Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard products

Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard ~ Protect Yourself & Little Ones

August 13, 2019COMtnMom

October 2019 Update:  I continue to personally purchase and use these Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard products for my family! Our favorites are the Bug Guard Plus Picaridin (the strongest one) and the Anti-Itch Spray. Read on for my full review, and know that I still recommend this product for a safe, effective way to repel mosquitoes.

Don’t you just hate mosquitoes?  I mean, I hate being bit myself plenty.  But I really, really hate when they bite my poor kids!   Babies and toddlers seem to have particularly ugly reactions to bug bites.  But we often feel even more cautious about putting strong chemical bug repellents on their sensitive skin.

DEET can be effective, but is strong, nasty stuff that I personally don’t use on my toddler and grades schooler who is prone to eczema.  A quandary, indeed… because mosquito bites are bad, and we play outdoor a lot.

As a child, we occasionally used Avon’s Skin-So-Soft for bug repellent.  Avon has taken this to a whole new level with their Skin So Soft Bug Guard line of products, with the motto, “Tough on bugs – not on you”.  I was excited to try them out on my young family.

Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard products
Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard products

Avon’s Skin So Soft Bug Guard Products

First off, all of Avon’s Bug Guard products are DEET-free… which is lovely. Yet we’ve found them to still be pretty darn effective in keeping mosquitos away.  Skin So Soft Bug Guard insect repellents are suitable for the entire family.  Avon’s insect repellents have the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval and contain one of two EPA-registered active ingredients, IR3535® or Picaridin.

The entire collection includes:

Bug Guard Plus IR3535® Expedition SPF 30

($14-$16) – Combined sun and insect protection in one product and available in an Aerosol spray and Pump spray.  Strong and long-lasting repellency against mosquitoes, deer ticks, sand flies, gnats, no-seeums and biting midges.  What a fantastic idea!  Including two needed protections in one product –  SPF for sun AND bug repellant.  This is my personal favorite.

Bug Guard Plus Picaridin

($14-$16) – Protection during dusk & dawn, which is when mosquitoes are more active.  Repels deer ticks that may transmit Lyme disease and mosquitoes that may carry West Nile virus.  Available as an Aerosol Spray, Pump Spray and travel-friendly Towelettes.  My impression is that this one is the Big Dog for bug protection.  I believe the Picaridin product is the stronger of the repellant ingredients they use – and it absolutely worked, for every one of the testers I had try it out.

Bug Guard Plus IR3535® SPF 30 Lotions

($14) – Repel mosquitoes, deer ticks, black flies, sand flies, gnats, no-seeums and biting midges.  Aloe and Vitamin E-enriched formulas are available as a Gentle Breeze Lotion and Cool ‘n Fabulous Disappearing Color Lotion.  Didn’t try this one quite as much.  Again, nice that they combine SPF protection with bug repellent.  It is more of a lotion form, but it has less of the bug repelling ingredient than Expedition does.

Also, in case you forgot to use your Bug Guard insect repellent, Avon is now offering …

Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Anti Itch

 Anti-Itch Spray

Provides temporary, soothing relief to itchy insect bites. ($10)  We love this stuff!  It’s very soothing, and doesn’t “sting” when you spray it on little ones.

So How Did They Work?

I took more time than usual with this review, because I really wanted the opportunity to test these products out, on multiple outdoor occasions, so I could pass along an honest and thorough review to my readers.  (Did I mention how much I hate seeing angry red, swollen bites on kids?)

I had my extended family all try them out, since different people and body chemistry’s seem to attract bugs at varying levels.

Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard on Toddler
Getting 22 month old sprayed with Avon Bug Guard Expedition, with SPF

In short, they work absolutely great.  And my family, as well as my extended family, all plan to purchase and use these products going forward.

We tried them out on a forested mesa covered in lakes, known for it’s beauty and almost unbearable mosquitoes in the summertime.  The bugs weren’t as bad that day as they sometimes are, but we could definitely still see them swarming around.  But not a single bite between us.

Avon Skin so Soft Bug Guard on kids and Mom
…now mom and older sister’s turn.

