diffuser to scent my apartment.
The Zap Away Spray ($12.95), I gave to my mom who is an avid gardener, but also a mosquito magnet. She says the product is a light spray which absorbs quickly and she hasn’t had any more bites since using the Zap Away Spray. She prefers its natural lemon-y scent over the average bug repellent which probably contains a lot of chemicals.
Because I wasn’t using the Zap Away Spray, I got three mosquito bites in one evening. I showed my friend the giant mosquito bite I had, and told her it was hot. Not sexy, but the actual mosquito bites were heating up on my swollen skin. For the love of blogging and product reviews, I was glad I got these in a timely manner so I could try the effectiveness of Itch B’Gone Roll-On ($18.95).
I would say this product is more of a skin soother, rather than an itch reliever. I can’t say it numbed the mosquito bite like other (non natural) itch-relief products on the market, but it did help sooth my heated skin. I love the small roll-on size of this product, because you can keep it with you in your purse.
Other summertime essentials from the Zap Away line includes the Body Balm ($14.95), which moisturizes and soothes the skin, while creating a protective barrier to deter flying insects.
Overall, I like having the option of using natural products to repel bugs, rather than chemicals which can sting your skin and leave a weird residue. And of course, Escents is based in Vancouver so you can feel good about supporting local too.