3M Ultrathon insect repellent review

Zzzzzzzzz - zzzzzzzzzz - zzzzzzzzzz. Is there any noise more guaranteed to prevent a good night's sleep than that ? No, it wasn't Madhouse Daddy Mike's snoring (for once !). Just as I turned out the light, I heard the tinny whine of a mosquito buzzing just millimetres from my ear. Now, I know getting bitten by a mosquito isn't the end of the world and it won't kill you (unless you're in malaria-infested tropical climes) but my defence mechanism always automatically kicks in, waking me from a deep sleep and filling my body with adrenalin.

Well, last night, I'd been reading until silly o'clock (look out for a book review for Mistress of the Storm coming in the next day or two !) and was too tired to get up and start throwing socks at the ceiling to try and squish it (plus I thought I might miss and wake up the aforementioned sleeping hubby ! It's not just sleeping dogs that are best left alone !) so I resigned myself to getting bitten during the night. Luckily, I now have my trusty Zap-It (that I reviewed here) which really does work for stopping the heat and itchiness of mosquito bites and, despite my initial apprehension, really doesn't hurt at all.

But, ten minutes later, I suddenly remembered that I had a can of Ultrathon insect repellent sitting in my "to be reviewed" box at the side of the bed. Aha, the perfect time to try it out ! I remember reading in the press release that the product was originally developed for the military and is the product of choice for outdoor survival experts such as Ray Mears, so I was keen to see if it would work. I did a few sprays on my arms and neck area and a vague spray in the general area of the sleeping hubby and turned out the light.

Two minutes later, I rolled over on to my side and kicked off the covers because I was too hot and, as I drifted off to the Land of Nod, my last thought was "Oh poo, now I've just uncovered my legs and the back of my neck to the fangs of the vampire mosquito and I didn't put any spray on those parts. Oh well, too late now ...".

Well, this morning, I was stunned to see that I hadn't been bitten at all. And neither had Madhouse Daddy Mike and I'd literally only sprayed a few microdroplets in his general direction. Unbelievable ! Especially as I didn't hear the mosquito buzzing about at all after spraying the Ultrathon and it had been gaily divebombing me and menacingly circling the bed for ten minutes beforehand.

The manufacturers explain : "The secret behind the product’s success is its advanced Time Release Protection. This technology means the DEET ingredient slowly evaporates providing protection long after other DEET repellents have dissipated. This means Ultrathon offers up to 12 hours of protection against mosquitoes, and with the added benefit of being splash and sweat resistant, the need for re-application is also reduced. Ultrathon products not only protect against mosquitoes but a whole host of other bugs including midges, ticks, horseflies, fleas and sandflies."

Well, I can vouch for the fact that, for mosquitoes at least, it certainly seems to work. And if it's good enough for Ray Mears in the jungle, it's good enough for me in the bedroom ! I would have preferred a more natural formula but it's certainly effective.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : available in a 60ml lotion offering extended protection of up to 12 hours or a convenient 125ml spray offering 8 hours protection - both £8.29

for more information : www.ultrathon.co.uk

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