Sunday, October 12, 2014

Review | Guardian Repellent

Disclosure: This product was sent to me to review. I did not purchase this with my own money, but all opinions are 100% mine. I did not get paid to review this, nor did I get paid to praise it. 


First off, I want to thank Influenster for sending me this product to try out. Until I was sent Guardian, I had never heard of it. I stuck to the Off! brand and usually didn't stray away from that. Where I live bug spray is an essential during Spring and Summer. With out it I constantly get bit by mosquitos and have tons of bugs around me when I spend any time outside. I currently live off a lake, which means I have a breeding ground for mosquitos in my backyard. 

Since I had used Off! all of the time, I didn't notice the smell or the feel of the product on my skin until I tried Guardian. The plus to the Guardian repellent is it is 100% DEET free! 

I was very unaware of what DEET really was and what the real dangers were. So here is a little information about DEET for those who are not truly aware.  
  • DEET was originally developed by the ARMY for US Soldiers for protection while in insect infested areas. 
  • It is a colorless liquid that has a faint odor and does not dissolve in water easily.
  • Can enter your blood stream via your skin, breathing it in, or ingesting it. 
  • Once entered your blood stream it can take up to 24 hours to leave your system. 
  • The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has constituted DEET as "not classifiable as a human carcinogen". Which means that there is not enough evidence to say whether or not it can cause cancer. 
  • Studies shown pregnant women using a product with 20% DEET in their second and third trimesters. This study showed DEET had crossed the placenta and was found in 8% of the cord. 
  • DEET is extremely toxic to water life. DEET does not dissolve or mix well with water.
With the little research I did, I found that DEET isn't just harmful to bugs, it can be harmful to your pets and the environment around you. After I got a little more understanding behind DEET and why Guardian is so big on not using it, I appreciated the product a lot more. Finding a bug repellent that doesn't use DEET is not as easy as finding one that does. I would say about 80% of the products in common stores use DEET. 

After using this for the first time, I was taken back by the smell. The smell wasn't horrible, it was actually quite pleasant. I could tell right off the bat, this product was very natural. It had a very plant based scent, with a hint of lemon to it. I liked it in comparison to the chemically scent that other bug repellents have. 

The texture was about the same as other bug repellents, nothing stood out at first application. After going about my business, I noticed after about 10 minutes, the product seemed to settle on my skin. If I compare it to other bug repellents I had used in the past, I would be left with a layer of the product on my skin and hairs. With Guardian I wasn't left with the sticky feeling others would have. I can say that it did leave a layer of product but it was much more comfortable on my skin.


I used Guardian on two occasions to get a real feeling for it in different scenarios. 
  • The first time I used it when the sun was going down (which is peak time for mosquitos) while I was taking a jog/walk with my husband. In this scenario sweat was involved and it was peak time for bugs.
    • Results: The repellent didn't budge. It lasted throughout the whole workout and didn't lost its strength. I didn't have any bug bites and I didn't notice it at all on my skin. 
  • The second time I used it was during the day in my backyard. It was blazing hot outside and I was running around playing with my dog. 
    • The Results: Again, the repellent lasted throughout the whole process. Not one bug bite, the product didn't rinse off with my sweat, and my dog didn't mind the smell it left on my skin. 

I can say over all, this product worked very well for me. I wasn't left with any bug bites and I thought Guardian bug repellent felt a lot better on my skin. I love the all naturalness of it as well. If I can stay away from chemicals, I will take it in a heart beat. 

For more information on Guardian products, click here

Have any of you tried Guardian? If so, what is your opinion? If not, would you try it out? Let me know in the comments below! I would love to hear what you all think. :) 



14 comments:

  1. I've never heard of it before but normally hate bug repellent because of the smell and sticky feeling however this one seems like it's worth giving it a try! Thanks!

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  2. Thanks for finding us a safer alternative for bug repellent. The bugs have been extra bad lately here!

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  3. Okay I need this - mosquitos bite me a LOT and I hate it! :( I will definitely try this one. :)

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  4. i've been looking for a deet free repellent all summer. Will have to look into Guardian! Thanks for the recommendation!

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  5. I don't have a need for this too often, but next year I am going on a trip to a place that definitely has a lot of mosquitoes and I am looking for something that is more bio/green than the traditional Off as well. I grew up with Off (and a lot of other products) that may not have been the best for me. Now that I am adult I pay more attention. I had not heard of Guardian either but will be checking them out!

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  6. Like others and yourself I have never heard of this before too. I might have to look for some of this for when I am out on my runs.

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  7. I've never heard of this but I will need it come summer! The bugs are just so bad here!

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  8. Ooh this looks real good! Definitely worth trying!!

    24 Hours From Home - Travel, Adventures and Beauty

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  9. I always love finding safer alternatives for these types of things! Thanks for sharing!

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  10. I've never heard of this product before but seems like it would be a summer essential.

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  11. I need to give this a try! Right now we use a bug spray that a local mom makes from certain oils and spices and it doesn't always do the trick! Thanks for this!!

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  12. I need to try this! The mosquitoes in AZ are so bad this year

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  13. Sounds like a really good product! I'm all for natural and DEET free!

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  14. Sounds great, but I've got to be honest it's not something I would use nothing seems to bite me :-)

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