Insect repellant has a well-deserved bad rap in the scent department, but Brooklynite Gale Mayron was recently featured in New York Magazine for coming up with something you'll actually like spritzing on. Mayron is the brain behind Jao Outscent, a bug repellant that's billed as a unisex cologne. Thus far, the best you could hope for in a bug repellant was an inoffensive scent. But this cologne mixes grapefruit, fir needle, patchouli and lemon-eucalyptus oil for a light, woodsy scent perfect for the outdoors. Plus, you don't feel like you're being crop dusted by dangerous chemicals like you do with most bug sprays. The lemon-eucalyptus oil in the blend was recently recommended as a natural alternative to chemical sprays by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. This luxurious mix of oils will set you back $50 in the US.
The product is not available in the U.K. yet, but did you notice something about the description? It's all essential oils that you can easily blend together on your own for a lot less, and in fresh batches as you need them. And the research shows that lemon-eucalyptus oil is the go-to bug repeller, so you could even just dab on some of that, which I think would smell fantastic.
If you're not much on the DIY and essential oils, Burt's Bees makes an herbal insect repellant and Boots carries a DEET-free Jungle Formula natural pump for £7.45. They also sell lemon and eucalyptus oils for about a fiver each.
[Source]
