Is Your Backcountry Skincare Routine Attracting Mosquitos?
Most hikers know not to carry too many scented products into the backcountry—but new research shows it’s not just bears they could be attracting. According to a 2023 paper, perfumes and soaps—especially those with natural, plant-derived scents—can act like mosquito magnets. The same is true of scented deodorants, sunscreens, and other skincare products.
You might read that and be tempted to give up your backcountry hygiene routine altogether. However, research also shows that mosquitos are attracted to the scent of human sweat and BO. So, what’s worse: using mosquito-attracting skincare products, or skipping out on personal hygiene altogether?
November 1, 2024
Amelia Arvesen
Based in Portland, Oregon, Amelia Arvesen is an independent journalist exploring the intersection of humans and their environments, whether they’re on the trail or in their studios. As a maker and artist herself, she gravitates toward stories about how things are made and the people who make them. Her work appears in nationally and internationally-recognized publications like Outside, Backpacker, Women’s Health, Men’s Journal, Via Magazine, Texas Monthly, Field Mag, and Adventure.com.
In her earlier reporting days, Amelia served as an editor of an outdoor industry business journal (eventually acquired by Outside) and reporter at local newspapers in Colorado, Kansas, and California. Fresh out of journalism school, she covered the crime and court beat, including an investigation of dishonest cops in Boulder County. In 2016, she was the co-recipient of the investigative Victor Murdock Award for reporting on a truck salvage yard in Kansas tied up in civil battles and EPA violations.
Since 2020, Amelia has written the newsletter Honing Her Craft about reflections, connection, and creativity. She is also an organizer with Empowerment Avenue, which amplifies the work of incarcerated artists and writers.
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