Thanks to all of you. I bought 2 kinds: spray ~30% of DEET and the wipes
~25% of DEET. I plan to use wipes on the face.

Hai
"Thomas Bushnell BSG" wrote in message
...
"No you can't, either" writes:

Whether in spray, lotion or wipe form, get the product that has as much
DEET
as possible. DEET is very effective and the more there is of that
ingredient in the product, the longer it will be effective in keeping
bugs
away from you. Just be careful when applying it to your face area,
keeping
it away from your eyes and lips.... it's not toxic, but it tastes
terrible
and can irritate your eyes.

DEET is fine for occasional use, but 100% DEET is unnecessary.
Moreover, exposure to DEET may have neurological risks; if you use it
on occasional vacations, nothing to worry about, but still, be aware.
DEET is absorbed through the skin.

Look for 30-35% DEET, and reapply if you find that it has worn off and
the bugs are starting to pester you. It is fully effective at such a
concentration, and should last for four hours. Don't put DEET on kids
under two and use sparingly on small kids.

The hazards of DEET are very hard to gauge, but the hazards of ticks
and other insect borne disease are very real and serious, so by no
means should you do without the DEET if you are in an area where ticks
or mosquitos or tsetses or such are found.

Also, DEET has low "spatial activity"; that means it basically works
only to prevent bites on the actual skin where you place it; nearby
untreated skin can still get bites. It does not work by repelling
bugs, instead it works by interfering with the way your natural smell
attracts them. Mosquitos can bite through fabric (light cotton or
polyester, for example), and so depending on where you are and what
you are wearing, you might want to put it under your clothes too.

Oh, and DEET does the nasties to plastic and nylon, so be careful if
you have pretty things made out of those.

Thomas