Health experts are offering tips and tricks to help you take the sting out of summer.
When it comes to bug spray, the Centers for Disease Control recommends using long-lasting protection with one of three active ingredients: Deet, Picaridin, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises refraining from using repellants on infants younger than two months and not letting kids under ten apply it themselves. Adults should always apply repellants to their own hands first, before rubbing the product onto young children.
If you are going to be in an area where there may be a lot of mosquitos, have kids wear long-sleeve shirts and long pants too.
Be sure to spray over clothes and onto exposed skin parts like hands and feet.
Bug spray with Deet should help protect you from both mosquitoes and ticks. picaridin or lemon eucalyptus are also recommended, but not as effective. Same goes for those wearable devices with ingredients like Citronella. Â
When applying sunscreen, experts recommend putting it on FIRST, before the bug spray. You’ll also need to reapply the sunscreen more frequently than the repellant.
Finally, make sure kids bathe with soap as soon as they get home to wash the spray off of their skin.