The smell of Victoria’s Secret perfume may not be for everyone, but scientists have found one thing that it’s very useful for.
Researchers at New Mexico University found that Victoria’s Secret Bombshell’s line of perfumes is almost as effective as DEET when it comes to repelling mosquitoes.
You read that right: you can use your perfume as bug repellent.
But it’s not the chemicals that are driving the bugs away—it’s the smell.
DEET, short for N, N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, is the most common chemical found in bug repellent. But some consumers are wary of it, so this study set out to look at other chemicals that could repel insects. Cutter Natural insect repellent, the Mosquito Skin patch, and Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard did nothing.
The Avon Skin So Soft Baby Oil came in at a “significant reduction of attraction,” and repelled insects for up to 120 minutes.
But the Victoria’s Secret perfume was a clear standout. It lasted for over 120 minutes. However, researchers noted that they used a lot of it, and said that using less may have different effects.
But it contradicts the idea that fruity, floral scents attract mosquitoes. They said that the scent “may provide a masking odor resulting in low mosquito attraction rates but over a shorter duration of time.”
Though they were impressed by the perfume’s ability to fight off insects and mask scent from mosquitos, they don’t recommend that people start using it as only a mosquito repellent. After all, it may not work the same for everyone.
