Between Dengue and Chikungunya, we’ve developed a healthy interest in keeping mosquitos away. There are few things more satisfying than frying the little bloodsuckers with a mosquito racket but we also use mosquito spray quite a lot.

Since COVID-19 disrupted international trade, the brands of mosquito spray available here have been in constant flux and I had to share a new one that I picked up earlier this week. I think it’s probably the best Mosquito Spray brand name out there. I mean… I can only really think of Off! and that’s okay. I guess. But it’s nothing compared to…

Holy fire. Now that conveys the depth of our feelings towards the little disease carrying bloodsuckers. Never mind that it’s just a mosquito repellent and doesn’t actually kill anything. It doesn’t even contain DEET (which is a point in it’s favor). Let the mosquitos burn in holy fire (not that they are actually killed, harmed, or anything more than repelled). The logo of a figure in a cape holding a fiery orb menacingly towards a monstrous flying scorpion (taking it in context it’s probably suppose to be a mosquito) only adds to the allure.

Holy fire is apparently comprised of just a few ingredients – ethanol, water, citronella oil, castor oil, menthol, borneol, and essence. I don’t know what essence is in this context…but since it’s the final ingredient it must be the most rare and powerful. Isn’t that how alchemy works?

Borneol was also a new one for me – apparently it’s common in perfumes – that sounds like it can be nasty in larger concentrations. Fortunately I think we’re dealing with a pretty minor concentration here. Huh… I’m no alchemist but if I’m understanding this right, Borneol turns into Camphor when exposed to oxygen which is probably what lets Holy Fire stay effective for 12 hours. That’s pretty cool.

Anyway. That is all. Just a quick, silly little post about mosquito repellent.