But perhaps an even greater test:  my brother’s home is right next to a river, and at dusk the mosquitoes are always thick and in full biting mode.  My poor little 1 year old nephew often displays red mosquito bites.  I gave them some of the Bug Guard Plus Picaridin, and they have now been testing it for 3 weeks.

My brother reported it works incredibly well.  He can’t believe they can now be in their yard at this time of day and not receive mosquito bites!

Why You Should Avoid Mosquito Bites

Here are a few facts to equip you in your bug battle, and remind you of why it’s so important to protect your kids – especially from mosquitoes.

According to an article By Debbie Hadley, About.com Guide:

  • Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on Earth.
    More deaths are associated with mosquitoes than any other animal on the planet. Mosquitoes may carry any number of deadly diseases, including malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis.
  • Only female mosquitoes bite humans and animals; males feed on flower nectar.
    Female mosquitoes need protein for their eggs, and must take a blood meal in order to reproduce. Since males don’t bear the burden of producing young, they’ll avoid you completely and head for the flowers instead.
  • All mosquitoes require water to breed. Some species can breed in puddles left after a rainstorm.
    Just a few inches of water is all it takes for a female to deposit her eggs. Tiny mosquito larva develop quickly in bird baths, roof gutters, and old tires dumped in vacant lots. If you want to keep mosquitoes under control around your home, you need to be vigilant about dumping any standing water every few days.

Where Can You Find Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard?

I can wholeheartedly recommend the entire line of Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard products.    My favorite was the Expedition, for how it combined bug repellent with SPF.  But when hiking in shaded, buggy areas … I would prefer and recommend using Bug Guard Plus Picaridin.

You can get Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard from an Avon Representative, or order them directly online.

Even though it’s nearing the end of bug season, I wouldn’t worry about purchasing them now.  The expiration dates on the products I received were all for mid-2014, so they will last you awhile.

I hope this helps protect your family during your outdoor adventures, as much as it did mine!

I received the Avon Bug Guard line of products described at no cost for the purposes of this review.  But all opinions are my own.

Comments (14)

  • Tick Safety for Families This Season » Colorado Mountain Mom

    April 15, 2013 at 10:02 am

    […] But avoid use of DEET-containing repellents on children.  (We’ve had success with the gentle Skin-So-Soft line for toddlers… at least for mosquitos.  It also says it works to repel deer […]

  • Dianne Hernandez

    April 23, 2013 at 9:09 pm

    Hi Tami,

    What a great review! I Love seeing your family putting Avon Bug Guard to the test. As an Avon Representative I have so many customers asking about Skin So Soft Bath Oil and Avon Bug Guard I’ve made a couple post about it myself. Do you mind if I share your post with my customers?

    Thanks and enjoy your summer!

    1. COMtnMom

      April 23, 2013 at 9:11 pm

      Hi there,

      Thanks for your comment, and absolutely “yes” you can share my review. We have been really pleased with this effective, gentle line and as an outdoorsy family with young kids we were really happy to discover it. Share away! 🙂

      Happy summer to you, too!

  • Mary Bertsch

    May 2, 2013 at 2:57 pm

    Hi Tami,

    I found your great review of Avon Bug Guard when searching online. I also live in Colorado and appreciated your review. I shared your link on my Avon blog, Beauty With Mary, and on Bloggy Moms. I’m excited that Avon has their whole line of Bug Guard products on sale for half price. If you do another Avon review, please let me know. BTW I won a trip to Disney World in February through Avon. What a magical time we had!

    1. COMtnMom

      May 7, 2013 at 3:34 pm

      Hi Mary,

      Thanks for reaching out and finding me! Exciting to hear Bug Guard is on such a great sale. That’s AWESOME that you won a trip to Disney World… did you win in Feb, or go in Feb??

      Appreciate you linking to my review – we’ll be in touch on maybe working together further. Thanks!

