CUE BEATLES MUSIC: “Here comes the sun. Here comes the sun. And I say it’s alright…”

Sun, sun, sun here it comes. Are you ready?

Among other things it’s time to stock up on sunscreen and naturally Avon is here to help. =)

Avon offers a variety of sunscreen options including a brand new line of sun protection (available soon) called
Anew Solar Advance which has received the Active Seal of Recommendation from the Skin Cancer Foundation. Anew Solar Advance claims to “…not only protect skin’s DNA with broad-spectrum sunscreen, but is also designed to repair skin cell sun damage.” Sounds awesome!

Like all Anew products the SPF 45 for the face and the SPF 30 for the body claim to visibly improve the texture of the skin, etc. I have not had a chance to try it yet but I’m going to. Here’s my plan: The skin on my chest, my décolletage, has the look and texture of beef jerky (maybe turkey jerky given my skin tone) due to years of abuse and neglect on my part. So I’m going to try the Solar Advance for the face and see if it can make any sort of a difference. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Now for those of you who are looking for some sun protection as well as a shield
against those nasty biting buggies, Avon’s standby Skin So Soft line of sunscreen and bug protection is available as well. My husband’s job often requires him to be out in the sun for long periods for time so I gave him SKIN SO SOFT Bug Guard Plus IR3535® EXPEDITION™ SPF 30 Pump Spray to use at one of his events. He said that he put it on in the morning and didn’t get burned all day. Plus he liked the non-sticky feel of it.

However, if you’re like me you don’t know much about what makes a good bug repellent and what makes a bad one. So I did a little research for us (love the Internet!). I found much of my information here, here and here.

For many years, starting in the 1940s when it was developed by the US military, DEET was the standard in bug repellent and could be safely used in various concentrations. It was introduced to the public in the 1950s. However, DEET is also very hard on plastics, leather, and synthetic fabrics like polyester and rayon so it can eat through things like watch crystals and sun glasses. Also, it has a very strong odor.

Since 1998 people in Australia and Europe have used a product called Picaridin and in 2005 it was approved for use in the U.S. Picaridin is derived from pepper and is the bug repellent that is in Avon’s Skin So Soft Bug Guard. Studies indicate that it is as effective as DEET without the damage or the smell.

In Avon’s sun screens that include Bug Guard they use a repellent called IR3535 (Catchy, isn’t it?). It’s another product that’s been widely used in Europe for 20 years and has been available in the States since 1999. Reports seem to be that it is effective in repelling bugs though it is not as long-lasting as Picaridin or DEET.

Finally, contrary to popular belief, Avon never did market its Skin So Soft Oil as an insect repellent. However, the product did garner a lot of media attention some years ago when consumers reported it as being effective as a mosquito repellent.

Below is a little chart that I borrowed from some information I had from Avon. Hopefully you’ll find it helpful. (Click on the photo and it should get bigger.)





Until next time…