Dr. Janis Reed, BCE, Technical Services Manager, Product Development Team, Control Solutions Inc.
Combination products are becoming more common in our industry, but there are situations in which combination products are not better than single products. An example of this type of combination is sunscreen and mosquito repellent. Summer months and outdoor activities demand both, and although a combination product sounds like a great idea, in this case there are risks.
The problem is in the application directions. Typically, insect repellents are applied every two to six hours, depending on the active ingredient. The face should be avoided, and many have limited use on children.
Sunscreens, on the other hand, should be applied at least every two hours to any exposed skin. In addition, sunscreens should be applied liberally to children, who are highly susceptible to sunburn.
The difference in these application directions can lead to either underprotected skin or an overapplication of insect repellent. Recommend to customers, then, to use two separate products and to apply each according to their respective directions for use.
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