Perfect Potion’s Natural Insect Repellent – Outdoor Body Spray is one of our original products, created in 1988, when I was selling aromatherapy products under the name of The Garden Party at the North Pine Country markets in Dayboro. The markets were very close to Lake Samsonvale and every summer, swarms of mosquitoes would find their victims at the market. That is until I came to the rescue. This was the perfect testing ground for our original Natural Insect Repellent that contained essential oils of cedarwood, citronella, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint and tea tree. It proved to be an instant success because it worked so well. In over 35 years there has not been much change to the original formula. All we have done is increase the citronella content and add niaouli essential oil.
Nowadays, our natural insect repellent is registered as an insect repellent with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). In Australia, the sale of insect repellents is controlled by the APVMA. An insect repellent intended for human use must be approved by the APVMA, a process that includes an examination of its safety and efficacy.
I must explain how our insect repellent got its name Outdoor Body Spray. This is a story of grit and determination. Just as I was starting Perfect Potion, I received a rather nasty letter from the APVMA requesting that I cease manufacturing our Natural Insect Repellent as it was not registered with them. The registration costs at the time for a small market business was prohibitive, so I had to comply with their request. However, it was such a popular product that I decided at the request of many customers to continue making it, but selling it under another name, one that I thought would not get the attention of the APVMA. Hence Citronella Body Spray was born. Alas, within 24 months I caught the attention of the APVMA again. Once again, I was sent a rather nasty letter threating me with a hefty penalty and risk of criminal conviction. I am not joking!
I was not going to let them government regulators stop me, so Citronella Body Spray was reborn as Outdoor Body Spray. On the label we simply said – enjoy the outdoors!
In the back of my mind, I always knew there was a risk of being caught out by the APVMA again, so I finally decided to proceed with the formal process of registering our natural insect repellent with the APVMA. It was a long and expensive project but it was worth it.
Part of the registration process involved completing extensive laboratory and field trials, in the tropics of north Queensland, in accordance with the guidelines established by the World Health Organisation for the Efficacy Testing of Mosquito Repellents for Human Skin. The trials were conducted by the Insect Research Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Technology, Sydney.
The results for a natural insect repellent were amazing with the average percentage repellency being 98.5% upon application. After 2 hours the product still gave good protection; however, with all natural based insect repellents it is necessary to state on the label, “reapply as required”.
After more than 35 years, Outdoor Body Spray has stood the test of time, providing peace of mind as it wards off those pesky mosquitos. It is also a reminder that effective insect repellents do not have to involve harsh chemicals and a testament that a small business can have the grit to meet the tough regulatory standards often imposed by government.
