There’s some online evidence that Irish Spring soap may help to repel mosquitoes. Please keep in mind that these online sources are not peer-reviewed but simple assertions.
In our research to find out if Irish Spring repels mosquitoes we have read some unsubstantiated claims that state studies from researchers found that when Irish Spring soap was applied to the skin, fewer mosquitoes landed on it compared with unwashed skin.
Moreover, there are videos and claims that assert the soap also appeared to delay biting behavior by up to 15 minutes. We do not recommend this approach at all.
While these assertions are promising, there is video evidence from research that does not confirm the mosquito-repelling effects of Irish Spring soap. In complete contrast, the video evidence clearly shows that the claim is false. If the claims that Irish Spring actually repels mosquitoes, then the manufacturers would clearly take advantage of the purported dual nature of cleaning the skin and defending from mosquitoes.
In fact, it does not take much research to see that the benefits of the bar soap are listed as odor protection, antibacterial, moisturization, exfoliation, and that the soap is mild for skin. In addition to the aforementioned benefits, the Irish Spring Body wash benefits include that it is Paraben-free, is formulated without Phthalates, retain’s the skin’s natural moisture, hydrates, and is offered as a shampoo and conditioner.
To be very clear there aren’t any assertions by the manufacturer of Irish Spring that their products repel mosquitoes. If it were an effective mosquito repellent it is more than likely this benefit would be listed as a selling point.
Why Do Some Claim That Irish Spring Soap Repels Mosquitoes?
In order to find the answer to this question, one would need to find the sources that make this bold claim. With the many that make this claim, we will leave this up to you the reader. We feel that being an “armchair psychologist” and psychoanalyzing the writers and video creators as to why they make these claims is unfruitful and may be unfair to delve into the creators’ intent.
The most basic assumption that we feel comfortable stating that the soap is effective is likely because most sources cite that strong smells repel mosquitoes and because the soap has a fragrance then it may be useful as a deterrent.
Some of the Irish Spring products fragrances listed are Aloe Mist, Moisture Blast, Icy Blast, Sage and Cedar, Relaxing Sandalwood, Sea Sult and White Birch, and Eucalyptus and Mint.
Please note this is just a guess as we gathered information about the ingredients factored in n with assertions about natural repellent’s scent being efficacious in repelling mosquitoes.
The following are some of the ingredients contained in the original clean bar soap sodium laurate /linoleate / Oleate / Palmitate, Glycerine, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Charcoal Powder, Tetrasodium EDTA, Etidronic Acid, Green 8, and Green 3.
(1) These ingredients are listed as inactive ingredients and are mostly cleaning agents, water retainers, foam catalysts, thickness reducers, antioxidants, and dyes/colorants. With the exception of the fragrance, none of the listed ingredients have been shown to repel mosquitoes.
It is baffling to this author that there are any claims that Irish Spring Soap repels mosquitoes. As shown above, the claims to its efficacy of being used as a mosquito repellent is unsubstantiated and without merit. Thus, we recommend not attempting to use Irish Spring Soap as a mosquito repellent; primarily because the claims are unsubstantiated and you may put yourself in danger of illnesses that mosquitoes may carry. We highly recommend finding a useful mosquito deterrent to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes.
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