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Both are common as the weather shifts to warmer temperatures. Bug spray is particularly important where I live because I'm right along a river. So, what I'm wonder is:
I spend a lot of times outdoors once it warms up. This means I have to use both bug spray and sunscreen to protect my self and skin from the sun and diseases bugs might carry around here, not to mention the bites are very irritating to skin. So what are some effective brands sold in stores with minimal impact on health and the environment, or whats something I can just make inexpensively to use. I'd like something that is effective if I'm making it too. smile

I'm terrible - I use neither. Insects don't bother me and if they do, I'm able to remove myself from the area.


This is probably why they leave me alone. I eat a lot of garlic.

Why I don't bother with sunscreen is because I don't like the summer time hype. I wear transition eye glasses (so they go dark in UV light) and my glasses get darker in the winter than the summer - suggesting winter sun is more harmful than summer.

Not getting any sun is quite harmful - I read somewhere that there are more cancers caused by vitamin D deficiency than there is skin cancer. I think I only wore minimal sunscreen when I was in the Dominican. (Usually just put it on my nose and rub it off into my cheeks.)

If you're outside all day, they yea, it might be good to wear some. If you're indoors and only see minimal sun, I'd opt out.

If you're looking for top picks, No More Dirty Looks just started their Top 5 list: http://nomoredirtylooks.com/tag/sunscreen/

this is pretty much how i feel. i'm blessed with mixed sicilian/odawa blood so i dont get burned often. my other half burns easier but still doesnt wear anything for the most part. we just put the zinc on the girls cheeks/nose when we're outside for long period of time (beach or zoo for example) because we'd get in trouble otherwise, lol. but cute sun hats make it so we dont have to use much on them.

Many insects do not like Peppermint. I'm not sure if this applies to mosquitoes but it works for insects like ants.

also for after-care forthe sun, a carrot oil works very well. Very hydrating