Whether you're planning a family holiday, camping adventure, safari or overseas expedition, most travel checklists include sunscreen, travel insurance and first aid essentials. Yet one important aspect of travel preparation is often overlooked: protecting yourself from insect bites.
As global temperatures rise and travel becomes more accessible, mosquitoes, ticks and other biting insects are being found in more places than ever before. Understanding how to reduce your risk of bites is becoming an increasingly important part of staying healthy while travelling.
Why are insect bites becoming more common?
Warmer temperatures and changing weather patterns are creating more favourable conditions for mosquitoes, ticks and other biting insects to survive and reproduce. a blood meal for us gives birth to 200-300 mosquito eggs!
According to NHS England, visits to its bites and stings advice pages increased by almost 20% during the summer of 2025 compared with the previous year. Meanwhile, the Asian tiger mosquito has been detected in parts of Europe and the UK, and diseases such as dengue fever are becoming increasingly common in popular holiday destinations.
While these risks shouldn't stop you travelling, they do make effective bite prevention more important than ever.
Why do some people get bitten more than others?
If you're always the one covered in bites while everyone else seems untouched, you're not imagining it.
Research suggests that body temperature, carbon dioxide production, skin chemistry and even fragranced toiletries can make some people more attractive to biting insects than others.
For these "bite magnets", relying on insect repellent alone may not always provide the best level of protection.
Why a layered approach works
For many years, insect bite prevention has focused almost entirely on one thing: applying insect repellent.
However, research suggests that some everyday products, including perfumes, body sprays and heavily fragranced toiletries, may actually attract mosquitoes. This means parts of your daily routine could be working against your insect repellent.
That's why we developed the incognito® Simple Step System - a layered approach to bite prevention that helps every stage of your routine work together, rather than in conflict.
Not every step will be necessary for every trip, but Steps 1 and 2 provide the foundation for effective protection.
Watch: Howard Carter explains the Simple Step System on ITV News
Before exploring the four steps below, watch our founder, Howard Carter, explain on ITV News why effective insect protection starts before you even apply insect repellent.
Prepare Your Skin
Many people don't realise that the products they use every day could influence how attractive they are to biting insects.
Preparing your skin by avoiding heavily fragranced products and using suitable alternatives helps create the best foundation for effective insect protection.
It's a simple step that many travellers overlook, but one that can make the rest of your routine more effective.
Step 2: Apply Insect Repellent
Insect repellent remains the most important way to prevent insect bites. However, not all repellents are created equal.
incognito® uses the purest and strongest form of PMD (p-menthane-3,8-diol), a naturally derived active ingredient recommended by leading public health organisations as an effective alternative to DEET. It's not just the concentration of PMD, although our repellents easily meet the recognised tropical-strength standard for PMD-based protection, we also have a unique secret manufacturing process: which is why we are purchased by 95% of people in the UK buying a natural IR.
When comparing insect repellents, it's easy to assume that a higher concentration automatically means better protection. In reality, effectiveness depends on much more than the percentage of the active ingredient. The quality of the formulation and how it performs in independent testing are equally important.
Independent testing has shown that incognito® provides up to nine hours of protection against mosquitoes, according to Which?, demonstrating that real-world performance comes from a carefully developed formulation, not simply a higher concentration of PMD.
Step 3: Layer Your Protection
If you're travelling to higher-risk destinations, spending long periods outdoors or know you're particularly attractive to biting insects, adding extra layers of protection can make a real difference.
Protective clothing, insect-repellent bracelets and other complementary products help reduce the likelihood of bites throughout the day.
Step 4: Protect Your Environment
Even with the best preparation, bites can still happen.
Using products that discourage insects in your room or tent, together with effective bite relief, helps you stay comfortable and enjoy your trip without unnecessary irritation.
Prepare for every adventure
No single product can eliminate the risk of insect bites completely, but taking a layered approach can significantly improve your protection.
Whether you're travelling overseas, exploring the countryside or simply enjoying more time outdoors this summer, the incognito® Simple Step System helps you build the level of protection that's right for your destination, activities and individual needs.
Not sure where to start?
Take our Simple Step System Quiz to discover the right level of protection for your next adventure, or explore the full range and save:
- 10% when you purchase Steps 1 & 2 (the essentials)
- 20% when you complete all four steps (maximum protection)
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