  • Avon's Bug Guard Plus ~ 50% Off Sale [Giveaway] » Colorado Mountain Mom

    May 9, 2013 at 10:01 am

    […] I’ve reviewed Avon’s Bug Guard Plus in the past, and my family has had success with this product line.   You can read about our experience with it and our favorites here. […]

  • Crystal

    June 27, 2013 at 12:54 am

    Hi Tami,
    I love your reviews on the Bug Guard line! I’m an Avon representative and I’m also a big fan that they have a DEET free kind that I can use on my kids. And it’s ironic too that we just moved to Orlando (15 miles from WDW) from Pennsylvania! We have always been big Disney fans so when my husband was offered a position in Orlando it was a no brainer!! Also if you don’t mind sharing my website with all of your blog followers I would appreciate it. The bug guard products can be ordered and shipped directly to anyone in the US from the site: http://www.youravon.com/crystalmonahan
    Thank you so much!

    1. COMtnMom

      June 27, 2013 at 2:35 pm

      Hi Crystal,

      Sure, I’ll publish your link to order. It’s a great product line..

      I’m happy for you to live so close to Disney World, and a little jealous! As much as we love vacationing there, I’m not sure if I could talk my husband into living there. I’ll bet you make good use out of your Avon Bug Guard… ha! Does it work on alligators?? 😉

      Thanks for stopping by.

      Tami

  • Tracy T

    July 24, 2013 at 4:25 pm

    Hi Tami,
    Thanks for your insight on Avon’s skin so soft products. My family is planning a South East Asia trip to Thailand/Vietnam next summer for two weeks. Mosquitoes are the worst in Asia especially during the summer when there are some mix of rain and sun. What do you recommend that I use for my family with two small kids that have eczema – SSS expedition or SSS w/picardin? Do they both work the same? You mentioned that the expedition was your favorite (which I think it’s great w/ the combo protection). I’ve already bought 6 cans of the expedition but bumped into your website and you have me thinking about the picardin. The problem that I’m coming up with is that I don’t live in a mosquitoes prone area to test it out, but thought I get some great insight from you and others thru the website. I’ve tested the expedition on my kids skin and they had no reaction to it, so I am a happy camper so far. But, i’m not sure if it works as good as the picardin.
    Thanks in advance,
    Trace

    1. COMtnMom

      July 25, 2013 at 10:47 pm

      Hi Tracy,

      Our experience has been the the picardin is even a little stronger and more effective in bug repelling that the expedition ingredient used. I know you said you don’t have many bugs where you are right now, but because your kids skin is sensitive, I’d recommend trying the picardin before your leave on your trip. If there’s no reaction, I think you’d be glad to have it along in Thailand/Vietnam for your best protection. Both my kids (ages 2 & 8) have somewhat sensitive skin, and my 8 year old has mild eczema… both of them are able to use picardin without a reaction, and it’s what we always use when the mosquitos are *really* bad!

      Wow – what a travel adventure is in store for you! That’s awesome, have a wonderful trip. 🙂

      Tami

    2. Mary Bertsch

      July 25, 2013 at 11:18 pm

      Hi Trace,

      What an exciting trip you have planned!

      I am an Avon representative from Colorado and I would agree with Tami. The Picardin is a little stronger than the Expedition. It protects you when the mosquitoes are the worse; at dusk and dawn. You can order this on my Avon website http://www.youravon.com/mbertsch.

      Have and fun safe trip!

      Mary

      1. Tracy T

        July 29, 2013 at 9:33 pm

        Thank you all for your prompt reponses. I will test out the picardin.
        Perhaps, I will keep you all apprised sometime next year of my results too :).

        Cheers!
        Tracy

  • Lyme Disease Awareness Month: Check Out Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Formulas – Your Complete Beauty

    May 17, 2017 at 2:36 pm

    […] The links in this post take you to my eStore where you can order these products and more. In my search for reviews, I found Colorado Mountain Mom, Tami, had done her own test and reported her results in her blog post: Avon’s Skin So Soft Bug Guard ~ Protect Yourself & Little Ones on Outdoor Adventures. […]

  • Mary Bertsch

    May 12, 2023 at 2:10 am

    Hi Tami,
    I noticed the links in your Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard posts are broken due to a website update. Check out my post for th correct product links. https://thinkbeautytoday.com/avon-skin-so-soft/

    Thanks for such a great review of these Skin So Soft insect repellents.

    Mary Bertsch
    Ind Avon Representative

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