The tiger mosquito has been gaining ground in France for almost 10 years, and it bites both day and night, and it can be a vector of diseases such as dengue, chikungunya or Zika. So, it is better to protect yourself. Adélaïde Robert de 60 Million consumers compared 15 mosquito repellents.
franceinfo: We were talking about dengue which is a viral disease. Do we know the number of cases in France?
Adelaide Robert: Yes, Public Health France counted 662 imported cases in mainland France between May 1 and June 25, a few more of which came from the Antilles where there has been a huge epidemic for several months, and cumulatively since the beginning of the year, we exceed 2,700 cases, which is 10 times more than in the last five years. It’s huge.
How can you protect yourself from mosquitoes? Are there any do’s and don’ts?
So the most important thing is to avoid the proliferation of mosquitoes by limiting stagnant water where the larvae develop. Then, we can protect ourselves from bites, we can wear loose and long clothes, install mosquito nets on the windows around the bed, and then outside, use repellents.
So, precisely, repellents, you have tested about fifteen of them this month, in 60 Million. Are they effective or not, especially against the tiger mosquito?
Yes, most are. In any case, they respect their allegations. In the test bench, we have all those based on DEETIR 3535 which offer protection for at least 8 hours against the common mosquito and the tiger mosquito. Afterwards, the effectiveness is more variable for products which have an active ingredient of plant origin. There are some who do very well, and others who protect for less than 5 hours.
Are there any recommendations for using them? Should you put it all over the skin for example?
Yes, there are recommendations, there are quantities and frequencies of application to respect, depending on the areas of the body, which are specified by the manufacturer on the packaging, and which can vary depending on age. And there are restrictions also for pregnant women. So, you really have to read the label carefully, otherwise putting it everywhere, no, it’s not useful. You should especially put it on the uncovered parts. With one exception though. At ankle level, you can wear them, even if you have socks, because it’s really an area that attracts them.
Have you also tested spray products? Is this a wise choice?
So yes, most of the products we tested are sprays. And yes, health authorities recommend milks or creams, precisely to avoid the risk of inhalation. We made this choice because they were the ones that were most present on the shelves at the time we carried out the test. And in fact, it is still popular with users, because it is easy to apply.
Do we have any idea of the duration of action of a repellent product? Is the information on the labels reliable?
Yes, in fact, as I was saying, the claims are respected in our tests. But what is misleading is that some display the duration of effectiveness for one application, and others for two applications. And it is indicated with a small asterisk, which we will not necessarily see when choosing the product on the shelf. So what would be better would still be to harmonize this type of presentation of claims, and it would be fairer for competitors too.
There are skin repellents, but there are also products that can be put on clothing. Again, are they effective?
So yes, we tested five, all of which protect for more than 6 hours and meet their claims. Except one, who actually announced two weeks of protection, which was rather unexpected and which in fact does not keep that promise at all.
Is combining the two a good thing?
So the selling point of textile repellents is that mosquitoes can bite through fabrics. So rather than putting repellent all over the body, it is better to put it on the uncovered parts as we said, and then on the clothes. Afterwards, it is not useful for all textiles. This is perhaps more useful for light clothing with an airy mesh, than with thick denim which is probably sufficient in itself.
But are there textiles that attract mosquitoes and others that repel them?
So mosquitoes would be more attracted to bright or dark colors, blue, red, and they would notice us a little less in beige, khaki, savannah colors, but they are still much more sensitive to smells than to colors. So even if you dress all in beige, it will not be enough to make you go unnoticed.
Then, there is a whole bunch of research on anti-mosquito textiles, with an impenetrable mesh. But for the moment, what is impenetrable is not very breathable, and not very pleasant to wear, when it is hot.
In general, can we use products in mainland France that we use in the tropics? They must be more efficient?
So products for the tropics are often more concentrated in active ingredients. These higher concentrations have the disadvantage of exposing rather to more risks. There are some that are also limited for children. We cannot use all tropical products on children. So this is justified by the fact that the risk of vector-borne diseases is higher in the tropics, but suddenly, in mainland France, it is not necessarily worth taking very concentrated products. Because even if we have tiger mosquitoes, we do not necessarily have the risk that they will transmit the disease.
So the best mark of 60 Millionis Five out of Five?
Yes, so pun aside, in fact, it is indeed this brand which is at the top of the podium, both for skin repellent and textile repellent.