[Kok! Health] Essential Summer Travel Item 'Mosquito Repellent': How to Choose and Use It Correctly

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] One of the essential items for summer vacation is a 'mosquito repellent.' As COVID-19 stabilizes, the demand for various types of travel such as camping and car camping is rapidly increasing, so the demand for mosquito repellents is also expected to rise. Mosquitoes are not just a nuisance but also vectors of various infectious diseases, so it is important to be careful not to get bitten during outdoor activities.

However, many people are not well informed about the proper selection and usage of mosquito repellents. Shin Sang-yeop, a standing research fellow at KMI Korea Medical Institute (specialist in infectious diseases), emphasized, "It is important to choose mosquito repellents approved as quasi-drugs by considering age and duration of effectiveness, and to apply them correctly."

Check for 'Quasi-Drug' Approval by MFDS... Not Recommended for Infants Under 6 Months

There are many types and forms of mosquito repellents sold on the market. However, many are consumer products that have not passed the safety and efficacy certification by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), so caution is needed when selecting them.

Currently, the mosquito repellent ingredients approved by the MFDS in South Korea for safety and efficacy are ▲DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) ▲Icaridin ▲PMD (para-menthane-3,8-diol) ▲IR3535 (Ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate), totaling four types.

If the product container or packaging is labeled as 'quasi-drug,' it can be considered an MFDS-approved product. Among bracelet-type or sticker-type products, there are no MFDS-approved items.

Various mosquito repellents sold on the market. Photo by Asia Economy.

By ingredient, DEET is the most potent and long-verified ingredient. It is primarily recommended for adults who need to engage in long outdoor activities such as camping or hiking. Generally, the higher the DEET concentration, the longer the duration of effectiveness, but due to concerns about neurological side effects, products containing 10% or less DEET are recommended for children under 12 years old, and it is not approved for infants under 6 months. Also, since it can damage synthetic fibers, caution is advised when spraying it on clothes.

Icaridin and IR3535 are considered less irritating and safer than DEET, so they are preferred choices for infants over 6 months, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers. Icaridin does not damage plastic or synthetic fibers, so it can be sprayed on clothes, but IR3535 may damage plastic or clothing, so it should be used with caution.

PMD is approved for use in children aged 4 and above in Korea. It can rarely cause skin allergic reactions and eye irritation, so care should be taken to avoid contact with the eyes. Especially, there are no approved mosquito repellents for infants under 6 months, so mosquito nets should be used.

Proper Application Methods for Mosquito Repellents

First, mosquito repellents can be applied to exposed skin or on shoes and clothes, but should not be used on wounds, inflamed areas, around the eyes and mouth, sunburned skin, or skin covered by clothing. Spray-type products should be sprayed about 10?20 cm away from the skin and then evenly spread with hands. When applying to the face, do not spray directly but apply by putting some on the hands and avoiding the eyes and mouth. When using on children, they should not apply it themselves; adults should apply it to areas excluding the child's face and hands.

In situations where there is excessive sweating, lactic acid in sweat attracts mosquitoes, so sweat should be wiped off and repellent reapplied. After returning from outdoors, wash the areas where mosquito repellent was applied with soap and water, and clothes sprayed with repellent should be washed immediately. When using sunscreen together, apply sunscreen first, allow it to be fully absorbed, and then apply mosquito repellent.

In particular, since studies show that using mosquito repellent and sunscreen simultaneously can reduce the sunscreen's effectiveness by about one-third, it is recommended to apply sunscreen more frequently and sufficiently to maintain its protective effect.

When traveling to regions where endemic diseases such as malaria or dengue fever occur, mosquito repellents alone may not be sufficient. It is necessary to prepare mosquito nets and clothing treated with permethrin, which has insect-repellent and insecticidal effects.