Insect repellents don't have to stink. Here are 3 pleasantly-scented options to try. (2024)

A light pass of the hand… then a frenetic wave. … A purposeful slap follows. Got 'em!

Such is being outdoors in Louisiana, particularly in steamy summer, when we're prey No. 1 of the small but sneaky and stinging flying insect. Going on the offensive against gnats, mosquitoes, sand flies and their rude relatives used to mean smelling like the equivalent of gasoline from the limited choices of repellents on the market.

Lucky for us, our noses are detecting sweeter aromas these days as we sit in our boats awaiting a better sort of bite, tend to our flowering gardens or spend an afternoon poolside.

Yes, pleasantly-scented alternatives to basic insect sprays are numerous and varied.

Here are three to try out:

Don't keep this secret

Undergarment, lingerie and casual wear boutique chain Victoria's Secret & Co. sells something on their perfume and bodycare aisle called Amber Romance.

All-things-fragrance website Fragrantica describes it as "a warm and alluring blend of black cherry, crème anglaise, vanilla and sandalwood." Sounds lovely but there's an additional attribute— the aggravating insects hate it.

A testament to fragrance's popularity this time of year: When trying to locate a bottle 10 days ago, the Mall of Louisiana VS store had none. The closest was found at Slidell's Victoria Secret.

Amber Romance:Body mist, $19.95, 8.4 ounces; lotion, $19.95, 8 ounces

https://www.victoriassecret.com/us/

'We started with soap'

The idea for Gonzales-based Hawk Soap Co. was borne out of Scott Young's preference for bar soap.

"I thought, 'Well, wouldn't it be nice to have a bar soap that worked for the body but also served as a shampoo bar?' So I started doing a little research and found that there wasn't a whole lot of soap companies making a body and shampoo bar. And gosh, the only bar soap competition out there for men was Dove," Young said. "And so I thought, 'Well, that's not very manly. Let's come up with our own, a multi-multifunctional bar, and we'll call it Hawk, you know, we'll be the predator instead of the prey (as in Dove).' "

His business partner, Paul Knapp, quickly came on board. That was 2017. It was a new direction for both men — Young was a longtime pharmaceutical salesman and Knapp worked in the oil and gas industry.

The soap biz took off, Davis said, with a few more products introduced along the way, including Squito Hawk natural repellent spray and Hawk Soap Co.'s answer to Amber Romance, Marsh Romance. Gnats despise that one too, the company pledges right on the front of the spray bottle.

Both Squito Hawk and Marsh Romance are all-natural and DEET-free. The former is formulated from essential oils, while the latter is made of fragrance oils, thus it's identified as a cologne rather than a repellent spray. Both also contain vanilla.

"Because the gnats don't like vanilla," Young said.

"It (Marsh Romance) grew kind of organically, but it grew to a point where the brand recognition was there. Everybody knew it was for that (repelling insects)," he said.

"Of course a lot of people in south Louisiana fish in the marsh along the coast, and the gnats, they just get in your eyes, your ears, your nose. And so that's kind of the focus of that product," Young said. "But then we found out people on the East Coast, places like Beaufort, South Carolina, and usually Florida, they're dealing with the same thing."

The customer base, which includes men and women, for online and in-store sales of the product grew from there.

"We're in quite a few stores (mainly outdoors and sports shops, but also a few groceries and pharmacies) around Baton Rouge, Gonzales, and we're also in a lot of bait and tackle shops down South," Young explained. "And all along the Gulf Coast, even up toward the East Coast — South Carolina, North Carolina — we're up to New York about, up there, about everywhere, the Marsh Romance that is."

Squito Hawk: $10, four-ounce bottle

Marsh Romance: $10, four-ounce bottle; $16.95, eight-ounce bottle

hawksoap.comor marshromance.com

Avon calling

If you're of a certain age, you'll recall when Skin So Soft Bath Oil was all the rage in the war against insects—this product from the 138-year-old door-to-door cosmetics empire known as Avon.

Not only is Avon still around, it's broadened its scope to grab online shoppers as well and now features a whole line of Skin So Soft Bug Guard products, some with a sunscreen component.

According to a company spokesman, the sprays, lotions and towelettes are effective at repelling mosquitoes, deer ticks, gnats, no-seeums, sand flies and biting midges, and also repel deer ticks that may transmit Lyme disease. These products are DEET-free as well.

"We do not make claims that the original Skin So Soft Bath Oil collection repels bugs," the spokesman said. "We only make claims with our Bug Guard collection."

Sprays and pumps: $11-$22

Towelettes: $16, 8-pack

avon.com