Hyland’s Bug Bite Ointment
Findings: Living in Alaska, we have lots and lots of experience with bug bites. We have mosquitos, no-see-ums, white socks, gnats, biting flies and lots more. Now it seems like some people were blessed with certain blood chemistry that deters bites. I don’t have that kind of blood. Nor do my sons. In fact we have the kind of blood that acts as a beacon to bugs. It says find us and bite us! I know we are not alone out there!
We try hard to avoid bites. We use natural bug repellents, chemical bug repellents, bug netting, bug suits, changed our diets and even performed elaborate “bug away” dances. But we still get bites. Thus comes our little experiment.
We had just returned from a week of camping along the Denali Highway. This is in the interior section of Alaska. The bugs were thick and we got eaten! Upon our return, we went to our local Fred Meyer Grocery Store and bought one of every stop sting product we could find. We bought Benedryl Cream, Cortisone Cream, Outdoors MD, and Stop Sting. In a vague attempt to perform a scientific experiment, we used a different product on each limb. Outdoors MD on a right arm, Hyland’s Bug Bite ointment on the left arm, etc. The Benedryl didn’t help at all. The cortisone helped, but was sticky and didn’t last long. Outdoor MD did nothing to stop the itch. Stop Sting helped, but was sticky and didn’t last long either.
Now, when my kids get a bite, they request the Bug Bite stick over the other products. I really like the fact it comes in a stick. There is no tube to break open and ooze out all over my pack and it doesn’t leave a sticky residue on our skin. The stick also fits nicely in my fanny pack so it is easy to always carry with me. I find the product works even better when you can spread over the affected area immediately after being bitten.
All parents taking their kids into the woods should have Hyland’s Bug Bite Ointment in their pack!The Hyland’s Bug Bite ointment didn’t help immediately, but provided the longest relief by far.