keeping mosquitoes off your face (cyst, forehead, skin, surgery)
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What products can you use to prevent mosquito bites on your face? I don't really want to put Off or the equivalent on my face, but it seems no one sells anything meant to keep mosquitos away from your face and neck. Any ideas?
Personally I spray deet on the backs of my hands and rub it around the sides of my face, avoiding my forehead so it doesn't drip into my eyes with sweat.
What products can you use to prevent mosquito bites on your face? I don't really want to put Off or the equivalent on my face, but it seems no one sells anything meant to keep mosquitos away from your face and neck. Any ideas?
There are hats (best is one with a wider floppy brim) and bandannas made from fabrics treated with Permethrin available. Ex Officio's Bug Off clothing is one brand I've used. They can be washed multiple times (gently!) before the treatment loses its effectiveness. Wearing the garment can deter bugs from hovering right next to your face, but obviously not every single one that might be extra persistent. You could also treat a scarf, bandanna, or fabric hat with Permethrin spray, or even OFF! yourself.
If the bugs are really really bad a headnet is the way to go. There are different styles. Some have a flexible wire hoop sewn into them that holds the mesh away from your face (so it doesn't tickle your nose). Some nets don't have a wire but are shaped to be worn over a brimmed hat again so the mesh doesn't touch your skin. Some hats and hooded jackets have a net already incorporated into the brim. You can roll/fold the net up when you don't need it.
Some sunscreen lotions have a bit of DEET incorporated into the formula. Not as strong as the OFF! you might apply directly somewhere else.
I've heard from people in the past that they swear by Avon's Skin So Soft skin lotion as a bug deterrent. The scent of the original version apparently. Haven't have luck with it myself. There are also non-DEET bug repellants out there that rely more on marigold, citronella, lemon, eucalyptus and other herbs to provide the effect. IME they don't last as long and are easier to sweat off. Here's a tip from someone who's lived and worked in the Alaska bush for decades and who has tried just about all possible methods: as Deserterer mentioned, don't apply repellant lotions to your forehead if you can possibly avoid it. If/when you sweat, the lotions can end up getting in your eyes and sting. Might not be enough to actually cause damage, just annoy the heck out of you so you end up wiping your face and eyes constantly...which removes more of the repellant! Apply lotions below your eyes.
Last edited by Parnassia; 05-01-2021 at 02:00 PM..
Any product with 20% Picaridin I've tried works really well. It doesn't stink like DEET and is more effective on mosquitoes.
Picaridin is a synthetic version of the chemical in black pepper that naturally repels insects.
We sometimes get Dengue outbreaks where I live and we take mosquito bite prevention very seriously. I use the lotion on the skin and use a spray on clothing.
I don't put insect repellent on my face above my eyes because I sweat a lot so I spray this stuff on my sun hat:
Picaridin is a real insect repellent registered by the EPA for that use. It's not one of those hippy flower or Avon sprays that only work for 10 minutes.
Thanks for your responses. I do get a lot of bites near my eyes, so it appears a net is the way to go. I was concerned that it would be too hot to wear that during the middle of summer, but I guess it's worth it if I don't have to deal with the bites afterwards. Last year I got a bite on my jawline that never went away. I went to a dermatologist and she said I would have to have plastic surgery to get rid of it; it turned into an epidermal cyst. I never did it but the stupid thing bugs me every day, no pun intended.
I live in SW Miami barely 8 Mls East of the Everglades National Park, the skeeters LOVE me...They go by my wife and do not park with her, they can sense me from far away, the worst part is that once they hit me I get really big welts..
During the Heat and Humidity Season (It's ON already down here) I use Cutter Skinsations Insect Repellent (Pump Spray) . It does have 7% Deet in it, but also smells great and I have NO reactions to the chemical and or Aloe and Vitamin D in it.
More Info On the Link . . I stopped using The OFF Brand many yrs ago, the Skinsations do the trick for me.
Thanks for your responses. I do get a lot of bites near my eyes, so it appears a net is the way to go. I was concerned that it would be too hot to wear that during the middle of summer, but I guess it's worth it if I don't have to deal with the bites afterwards. Last year I got a bite on my jawline that never went away. I went to a dermatologist and she said I would have to have plastic surgery to get rid of it; it turned into an epidermal cyst. I never did it but the stupid thing bugs me every day, no pun intended.
Headnets can get a bit warm and uncomfortable, especially in high humidity. Thats when I stop being squeamish and slather on the deet.
In my neck of the woods (Moultrie, GA near the FL state line) the "no-see-ums" can be annoying in the height of summer. The head nets with hats are great for walking and gardening but when I want to sit on my big front porch in the afternoon, I use a rotating fan (sometimes two!) and then the teeny bugs can't get near me AND I get a wonderful cool breeze to read by. If you don't have an electrical outlet that's convenient, there are nifty portable fans that are battery operated but don't forget that you can loop an extension cord out a window for the more powerful fans. I also find the sound of a fan soothing (as long as you don't crank it up to "tornado level", LOL!)
What products can you use to prevent mosquito bites on your face? I don't really want to put Off or the equivalent on my face, but it seems no one sells anything meant to keep mosquitos away from your face and neck. Any ideas?
I use Deet. Nothing else ever works for me.
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). Some nets don't have a wire but are shaped to be worn over a brimmed hat again so the mesh doesn't touch your skin. Some hats and hooded jackets have a net already incorporated into the brim. You can roll/fold the net up when you don't need it. 
