Natural skin care: Insect repellents are potentially toxic
Fans of natural skin care could be interested in new research which shows that insect repellents could be potentially toxic and should not be used by pregnant women and children.
A team of French researchers from the University of Angers and the Institute of Research and Development in Montpellier made the comments after studying the deet chemical which features in many insect sprays.
The ingredient, which was originally developed by the US army for jungle warfare, was found to be neurotoxic in the tests and the scientists warned that the nervous system could be harmed in users.
Researcher Vincent Corbel said: "These findings question the safety of deet, particularly in combination with other chemicals, and they highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to the development of safer insect repellents for use in public health."
Natural insect repellents, which offer a natural alternative to deet-based sprays, include citronella oil, lemon eucalyptus oil and rosemary oil.
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