Baby insect repellent to protect your little one
It’s pretty universal opinion that babies have beautiful skin – so of course we want to protect it as much as possible. Insect bites can be itchy and painful, which leads to an upset, unsettled baby.
The best treatment is prevention!
By avoiding insect bites in the first place, you can help protect baby’s sensitive skin and keep them comfortable.
A newborn’s skin is very delicate and highly absorbent. At this point in life, they’re best served by very minimal skin care products, and by selecting only the blandest, most hypoallergenic products. It’s for this reason that it’s recommended not to use baby insect repellent on children under 3 months of age. In this age group, your best defenses against insect bites are long-sleeved clothing and keeping them in a pram covered with netting if you’re in a particularly bug-filled environment.
At three months of age, a baby’s skin is a little hardier. You can begin to use a baby insect repellent to give them extra protection against bites. A sensitive repellent or one specially formulated for babies is your best choice here – while their skin has firmed up a little, it’s still very fragile and delicate when compared to an adult. Go for a gentle baby insect repellent and be sure to do a patch test before using it for the first time.
Go natural
Most insect repellents you’ll see contain DEET, sometimes known as diethyltoluamide. It’s an effective repellent, but of greater concern is the impact it has on the body. Each time it’s applied to the skin, a small amount is absorbed into the body. Repeated exposure can lead to nervous system symptoms. Even outside the body, we found that DEET insect repellent was causing damage to our backpacks and sunglasses. I don’t want that on my skin, and I certainly don’t want to be putting it onto a baby whose skin barrier is more sensitive than mine as an adult.
DEET free baby insect repellent
Our number one pick for a insect repellent suitable for babies is our Sensitive Natural Insect Repellent.
Like our Tropical insect repellent, it’s DEET free and made with natural ingredients, but with an extra focus on gentle ingredients that repel insects without upsetting sensitive skin. It’s a great baby insect repellent that does a fantastic job of keeping biting insects away and it’s suitable for everyone over 3 months of age.