My son will be heading off to day camp later this month where he will swim, run, climb, and, quite possibly, be eaten alive by mosquitoes. Since I'm not too keen on him reapplying toxic chemicals all over himself midway through the day, I'm glad to have found a natural option in the ParaKito mosquito repellent band that will help keep those itchy biters away from his limbs.
This soft, colorful neoprene band is one of the easiest ways I've found to get kids ready for a full day in the great outdoors. Just fasten the velcro tab around their arm or ankle and off they go. A small outer pocket holds a refillable mosquito repellent in a pellet which lasts up to 15 days and is made of citronella, rosemary, geranium, and mint oils which do the trick pretty well.
While natural, definitely know that the active ingredients emit a strong citronella scent, like those candles you may use outdoors in the summer. Sensitive noses may prefer to wear the band around an ankle rather than a wrist.
Related: The EWG list of the safest sunscreens for kids
As far as how well it works, I've worn a ParaKito band, on and off, for a couple of weeks and have been pleasantly bite-free whenever I have it on. Truthfully, I would mostly consider this band a backup to any regular repellent you might use, especially if you're traveling to the rainforests of Central America or hiking in tick-heavy areas, since the bands do not repel ticks. But considering I've long found that natural repellents work well in most cases for our family, I think ParaKito is a good addition to our mosquito-fighting arsenal. And I do like that the entire band can get wet, so kids can jump in and out of a pool, lake or shower without needing to remove the band. That is a good thing, since I know that if my son had to remove the band to go swimming at camp, he'd never find it again. Check out the ParaKito mosquito repellent bands in kid and adult sizes and styles. Each comes with two pellets for 30 days of protection, and the site offers pellet refills.
