Yes, OFF! FamilyCare Smooth and Dry insect repellent contains cornstarch. Reader Michelle found out about this fact the worst way possible–not through an ingredient label of which there is none that mentions cornstarch, but by inadvertently inhaling the stuff one evening and suffering an allergic reaction which lasted a few days. Michelle’s letter, inside…
So I think I figured out why I feel so dizzy and shaky and weak.
I’m allergic to corn and egg whites. The symptoms felt a lot like I feel when I have an allergic reaction, except my stomach wasn’t upset. I thought back to all the stuff I ate over the weekend, and nothing was suspect. Everything was safe.
At first I thought it was a hangover and was just delayed in hitting me. But when I still felt bad last night, and then today, that’s a lot more than a hangover.
Then I remembered, Saturday evening, I sprayed myself down with bug spray, and I accidentally breathed in a bunch of it. So I started looking up information on being poisoned by bug spray. I was looking to see if there can be a delayed reaction. There sure can. Since it had been 36 hours since I was exposed to it and I still hadn’t felt better, I considered calling the poison control hotline.
But everything I read said to have the suspected product handy if possible when calling. Since I was at work, I decided to look it up online. I knew it was OFF! and I knew what the can looked like, so I headed over to their website. The first product I click on was it (emphasis mine):
OFF!® FamilyCare Insect Repellent I Smooth & DryFinally, a bug spray that doesn’t feel like a bug spray! OFF!® Smooth & Dry has a unique cornstarch formula that dries on contact, leaving your skin feeling smooth & dry, unlike ordinary repellents. Feels good on… Keeps bugs OFF!® Repels mosquitoes, gnats, ticks, biting flies, chiggers and fleas.
* Aerosol (15% DEET)
Well, no wonder I feel like hell. I unintentionally filled my lungs with cornstarch. I’d bet it takes a lot longer to get something out of my lungs than it does my stomach.
I’m really careful about reading labels, but the only ingredient information the can had on it was the percentage of DEET. It didn’t even have that lovely description that I pasted from their website above.
So I called it an early day from work today, intent on coming home and drugging myself up on Benadryl. But, my boss convinced me to call my doctor when I got home. I did, and I talked to a nurse who talked to the doctor and got back to me. She said to take 10mg of Lortadine (Claritin) 2x a day for the next few days. I’m assuming she said Lortadine because Benadryl will probably make the dizziness worse. It would definitely exaggerate the sleepiness.
So at least I haven’t killed myself, and I hope this goes away soon. Although I’m really tempted to write a letter to the OFF! people…
You should write a letter to the OFF! people, SC Johnson, specifically. It seems logical to assume that there is someone out there with a more severe allergy than yours, who is looking for a non-greasy way to get rid of mosquitos. We’re not lawyers, but we’re guessing that printing a label that mentions corn starch would be cheaper than say, settling a wrongful death lawsuit.
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@satoru: Isn’t it?
I’m pretty sure that cornstarch is a common food allergy that’s standard in food allergy test panels.
I think I saw a commercial for this just last night and I think I heard them mention something about cornstarch.
@satoru: I think your reply was intended for RamV10, but isn’t the whole point of marketing/advertising getting people excited over whatever it is that you want them to be excited about?
@Bix: I hate to say that corn is not one of the magical top 8 that gets the extra labeling. I think it’s #10.
But really, I’m not asking for a statement saying it contains corn, just a list of ingredients. If lotions, soaps, and sunscreens can do it, why not bug sprays? There’s people out there with weirder allergies that would appreciate having the ingredients. And knowing what’s in the product you’re buying just makes you an informed consumer.
@RamV10: Nope, it’s probably Pam mixed with DEET.
Just a followup: I emailed SC Johnson today, and they called me back an hour or so later. I spoke to a really nice representative named Christie in their health and safety department. I told her the whole story and my suggestion to add ingredients to the can. She said her job was mostly just to document (it did sound like she was filling out a form), but that she would pass my suggestion along.
so…I saw a commercial for this stuff a few days ago and the commercial clearly stated it was soft and dry due to cornstarch. That seems pretty clear to me. Are they using a different name for cornstarch on the label?
I too, am *very* allergic to corn, so I appreciate this heads up.
Corn allergies aren’t quite as common as say, peanuts, so its not required to be labeled as diligently as an allergen. I thought the FDA required all ingredients to be listed regardless though.
Oh, also, a question for the OP… my corn allergies apply to ingesting, as well as contact. Did you not break out in hives or anything from simply putting cornstarch on your skin? If not, I want to trade with you, because I can’t even use certain deodorants that contain cornstarch.
You could use this stuff to grease and flour your cake pans, for, say, a shoo-fly pie.
DEET is a solvent which may disolve plastics, rayon, spandex, leather and painted or varnished surfaces. Really, I want to slather it all over me now! But really, I try to only use it in situations where there is a risk of insect borne disease, and use other methods for annoyance bugs. Fans are really great! Mozzies dont like to bite in moving air! As for flies, well I cant say anything about the national bird of Australia. Just a quick tip, you can tell bush politicians because they allow flies to crawl all over them while they are being interveiwed. I guess you can build a tollerance!
@Eyebrows McGee: it gets REALLY complicated. i’m allergic to mangoes and chamomile. this means almost any ‘soothing’ eyedrops [chamomile,] many moisturizing lip products and skin creams [mango butter] and a large number of shampoos and laundry detergents [chamomile] are off limits to me. if they list the ingredients, even under the scientific name as ‘matricaria chamomilia’ i can figure it out.
but if i see ‘natural fragrances’ or ‘herbs’ i can’t risk it
it’s kind of like my onion allergy – anything that just says ‘natural flavors’ or ‘spices’ is off limits.
They mention cornstarch on the commercial.
I was looking for bug spray this afternoon and saw this one. I think it’s ironic they call these products “FamilyCare” and the likes when they contain DEET, a carcinogen!
I still haven’t found a bug spray with something simple like citronella in it. There are plenty online but I’d rather pick it up at the store. I’ll probably just end up getting it from the health food store. Citronella and natural ones work okay but they need to be reapplied more often than synthetic ones. This isn’t a big issue for me but others may have an issue with it. Supposedly catnip oil is the best but I can’t find it anywhere.
@theantidote: You could try Avon’s Skin-So-Soft, which many swear by (and has even been shown to be effective in field and lab tests). There aren’t many effective substitutes for DEET available. I camp a lot in buggy areas, and I’ve tried several things. Last year I bought some Cutter brand repellent that has a new-ish substance called Picaridin, but it only works until you begin to sweat, and at the first sign of schvitz, the repellent fails completely. And I’m not sure Picaridin’s still available, since I don’t see it in the stores anymore. I’ve heard of geraniol being used as a repellent too, but I’m not aware of any commercial products. Do some research online for DEET substitutes. FWIW, do not get DEET on your eyeglasses, as it will destroy them, both the paint on the frames, and the plastic and any coatings on the lenses.
@starbreiz: I sprayed it mostly on my clothes. And my allergy is only moderate. My doctor said they measure allergies on a 5 point scale, with 5 being a severe reaction, and my corn allergy is a 3.
@defectiveburger: There’s no mention whatsoever of any ingredient other than DEET on the label.
And I don’t usually watch network TV, so I haven’t seen the commercial for this product. I chose it from a shelf of bug sprays and had only the information contained on the product packaging to make my decision.