Bug spray

[OakLeaf]

why on earth people think that "natural" or "herbal" means non-toxic is a complete mystery to me

I think you're confusing something.

A substance that produces a gross physiological reaction as well as sensory aversion (choking, offensive smell) is something that your body is genetically programmed to treat as harmful. Whether it's natural or synthetic - DEET or dog poop.

That doesn't prove that it's harmful, but it should be enough to warrant more investigation.

Obviously it doesn't prove that things that smell nice and don't cause choking are safe, either ... but on that scale, I think it's safe to assume that synthetic substances that are specifically designed to be inoffensive are less likely to be safe than natural substances that don't immediately set off warning systems that the human body evolved while being exposed to those same substances over millennia.

I just don't want my clothes and eyeglasses melted. Why does that strike you as irrational?

And I can't stand the smell of DEET, or the feel of it on my skin. Literally can't stand it, never could, even when I was a teenager and thought nothing about safety. Dozens of mosquito bites, each of which leaves about a 6 cm welt on me and itches awfully for about two weeks, are more comfortable to me than DEET. Comfort may be irrational, but why isn't it a valid consideration?