Dr. Bronner’s Soap vs. Insects and Bugs

[D LARSON]

Hi folks, this is my first post at BPL.

I was wondering if anyone has noticed if the use of Dr. Bronner's soap has increased insect attraction.

I've looked around the net and it seems that natural smells like Peppermint, Lavender, and Eucalyptus can attract insects. (Makes perfect sense to me.)

I've also read in the forums here that some people have had some success with Repel's Lemon Eucalyptus bug repellent against mosquitoes. So maybe the Eucalyptus soap would do more good than harm…

[Max Hoagland]

I wash all my clothes in the peppermint Dr. B's, I wash my body in it, I brush my teeth with it, etc, and I haven't noticed more bug bites that my fellow campers who don't use Dr. B's.

Eucalyptus oil is the active ingredient in most eucalyptus scented/ labeled bug repellents, so it would make perfect sense to use it while camping to repel bugs. It is also a natural disinfectant, and I would think it has the most cleansing properties of all the Dr. B liquid soap scents.

[Guthrie Abbott]

I also use Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap (even when I'm not backpacking). I have not noticed any increassed mosquito activity — even when I camp in my home state of Mississippi.

I have tried other Dr. Bronner's soaps (almond, lavender, eucalyptus), and they all work well. Just pick the scent you like — and stay clean on the trail! You can't go wrong with Dr. Bronner's.

[D LARSON]

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll try out the Eucalyptus soap. This will be a first for me since I've never been the "clean" type in the woods.

[Author]

Posts