It's bug season out there...don't be the game!

After receiving many requests from customers about how in the world  Adiós! Mo Skitos! came to be, I decided to add it to my website so anyone curious can read on and understand:

Living on an island, you learn to become self-reliant in many ways.  Hatteras, NC is no different.  It has its challenges when you want to be outdoors.  From camping, fishing, boating, hiking, horseback riding, surfing, paddle boarding...the list goes on of the wonders of the outdoor life on Hatteras Island.    

 But...Mother Nature has her way of letting you know who's the boss ...Her.  So what do you do when she gifts you with a pesky problem?  You work with her.  

   The problem Mother Nature gave me was the clouds of mosquitos awaiting as I stepped out the door in the early mornings to let my chickens out.   I couldn't get to them  without fighting through the swarms of mosquitos  that would immediately attack.  No suprise being bitten took all the fun out of gardening and spending time with my chickens.  Nothing seemed to work well enough for me to stay outside and so my gardens died and my chickens saw much less of me.  

Using pesticides or other toxic chemicals wasn't an option because I like to hug my girls.  They constantly peck at my feet for me to pick them up and carry them around.   Most of the products on the market today would make that a dangerous option for them and, in the long-run, not real good for me either.  

Besides, I'm a human-kid magnet too, and I can't imagine dousing children with the stuff that is out there... for the chemicals alone,  but that smell?  Over the years, I've tried all the usual suspects only to be let down with oily, smelly skin and feeling the need for a shower.  That's when I decided I had to start playing around with my own elixer...I had no idea how this little experiment would change my life.  

Since I had become a certified over-the-counter-drug manufacturer during the pandemic to help with the hand sanitizer shortage,  I worked closely with the FDA to ensure production was in accordance with federal laws.  The biggest thing I learned during my time with the FDA was that I didn't want to work with the FDA.   So, I went about creating a product that No. 1, worked and was good for you, but No. 2, had no alcohol or chemicals in it that would need approval from the FDA.  So thats where I started.  

 Killing all the bugs was not an option, there's always another army of them right around the corner.  In the beginning, I just wanted to repel the mosquitos and keep them away from me.  I wanted to just be able to  go about my daily outdoor life, whether it be gardening, doing chores, fishing or just having cocktails on the porch. 

My mission was to create an all-natural product that would not harm me as I tried to keep the bugs from harming me.  I didn't want to have to choose between two evils.  After two long seasons of trial and error,  I finally came up with a product that not only keeps the bugs at bay, but is also good for your skin. I learned another bonus is that when I did get bit, I would get my potion and spray it right on the bite and it would stop the itching and swelling almost immediately.  

I continued to research all-natural oils only to continue to  find more and more good news about each oil  I chose for my List of 6. I could go on an on about the benefits I've learned  these natural oils contain, or how beneficial they are in so many ways, but I have been especially excited about how the alcohol-free witch hazel and other oils are antimicrobials and astringents and not only do they naturally repel biting bugs, they can help control acne or oily skin problems, making  Adiós! Mo Skitos! a real life-saver for some people who can't use harsh chemicals or oils on their sensitive skin when the bugs come around. 

 I originally just planned on making something to help me deal with my personal  mosquito problem.   I've had many careers over the years, but I never would have guessed in a million years I would be selling bug spray one day.   I began to share my spray with my neighbors and friends and,  as the story goes, they wanted to share it with their neighbors and friends and so... Adiós! Mo Skitos! was born.  

Since my small island is steeped in the history of Black Beard, the notorious pirate of the Caribbean, Ocracoke and the Outer Banks, I loved tying the mosquito in with our pirate history to create my mascot, Mo Skitos, the notorious plasma pirate.  I a believer that  mosquitos could have really been one of the first pirates.  Long before there was gold, silver, and precious gems to steal, there were mosquitos roaming the earth...not only stealing our blood, but  many times leaving behind a deadly deposit of malaria or countless other mosquito-born illnesses. Totally sounds like what a pirate would do, right?  

Finally, I learned a valuable lesson from the Italians back in another life when I owned an Italian magazine, start with the best ingredients if you want to end up with the best meal. I have practiced this lesson with just about everything I do including Adiós! Mo Skitos! Starting with the highest quality of pure oils enables me, in turn, to bring you some of the most  high-quality products on the market today.   We don't skimp on any process or ingredient with Adiós! Mo Skitos! Each bottle is hand crafted and made with the human body in mind. Money-wise, it doesn't cost much more, if any,  from the mass-produced competition, but in the long run, putting chemicals on your body to absorb instead of natural oils just might be more dangerous and costly than the bug bite itself and,  exact a cost much higher than anyone wants to pay.  

So, pick up a bottle or two of Adiós! Mo  Skitos! and keep your plasma to yourself!

Thank you Carol Lanshe for all your wisdom and support...just when I needed it most!