Already planning your Christmas wish list? You might want to include Victoria's Secret's Bombshell. According to a new study, this fragrant perfume with flowery scent can interestingly repel mosquitoes.
A team of University of Mexico researchers conducted a study on the repelling abilities of 10 commercial products including Avon's Skin So Soft in bath oil, Bombshell from Victoria's Secret, and typical insect repellants with DEET (diethyltoluamide).
For the experiment, they used two types of mosquito species: Asian tiger mosquitoes, which can cause West Nile virus and Chikungunya, and the yellow fever mosquitoes. The team then used a tube with a pair of forks. The bottom of the tube was attached to a chamber that held the mosquitoes. One of the forks was connected to the hand, which can be scented depending on the product used, while the other was left open. A fan was used to deliver the scent inside the mosquito chamber. If they didn't like the smell, the mosquitoes can exit to the open fork. Each test was good for two minutes, enough time to determine whether the mosquitoes are attracted or not. The researchers counted the non-reaction as being repelled.
Based on the results, DEET-based products remain to be very effective in getting rid of mosquitoes. Certain products like that of Avon can deter specific types of the mosquito species. Perhaps the most surprising is Victoria's Secret Bombshell, which works just as great as products with DEET. A tested bare hand attracted more than 65% of the yellow fever mosquitoes, but when the scent was applied, it was reduced to only 17%. Moreover, the repelling ability lasted for over 1 hour for both species.
Although the research didn't try to identify what increased the repelling ability of the perfume, they think it's because the smell creates a masking effect. Researchers also clarified that the amount of concentration applied might have also affected the outcome.
To learn more about the study, read the October issue of Journal of Insect Science.
