USING coconut-scented soap could be the answer to reducing annoying mosquito bites, according to new research from Virginia Tech University in the United States.
The scientists looked at why some people tend to be "mosquito-magnets" and concluded it could be due to their natural smell combined with the soap they use.
In a trial they looked at how attractive volunteer participants were to mosquitoes when they hadn't washed, versus washing with a variety of soap brands.
All of the soaps contained limonene, which is a known insect repellent, but the researchers also found that using Dove and Simple Truth soap increased the attractiveness of some - but not all - of the experimental subjects.
Published in the journal Science, the paper said "it's remarkable that the same individual that is extremely attractive to mosquitoes when they are unwashed can be turned even more attractive to mosquitoes with one soap, and then become repellent or repulsive to mosquitoes with another soap".
Soap-washing significantly changed the odour profile of each study participant, and consequently also impacted mozzie preferences.
After identifying individual chemicals with an impact on the insects' choices, the researchers concluded that coconut-scented soaps were the best in reducing blood sucker attraction.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 11 May 23
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