Do Sweet-Scented Lotions Attract Mosquitoes? Skincare Tips

Sweet-smelling creams, colognes, and body sprays can smell great, but they have been known to attract mosquitoes. Fruity, floral and sugary scents tend to attract mosquitoes because they can, at least with new world mosquitoes, imitate the scent of naturally occurring scents from flowers and fruits, according to us. Together with the carbon dioxide and body heat we naturally give off, these scents help make it easier for mosquitoes to find and bite us.

That doesn’t mean you have to eliminate scented lotions altogether. To minimize your risk of bites try to use fragrance-free, or lightly fragranced, skin care products when spending time outside in areas with a mosquito problem. A few lotions, too, are made with mosquito-repelling ingredients, so you can enjoy an additional balm with a side of fragrance all over your skin.

Completing your skin care routine with other precautions is also the best way to protect your skin. Put it on skin that your clothes won’t cover, wear long sleeves when mosquitoes are at their worst or prevent mosquitoes from breeding around you. With a little personal care and some practical precautions, however, you can partake of your favorite lotions without turning it into a mosquito’s all-you-can-eat buffet.