After sun with natural insect repellent: Green People REVIEW

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Last year, during our ten weeks backpacking Southeast Asia, we constantly used Green People’s sun cream products to protect our family from the tropical sun. We fell in love with these products, not only because they contain natural ingredients and provide excellent protection for even sensitive skin, but they are ocean-friendly, which is a must for us with all the ocean swimming and snorkelling we do as a family. You can read our review of these products here.

So when it came to our move to Penang, Malaysia, I made sure we stocked up on Green People products before we left the UK. Green People sun care products are an absolute essential on any Southeast Asia packing list for families.

However, this time, there was another product that caught my eye… Green People’s ‘Moisturising after sun with insect repellent’. This is a natural insect repellent.

Could this work for our new island life in the tropics? Well if you’re looking for an after sun with natural insect repellent read on for our Green People review.

About Green People

Green People are a pioneering organic skin care brand that lead the way in environmentally-friendly, ethical products. None of their products are tested on animals and their packaging is recyclable. Year on year they are improving their products and have even released a new vegan sunscreen. Plus, their products are great for people with sensitive and eczema-prone skin.

Moisturising after sun

Living in the tropics means that we need to take extra care protecting our skin from the sun’s rays. We wear sun cream protection daily and always have hats handy (in fact, at the boys’ school there is a ‘no hat, no outside play’ policy).

But even with this protection, its good to have a lotion to sooth the skin after being in the sun, especially if we’ve been at the beach or pool, or even at a waterpark for the day.

From the Green People’s website, they explain that their moisturising after sun with insect repellent is:

• NATURALLY SKIN SOOTHING:
  Made with moisture-locking plant extracts that gently cool and calm after sun exposure, this organic Aloe Vera after sun is perfect for taking the heat off your skin. Best applied after sun down, skin feels soft, soothed and protected from peeling.
  
• HAS A COOLING FEEL AND FRESH SCENT:
  The light natural after sun lotion gives a gentle cooling sensation on your skin and its light aroma of lavender and peppermint is both refreshing and soothing.
  
• PROTECTS ALL THE FAMILY:
  This family favourite can be used on the face and the body and by anyone aged 6 months+. An essential for travel and for summer evenings, it comes in a travel-friendly sugar cane tube which slips into your suitcase with ease.

We especially love that it’s certified organic, natural and vegan. When you are using a product regularly like us, we believe it’s very important to use natural products that are kind and gentle to our skin, and especially so for the boys.

Let’s talk about mossies

I hate mosquitoes. I think we all do, don’t we? I’m sure they have their place in the world, I just wish they wouldn’t find our skin to be such a joyful feeding ground.

And in the tropics, there’s no avoiding them.

Thankfully in Penang, they’re not really a major issue. You may get the odd bite here and there, but it’s far from a feeding frenzy. Unless you’re going trekking in the jungle, say in Penang National Park.

However, there are still biting insects around and I don’t really want to be spraying the kids with DEET every evening. It’s such a harsh chemical and smells awful.

So we absolutely adore the fact that Green People’s after sun includes a natural insect repellent. This is so much kinder to our skin, and has a much more pleasing smell (there’s a hint of peppermint and lavender).

Plus, there’s no DEET or skin-drying alcohol here. Instead, this after sun’s anti-mosquito action deters biting insects with Citrepel®75. Derived from Java Citronella, this clinically tested product protects against mosquitoes, midges, ticks and more for up to 4 hours, and that’s with just one application!

The 100ml tube slips nicely into my handbag, so if we’re walking to a restaurant or a walk along the beach and realise we need some insect repellent, I can whip it out.

Applying the product

The bottle always needs a little shake before you use it and a little bit goes a long way. It’s very runny and when you spread it, there’s a chalk-like element that needs to be rubbed in.

Does it actually work?

The after sun provides a lovely cooling effect on your skin and I personally love the smell. Plus, it does indeed prevent us being bitten on evening walks.

However, if we were to venture into the jungle, I would not rely on this as an insect repellent as I think it would be too light. Not that we’ve actually tried, but in all honesty, the mossies can be vicious in the jungle. When we were trekking in the jungle along the Kinabatangan River last year (Borneo), they would swarm around us. In this instance, we ensure that we are covered head to toe in clothing and use DEET.

But for our usual evening excursions around Penang, it works well as an insect repellent.

Final thoughts

We were fans of Green People products before trying out the after sun with natural insect repellent. But now we love them that little bit more.

Living in the tropics means that we use sun cream with natural insect repellent all the time. We don’t want to be using harsh chemicals on our skin with such regular use.

The after sun with natural insect repellent means that our skin is moisturised after being in the sun, but also provides a light protection against insect bites. DEET will always be used for jungle adventures, but for evening strolls around local markets, along the beach, or for dining at outdoor restaurants in Penang, the natural insect repellent in Green People’s after sun works well as a light protection; perfect for regular use.

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You may also like to read:
Southeast Asia packing list for families
Backpacking with kids: top tips to make it work
Top 10 tips for PACKING LIGHT with kids: minimalist family travel