SeekingSimplicity Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Any sort of bug spray breaks dd out in hives. But she's also allergic to a lot of 'natural' stuff too. We have to go somewhere today that has ticks. I sprayed myself with off yesterday and came home with about 8 ticks. Dd put her jeans in her socks and duct taped them shut and still had to come home and shake her pants outside because they were crawling with ticks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freerange Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Have you tried Avon's Skin So Soft? Eating garlic is also supposed to make you less tasty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Peppermint oil in a carrier of your choice? (I use coconut oil) I also use citronella, basil, lavender, tea tree and lemon grass. Usually that covers all the bases. ETA: I use all of said essential oils in coconut oil as the carrier oil. We go through copious amount in the spring/summer/fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mryann Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Is it possible to just spray her clothing? I've tried a lot of alternative products and didn't think any of them worked well. Hey, what about tick collars for dogs/cats - could you buckle one around an ankle (with a sock on first)? Are you walking in deep grass? That's a lot of ticks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted September 7, 2011 Author Share Posted September 7, 2011 I have peppermint oil and coconut oil. We'll have to give it a try Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 If it's a huge tick area I would spray the clothing with deet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Have you tried Lemon Eucalyptus Oil? (Repel is one brand). Like anything else, it can cause skin irritation in some people, but we've always been fine with it. Works against ticks (and mosquitoes) for 6+ hours. They also have that really nasty stuff you spray the clothes with ahead of time - it's supposed to last till you wash the clothes (I think the idea is to designate an outfit). But then it's not on the skin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplain Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 (edited) Boy do I hate ticks. You didn't mention which your daughter reacts to (Off brand includes several types of repellent), so I'll just mention what we use. We live in Lyme country and use Off! 30% DEET spray or wipes (hiking, camp, etc.) and Repel lemon eucalyptus oil (running around at playgrounds and on lawns). Percentage DEET determines length of time it provides protection. The wipes work great, and I love not breathing in fumes, but they are more expensive. Also, you have to be careful about what you touch after using them. DEET is a solvent, so it'll damage plastic and/or dissolve printed markings on plastic (ie. camera knobs!). But you might want to give the wipes a try, as they have fewer inactive ingredients along for the ride, so she might be less likely to react to them. Lemon eucalyptus doesn't last as long as DEET, so we use it as the second application of the day (DEET shouldn't be applied more than once per day), and for shorter outings. For camping and hiking we also wear clothing treated with permethrin. Here's a link to a discussion of a pilot study: Repellent-treated clothing nearly eliminates tick bites for outdoor workers. You can treat with permethrin yourself, or you can buy pre-treated clothes. The pre-treated clothing is more expensive, but protection lasts ~60 washings, whereas self-treated clothing needs to be re-treated after ~5 washings. DH and I have permethrin treated socks (bought from Sierra Trading Co), and the girls and I have pants. I bought the "boy" style Columbia pants for the girls, because the legs zip off to make long shorts. They have adjustable waists, so I bought up a size, and tacked up the leg hems to shorten them a bit. They should last at least 2 years before they're outgrown. When we've been out, all clothing is immediately removed to a laundry basket after coming inside, and it is tossed directly into the washing machine. If it was an especially ticky area, bathtime follows. If it was just the playground, or our yard, bath waits for bedtime. We also do morning and evening tick checks. That morning check is especially important, because we've found attached ticks after a thorough check the night before turned up nothing. If one of my kids reacted to all of the effective spray/wipe repellents (in my book only DEET and lemon eucalyptus are effective enough against ticks), I'd have her dressed in permethrin-treated shoes, permethrin-treated socks, permethrin-treated pants and a permethrin-treated shirt, ideally long-sleeved. This may not be fun mid-summer, but more breathable fabrics will make it bearable. Edited September 7, 2011 by jplain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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