The original Avon Skin So Soft bath oil has a long-standing reputation as a bug repellent, but the evidence behind that claim is weak. In testing, the bath oil provided only short-lived protection against mosquitoes, typically less than 20 minutes. Avon does, however, make a separate product line called Skin So Soft Bug Guard that contains a real, EPA-registered insect repellent and offers meaningful protection.
The confusion between these two products has persisted for decades, so it’s worth understanding exactly what each one does and doesn’t do.
The Original Bath Oil: Mostly a Myth
Avon Skin So Soft bath oil was never designed or marketed as a bug repellent. It’s a moisturizing bath oil made primarily with mineral oil and fragrance. Somewhere along the way, word-of-mouth turned it into a folk remedy for keeping mosquitoes away, and the idea stuck.
When researchers actually tested the bath oil against mosquitoes, the results were underwhelming. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine included the original bath oil alongside proven repellents and found it offered far less protection. The oily film on skin may briefly discourage some mosquitoes from landing, but the effect fades quickly. It is not EPA-registered as an insect repellent, which means it hasn’t gone through the testing process that confirms a product actually works for that purpose.
Avon also made a suncare lotion containing 0.5% citronella oil, which may have contributed to the brand’s reputation. Citronella does have mild repellent properties, but at that low concentration, it doesn’t offer reliable or long-lasting protection either.
Bug Guard: The Version That Actually Works
Avon’s Skin So Soft Bug Guard is a completely different product from the bath oil. Its active repellent ingredient is IR3535 (the chemical name is ethylbutylacetylaminopropionate, but nobody needs to remember that). IR3535 works by interfering with an insect’s ability to detect you through scent, making you less attractive to mosquitoes and other biting insects.
This ingredient is legitimate. The CDC lists IR3535 as one of six active ingredients proven safe and effective for preventing mosquito bites, alongside DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, PMD, and 2-undecanone. All six are EPA-registered, meaning they’ve been evaluated for both effectiveness and safety, including for use by pregnant and breastfeeding women when applied as directed.
The Bug Guard line comes in several formulations. One popular version combines the IR3535 repellent with SPF 30 sunscreen in a moisturizing lotion. It’s a two-in-one product, which is convenient but comes with a catch: sunscreen needs to be reapplied more frequently than repellent, so you may end up reapplying the whole product on the sunscreen’s schedule rather than the repellent’s.
How Bug Guard Compares to DEET
IR3535 is effective, but it generally provides shorter protection times than higher-concentration DEET products. A product with 20% to 30% DEET can protect for several hours per application, while IR3535 formulations typically need reapplication sooner. For a backyard barbecue or a walk through the neighborhood, Bug Guard works fine. For hours-long hikes in heavily wooded, mosquito-dense areas, or in regions where mosquito-borne diseases like Zika or West Nile are a concern, a DEET or picaridin product with a longer protection window is the stronger choice.
That said, some people prefer IR3535 because it feels lighter on the skin, doesn’t have the strong chemical smell associated with DEET, and won’t damage plastics or synthetic fabrics the way DEET can. It’s a reasonable trade-off when your exposure risk is moderate.
What About Ticks?
Mosquitoes get most of the attention, but ticks are the other major concern for anyone searching for bug repellent options. EPA-registered repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus can help deter ticks as well, though no topical repellent is as effective against ticks as it is against mosquitoes. Ticks crawl rather than fly, so they often reach skin by traveling up from shoes and pant legs. Treating clothing with permethrin (a separate product you spray on fabric, not skin) adds a significant layer of tick protection that skin-applied repellents alone can’t match.
If tick-borne illness is your primary worry, relying solely on any version of Skin So Soft, including Bug Guard, isn’t your best strategy. Combining a skin repellent with permethrin-treated clothing gives you much stronger coverage.
Which Product to Buy
If you’re shopping for Avon Skin So Soft specifically because you want bug protection, make sure the label says “Bug Guard” and lists IR3535 as the active ingredient. The original bath oil, the shower gel, and the standard moisturizer in the Skin So Soft line are skincare products, not repellents. They will not protect you in any meaningful way.
Look for the EPA registration number on the label. Every legitimate insect repellent sold in the United States is required to display one. If the product doesn’t have it, it hasn’t been evaluated as a repellent, no matter what the internet says about it. The CDC also offers an EPA search tool that lets you filter repellent products by active ingredient and protection time, which can help you compare Bug Guard directly against other options before you buy.