Victoria's Secret perfume can repel mosquitoes

With the recent Zika outbreak on our sunny island, many are seeking protection from the Aedes mosquitoes by sweeping repellents off the shelves.

Current mosquito repellents on the market often contain chemicals such as Deet, and strong-smelling oils like citronella.

Ladies, if you hate the unsightliness of mosquito patches stuck on your clothes, or don't wish to remind your other half of his army days, you may want to consider this more alluring option.

A recent study by New Mexico State University (NMSU) has found that the Bombshell perfume by Victoria's Secret made a human test subject unattractive to Aedes mosquitoes for about two hours after application.

"There was some previous literature that said fruity, floral scents attracted mosquitoes, and to not wear those," said Stacy Rodriguez, a research assistant in NMSU's Molecular Vector Physiology Lab.

"It was interesting to see that the mosquitoes weren't actually attracted to the person that was wearing the Victoria's Secret perfume - they were repelled by it," she added.

Photo: Avon website

If you prefer a shower-fresh scent, you can also try bathing with Avon Skin So Soft Bath Oil, which was also found to have the same mosquito-repelling effect for a similar duration.

So, how do these products keep the pesky mozzies away?

The researchers explained that the fragrances may provide a temporary masking effect.

But before you rush out to grab a bottle of Bombshell, keep in mind that a light spritz of the fragrance may not produce the same results as a high concentration of perfume was applied to the volunteer's hand during the study.

And nope, dousing yourself in perfume is never a good idea.

Until the day scientists succeed in creating a method to help us go completely under the mozzie radar, we'd just have to make do with strong-smelling mosquito repellents.

 

Also read: Fighting Zika: Which mosquito repellent to use

minlee@sph.com.sg