The packaging makes it very clear that it should not be applied to the face. I believe the active ingredient is a strong eye irritant.

That being the case, what have you used to protect your face from bites? Of course sun cream is a must too which complicates matters.

Cheers

What might be helpful is applying the SSS in the night before sleeping. The skin can then absorb the cream better. I do that also with sun protection, it helps a but that the sweat moves the freshly applied cream into your eyes too easy.

Hunters using moisturiser .... new concept?

Tsetse seem to bite around the neck and arms so you should get value out of that stuff in any case.
Just get use to slapping your self around the head....

Hours of entertainment.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
Hunters using moisturiser .... new concept?

I agree Matt the name is unfortunate and misleading! But by many accounts it does the best job possible of protecting you against bites.

quote:

Originally posted by Maximus Brutus:

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
Hunters using moisturiser .... new concept?

I agree Matt the name is unfortunate and misleading! But by many accounts it does the best job possible of protecting you against bites.

Ohhhh - I see. I was thinking the worst!!

I've been unable to locate the Skin so Soft products here in SA. That said, I recommended them to a friend who ordered on Ebay and said he was the only guy not bitten on his fishing trip.

He also tried one of the produsts of Avon which combines an insect repellant and sunscreen and said it worked well. That combination does exist.

I used Skin so Soft hunting buffalo in Zambia during October. I had the regular type and also the insect repellent type with picaridin. Really could not tell which one worked best for me, they both worked for tetse flys very well.

I like the alcohol-based aerosol sunscreen because it dries quickly, doesn't run as bad as creams do, and gives a better job of coverage. If you have trouble with stuff running into your eyes, put lip balm on your eyebrows. It's a lot better than trying to wipe bleary eyes with a sweaty hand so you can see your target in the scope.

quote:

Originally posted by Maximus Brutus:
That being the case, what have you used to protect your face from bites?

Skin so soft.



Since almost nothing works for Tsetse flies for very long, I don't usually worry about it. For mozzies, just use some deet based repellant. SSS is fine for mosquitoes and I have noticed it works for a little while on Tsetse flies. But odds are you should feel a Tsetse if he lands on your face. Mozzies ... not so much.

I have gotten to where I don't bother with trying to keep Tsetse's off me much anymore. Ultrathon is the consistency of axle grease and removes the paint from the roll bar, or anything else you touch for very long. Not too excited about rubbing that on my skin every hour, or the idea of it possibly running into my eyes. I would be interested to hear others experience with Ultrathon and the length of effectiveness. For me, it works for about 1 hour.

quote:

Hunters using moisturiser .... new concept? Confused

Matt, "Down Under", even deodorant is a new concept, huh? :-)

I put it on my face playing golf and it has not bothered my eyes. I spray the aerosol on my hands then apply.

I used it liberally everywhere I was exposed, even my face but when you spray yourself, close your eyes and try to avoid them. That stuff works very well. Even the PH went to using it.
Biebs,
you might have to explain what Deodorant is to them, not just throw it out there. Although there may be a dictionary somewhere down under, I guess they could look it up.....

quote:

Although there may be a dictionary somewhere down under

Rick, they did have a dictionary, but Matt used it one night to start the barbie :-)

Not only does Avon Skin So Soft work for tetses and other biting insects, I now use it regularly stateside for the deer flies and no-see-ums we have here. I use the spray and just hold my breath and shut my eyes and spray away.

Wendell,

A hunting partner and I - he is an M.D. - used Ultrathon while in Mozambique in 2005, specifically for Tsetse flys, and found that it worked. We had both experienced severe reactions to the fly on previous safari. Our evidence is, of course, anecdotal but we both felt that the number of bites was dramatically reduced. A single application on top of sunscreen, seemed to last the day - 8-10 hours. 3M advertises it as 12 hour protection. It is now available in a tube with a sponge applicator, which makes application much easier.

Ultrathon is given one of the highest ratings by the CDC.

NOTE: While there are many versions of SSS, only one is rated by CDC.

