Good morning. Happy Tuesday. Last night I went to (spoiler alert) Augustus’s funeral. Again. 😯 I went opening night with my friend Amy, but a few of our book club wanted to go as we had just read the book as a group this past month. It’s such a great story line and between book and movie I pick up a little more each time.
So… I have a funny story.
“No way Sheila! Something funny? YOU? Really?
Yes. And stop it. 😉
Quite a few years ago, I started using a product that is a skin softener with sesame oil. A friend of mine told me about it, I tried it and love to use it after I shower. It has a light scent to it that I love as well. About 4 years ago while up at our cabin hiking, I discovered a happy side affect to the product. While my friends were complaining about black flies (if you are unfamiliar they are NASTY buggers and bite), while I was not being bothered by them. I started noticing in other situations that bugs did not seem to bother me as much as others. It had to be the sesame oil.
I started recommending this to my friends who go camping, even buying it as a gift for people. I have been recommending it for years.
Then…
I told my friend Kate who I run with about it a month ago. She did not want to go on the trail because of all the bugs. I gave my sesame oil talk about the benefits I have noticed and that you can pick it up in any drug store in the lotion aisle.
A week later while on the trail with Kate I asked her how the sesame oil was going. “It’s wonderful!” she raved, “but the kids complain because it smells like skunk.”
I was confused. The scent is pleasant, not sharp or stinky at all. I told her as much. “You bought the same one I am using right?”, I asked. “In the lotion aisle, tall bottle, clear golden color?”
Kate looked at me. “Lotion aisle? No… I picked it up in the cooking aisles.”
I laughed so hard. Apparently Kate has been wearing this, and cooking with it. “The other night I made sesame chicken, there was some of the oil on me, and on the chicken.” Even her husband has been using it and they swear it keeps the bugs away.
It’s true.
Kate and I this last weekend looked it up online and sesame oil is a bug repellant. It is considered a natural mosquito repellant.
That’s it for this morning. Work.. meeting tonight… might start mowing the lawn again which means audio 🙂
What do you use for bug repellant? Any awesome secrets that work?
Book Journey 
I will definitely have to try that. I can be outside with a whole group of people and I am the only one the bugs bother, even if I am wearing OFF or some other such potion.
Let me know how it works for you 🙂 I odnt like bug spray because it leaves your skin so sticky!
…AND it’s TOXIC putting pesticide directly on your skin,my dear.
LOL…I didn’t know it was a natural mosquito repellent, but it’s great to know! I love the taste of sesame oil in cooking, but don’t use it often enough and most of the bottle ultimately turns rancid. So glad to know about it, Sheila…and no wonder your friend “smelled” 🙂 Of course, me being ultra-sensitive, I doubt I can tolerate the scent of yours at all *sigh*
You should try this – the scent is very lite and once it is on I dont smell it all all.
I need to find it and sniff the bottle. If it’s OK, then at least I’ll know something we can use to fend off the bugs if I happen to be outside at “bug time” 🙂
Skin so Soft by Avon. Works awesome. 🙂
I know there are a good number of people who love Skin So Soft, but feel compelled to mention that there’s something in it that absolutely KILLS anyone with sensitivities. I can’t remember the ingredients. I just know the effect it has on me and others like me : /
I remember that, that is what made me think of when I figured out that my skin softener must be keeping the bugs away 🙂
That’s funny! Your poor friend LOL
I warned her that I was going to write about this. 😛
Hilarious! I love and have been using Neutrogena Body Oil for years. I am ultra sensitive and this does not bother me at all.
Nise’ is there any smell to it all?
Great to know 🙂 And it last forever… I buy maybe a bottle about every 6 – 8 months.
This is too funny…But I think I’ll give the Neutragena brand a try…
Right? 😯 LOL
OMG Sheila that story is so funny..i was literally laughing.. of course hubby and Michael needed to know why and they laughed as well, when I go to the US this summer I will need to look for that because I had bugs
Oh good… I thought this one had to be shared 😀 I think is was especially funny that her husband did it too (he is one of my bosses!)
That’s too funny! We have lots of bugs in Florida, especially since there’s a pond in our backyard, so I think I’ll look for this next time I go to town. Does it smell ok for a man to use too?
I think a guy can use it – the scent is really lite.
Hilarious! Good to know. Last year a mosquito got in and laid eggs. We had a steady stream of them, getting all bit in the meanwhile until I figured out where they were coming from! We even have nets. Total Hitchcock moment waking up in the wee hours with 4-5 skeeters clinging to the damn net and two inside.
OK—-you’re KILLIN’ me here! AAAAAGGGHHH!! I can hear the repetitive screech of the harsh violins now!
It’s no fun getting bit up, especially on the eye lid. My kids swelled up too. Husband was a Vegas buffet.
Nets???? Where do you live? I thought Minnesota was bad 🙂
From Bed, Bath, & Beyond. The mosquitoes tricked and then got worse last year June. Found out the corner bathtub basket was where the mosquito had laid eggs and so they were hatching over time. San Francisco is where I am.
I will have to check out the nets 😀
When you use them, it’s best to have the opening in back of your headboard. We learned the hard way the first time we used ours. We had the opening at the foot of the bed which opened and let in two skeeters which bit my eyelid and under my eye.
Oh, my husband had read heating up a spoon under tap water and rolling it on a bite helps release the proteins the mosquito injects into you. It’s the proteins that stop blood flow and makes the bite itchy. It does take a few times though from experience. Three days it takes for the bite to stop itching.
Good advice – I will have to try that one.
Interesting. We like sesame oil for cooking.
Sesame Oil…. it isn’t just for cooking anymore 😉
Apparently!
So funny about the mix-up. Whoever said it turns rancid quickly, do you refrigerate it? Because it said on the bottle I had that it had to be put in the refrigerator. Good to know it works in any form,though 🙂 I used to live in Maine, and that was “black fly headquarters”–wowie, they hurt by actually biting off pieces of your skin. Thanks for the tips here.
Black flies are the worst!
Ha!!!!!! Love that she was using sesame oil. Too funny.
I was freaked out at first until we learned that she was on to something and it is used for that! 😀
In the continuing comedy of errors: I sent Mr. BFR out to buy some of this. He came home with Neutragena Body Oil, Light Sesame Formula. Good job! But **after** I opened it and put some on, I realized he bought … wait for it … FRAGRANCE FREE!!! He said, I thought you didn’t like perfume-y things. Umm, but ….
Too funny! I’ll have to get some of that oil, either one will do the trick I guess 🙂
Right 🙂