All Terrain Responds to My Review of Herbal Armor

I recently posted my review (Itching for Autumn) of All Terrain's Herbal Armor Natural Insect Repellent. Although I admittedly loved the product and found it effective, I gave it an A- for having some issues with the pump on the bottle and for needing to reapply more often than the bottle claimed.
I recently received a response to my review from All Terrain, addressing both of these issues.

Regarding the pump, they wrote, "The pump does seem to get "clogged" sometimes due to our formulation. We have tried reformulating to make a "thinner" product, but it did not test to be 100% effective against mosquitoes for 120 minutes (as our original formulation does.)" I hope they don't change a thing. If a quirky pump is all that stands between me and mosquito free bliss, I'm good!

In my review I stated, "It does not have the staying power that it claims. You should be prepared to reapply every hour or so, depending on how much you are sweating." This concerned them, as they have not found this to be true in their clinical studies. These studies fully back up their claims of 120 minutes of mosquito protection and allow them to offer a full money back guarantee on this product. To that I blush. Maybe I suffer from Hyperhidrosis! Or maybe I just need to be a little more thorough in my application next time.

Whichever the case, All Terrain stands by the integrity of their product and I find that uncommonly refreshing.

Itching for Autumn

As my hometown of Houston moves out of monsoon season into a hopefully dryer summer, I find myself itching for autumn. Literally. The unusually heavy rains of March and April have left us with a surplus of mosquitoes. Every day more and more are rising up out of the flood waters, like ancient mongol warriors ready to pillage our fair city.
My poor pup can't even make it to our back fence (a vast stretch of 20 feet) without stirring up a swarm that proceed to savagely assail her. Our evening and weekend walks are an ordeal as I obsessively swat at anything with wings with one hand while pushing my stroller in snaking motions with the other, selflessly defending my offspring at all costs.
My pitiable toddler bumps along, quietly suffering in long sleeves, jeans, thick socks and high-top converse (a necessary but cruel infliction now that temps are already reaching mid to upper 80's and the humidity is higher than normal thanks to the added moisture.)
This is what inspired a search for a new and more effective bug repellent. Last year myself and my daughter endured the suffocating fumes of Burt's Bees natural bug repellent for roughly six months, a small sacrifice had it actually been effective. It was not. (Much to my disappointment as I am a huge Burt's Bees fan.) This year we are trying All Terrain's Herbal Armor Natural Insect Repellent.


But before I give my review, I'd like to say a bit about why I feel it is important to go natural when choosing bug repellent.

Chemical based insect repellents such as Off and Cutter contain significant amounts of DEET, which many claim to be a neurotoxin. The suspected side affects of DEET range from skin and respiratory irritation to birth defects, seizures and cancer. That said, no reliable studies can be found to prove (or disprove) these claims. The EPA and CDC do caution consumers about the use of DEET based products, especially on small children. They advise not applying it directly to the skin if possible, and if it is applied to the skin they recommend washing it off once you return to the indoors. They also recommend not spraying it directly onto the face, especially a child's, and not inhaling the vapors.
In their most recent review of DEET in 2007, the EPA was very clear that they did not find DEET to be a strong toxic risk, placing it in Toxicity Category III (the 2nd lowest of four categories.) They also did not find any studies that verified claims of it being a carcinogen (cancer causing substance) nor did they find studies proving it responsible for seizures in any small children.
Many would argue, however, that there have not been enough studies on the effects of DEET on human health. And many more would just prefer not to take the chance when there are natural alternatives that carry no risk. I am one.

Now for my review.

All Terrain's Herbal Armor Spray

What I love:

• It works. I put it on before my run and never had to swat away one mosquito. My daughter only had one bite during our 1 1/2 hour outing. (I was not as generous when applying it on her, worrying that she would stink all night. Lazy mom- I know.)
• It's not oily like the brand we used last year.
• The smell is not as strong as other repellents, including DEET based ones. It's not nice- but which ones are?
• It comes out of the spray bottle like a spray on lotion and absorbs into the skin quickly. You do have to smooth it out like lotion to get optimum coverage.
• Price! This is normally a negative point with natural products, but the price here is competitive.
• It's made of all natural ingredients and is non-toxic.

What I don't love:

• It does not having the staying power that it claims. You should be prepared to reapply every hour or so, depending on how much you are sweating.
• The spray bottle is not the highest quality. After ever few sprays I have to loosen the cap to allow air back in so that it works properly.

Over all I give this product an A-. I'm sold.

Great Deals Today on Amazon.com

If you are a fan of Mrs. Meyer's products you can stock up today on Amazon.com for next to nothing!

Here are a couple of the deals they are currently running:

Mrs. Meyer's Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Basil, 32 Ounce Bottles, Case of 6 $7.49!
That's is about what you would pay for one bottle at the grocery store! Shipping for that order is only $5.95.

Mrs. Meyer's Shower Cleaner, Basil, 22 ounce Bottles, Case of 6, $5.99!
I believe that is cheaper than what I can buy 1 bottle for at my local store. Shipping is $13.12 for this order but still a steal!

Grab them fast because they don't always keep these deals up for long.

CleanWell Natural Hand Sanitizer

The current swine flu scare has everyone obsessively cleaning their hands- and rightly so. Frequent washing with old fashioned soap and water is sufficient but it's a hassle, dries our skin out and is not always possible so many of us turn to hand sanitizers. Most hand sanitizers are alcohol based and if used often dry out and crack the skin increasing risk of infection. Also, most brands have a 62% alcohol content! 2 ounces of hand sanitizer is the equivalent of 4 shots of vodka!


I have a two year old and we use hand sanitizers often. Anyone who has children knows that toddlers are curious. They test things out with their mouths regularly. Boogers, small toys, pet hair, pennies, soap and yes- hand sanitizer. (The scented ones are especially appealing.)

The American Association of Poison Control received 219,534 calls about two year olds alone in the year 2007. That's more than any other age group! In addition to the alcoholic content, there are other harmful chemicals such as Triclosan. (Triclosan is a chemical thought by the EPA to be contaminated by dioxins. Dioxins are carcogenic chemicals which can cause brith defects, a weakened immun system, cancer and more.) I am not comfortable with my child absorbing these chemicals into her skin on a regular basis.


That's why when I saw CleanWell All Natural Sanitizer in Target I had to give it a try. Here's my review:


What I Love:

• It is alcohol free
• It's non-toxic, ALL NATURAL and completely safe for kids so there is no ingestion risk!
• It does not dry out my hands. In fact they actually feel soft and hydrated after each use but NOT greasy.
• A little goes a long way.
• Not messy and goopy. I love the fine mist spray.
• They do not test on animals.
• The ingredients come from renewable resources.
• Eco-friendly. 100% biodegradable so it breaks down easily and does not harm or disturb the ecosystem.

What I don't love:

• I don't love the smell. It doesn't really stink but it doesn't smell that great. Sometimes there is a fresh scent with a hint of citrus and sometimes it smells almost peppery. However, it is not very strong and does not linger long. Definitely not bad enough to keep me from using the product.
• Cost. It is a few dollars more for each bottle than main stream brands such as GermX and Purell. But it does go a lot farther than those brands as well.

Over all? I'm sold.

They have a really good website with lots of interesting facts and information. Check it out!

http://www.cleanwelltoday.com/

For more information on the dangers of Triclosan read this informative article.

http://www.grinningplanet.com/2005/10-04/triclosan-article.htm