As a woman I like to shower and then smell nice. I like lavender smells and vanilla bean smells and my ultimate favorite smell – lilac. So I buy shampoo that smells like lavender and body wash that smells like vanilla bean and skin lotion that smells like lilacs.
All these nice smelling products are great, except when traveling. When we travel these attractive smells are also attractive to all kinds of bugs. Bugs love certain fragrances and while traveling I certainly do not want to attract any bugs that like to bite. I’m already more prone to being bitten by bugs than anyone my husband has ever met. In fact he says I’m just the right person to travel with since he calls me ‘bait’.
The less smells and fragrances you have in any of the products you are wearing the better. They do make shampoos, deodorants and all the other toiletries in unscented varieties. Yes these products are boring because they don’t have any of the pretty smells but they will do what they are supposed to do; keep me clean but not attract any unwanted pests.
This is one of those simple and most often unaddressed issues for those who travel. Not being bitten and having to deal with hundreds of bug bites will also make your trip more pleasant.
Besides there has to be some perks for going back home other than being able to get a good cup of coffee. We have been back in the US a couple of weeks now and I have my favorite smells around me again, and I have brand new bottles of all my toiletries in unscented for our next trip, whenever or wherever that is.
Florence Lince
Just for fun link; http://www.mygarden.lt/2009/09/16/colours-and-fragrances-to-attract-insects/
The Expat C.A.F.E. 