Anecdotal evidence aside, I am not aware of any good scientific study that Avon SSS really works other than trapping insects in an oily film (not repelling them like DEET does).

Did find this re: terse

Med Vet Entomol. 1989 Apr;3(2):153-8.
Evaluations of permethrin-impregnated clothing and three topical repellent formulations of deet against tsetse flies in Zambia.
Sholdt LL, Schreck CE, Mwangelwa MI, Nondo J, Siachinji VJ.
Source
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799.
Abstract
Permethrin-impregnated clothing and three topical repellent formulations of deet (diethyltoluamide) were field tested against natural populations of tsetse flies, mostly Glossina morsitans centralis Machado, in central Zambia. Volunteers wore different combinations of clothing impregnated with permethrin 0.125 mg ai/cm2 and repellents while riding in a vehicle that was driven slowly (4-6 km/h), with the windows and rear door open, through fly-infested areas. The mean rate of tsetse bites was about twenty per 75 min for unprotected people. The treatment combination of permethrin-impregnated clothing (blue cotton coveralls) and either of two controlled-release deet formulations on exposed skin of face and arms provided 91% mean protection, but this was not significantly better (P greater than 0.05) than wearing deet repellent alone (76-87% protection). No significant differences of protection were observed between the three repellent treatments, although the two controlled-release formulations (intended to be more persistent) were applied at approximately half the dosage of the standard 75% deet. Wearing permethrin-impregnated coveralls alone provided relatively poor protection (34%) for the untreated and exposed skin of head and hands. However, olive drab mesh jackets treated with permethrin reduced the tsetse biting rate by 75%.
PMID: 2519659 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Med Vet Entomol. 1989 Apr;3(2):153-8.
Evaluations of permethrin-impregnated clothing and three topical repellent formulations of deet against tsetse flies in Zambia.
Sholdt LL, Schreck CE, Mwangelwa MI, Nondo J, Siachinji VJ.
Source
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799.
Abstract
Permethrin-impregnated clothing and three topical repellent formulations of deet (diethyltoluamide) were field tested against natural populations of tsetse flies, mostly Glossina morsitans centralis Machado, in central Zambia. Volunteers wore different combinations of clothing impregnated with permethrin 0.125 mg ai/cm2 and repellents while riding in a vehicle that was driven slowly (4-6 km/h), with the windows and rear door open, through fly-infested areas. The mean rate of tsetse bites was about twenty per 75 min for unprotected people. The treatment combination of permethrin-impregnated clothing (blue cotton coveralls) and either of two controlled-release deet formulations on exposed skin of face and arms provided 91% mean protection, but this was not significantly better (P greater than 0.05) than wearing deet repellent alone (76-87% protection). No significant differences of protection were observed between the three repellent treatments, although the two controlled-release formulations (intended to be more persistent) were applied at approximately half the dosage of the standard 75% deet. Wearing permethrin-impregnated coveralls alone provided relatively poor protection (34%) for the untreated and exposed skin of head and hands. However, olive drab mesh jackets treated with permethrin reduced the tsetse biting rate by 75%.
PMID: 2519659 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

I'm careful in applying it to the face. I try and avoid my eyes and parts of my face that come into contact with the gun stock as it seems to like to begin to remove the finish from a wooden stock.

I didn't even read the directions to not apply to the face. I closed my eyes before spraying on my face and that worked well. Reapplied around mid-day and stayed bug bite free.

If you read the instructions, it melts your eyes! Over the top I'm sure, but all the same, worth checking

Well,

I leave for the Zambezi valley in less than a week. I do not know who to believe so I am going to be a test bed. Taking a little SSS, ultrathon, Jungle juice (99% deet; varnish remover) and Bullfrog mosquito coast which is a deet free sunscreen/ insect repellent. I hope the Bullfrog works, most of their products are pretty good.
If we run into any flies I will be able tp report what works best!

In Zambia last Oct. Worst tsetse flys I have ever seen some area's thousands would be following the truck. Skin so Sofe save my behind and the rest of me. Some of the guys on the truck where hammered me had only a couple of bites. Finally ran out of skin so soft sharing. It was ugly then.