The first heat mark the (big) return of mosquitoes. And some fear more than others their bites. It is true that we are not all equal to their attacks: mosquitoes, fine gourmets, favor certain olfactory notes. As such, the choice of your soap would seem to play a determining role.
Soap modifies your smell … and your chances of getting bitten
It is a scientifically proven fact: soap modifies our body odor, and it also changes the way mosquitoes perceive us as “potential blood donors”.
Indeed, mosquitoes are not only nourished by blood – their main source of food is the nectar of plants. Thus, spraying with fragrant substances derived from plants or imitating their scent could reduce (or accentuate) your attractiveness.
“The soaps radically change our way of feeling, not only by adding chemicals, but also by causing variations in the emission of compounds that we already produce naturally”, Confirms Chloé Lahondère, co-author of a study on this subject.
An hour after being washed, the skin would continue to diffuse the famous volatile compounds. “”An hour after being washed, the skin diffuses more than 80% the scent of the soap used “, reveals Géraldine Zamansky, health journalist, at the microphone of France Info.
Vanilla, mango, musk … Sweet scents seduce mosquitoes
Unsurprisingly, it is the floral and sweet smells that seem to seduce mosquitoes the most (pineapple, mimosa, musk, vanilla …) since they are used to seeking the sugar contained in the nectar of plants. If your soap has sweet notes, prudence therefore: it may well be the cause of your bites at night.
Conversely, coconut, lemongrass and eucalyptus act as repellents, say the co-authors of Chloé Lahondère. To reach this theory, four soaps – dial, Dove, native and simple truth – were tested on volunteer people. Everyone had to wash one arm and not the other, by multiplying the types of soaps used.
Result ? “”Washing with a soap from the Dove or Simple Truth brand increased the appeal of certain volunteers (but not all), while washing with native soap tended to push mosquitoes“, reveals the press release.
The coconut scent, however presented as “natural”, seemed to be the most dissuasive for mosquitoes. Same refrain for lemongrass and eucalyptus, two perfumes recognized scientifically as effective repellents: their compounds would disrupt the olfactory receptors of these insects.
Here you are now fully informed to buy the “good” soap on the shelves!