Do mosquito repellent products really work? No!

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Fifty mosquito repellent products, including mosquito repellent patches and wristbands, prove to be of little help, said Beijing quality supervision authorities after conducting sample tests recently.

Bought from online and offline stores, these new mosquito repellent products with price tags varying from 5.2 to 66 yuan, all boasted a plant-based formula with a long effective duration for babies and the pregnant. The products included domestic and imported brands.

Do these repellents perform as well as they say they do? Watch the video below to find out.

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The result is obvious and disappointing. These products, regardless of a touted period of effectiveness ranging from five hours to 60 days, did very little in preventing mosquitoes with their substandard active ingredients.

Mosquitoes are some of the most dangerous insects to humans as they can spread over 80 diseases through their bites, including malaria, dengue and Zika. About three million people die each year from malaria alone. Over 700 million people will be bitten by mosquitoes annually.

Scientists noted that the dose of citronellol, an oil used for keeping insects away, in mosquito repellent products is the key factor in assessing its effectiveness.

Among the 50 samples, 14 of them did not have citronellol, while the rest reportedly had the ingredient but at amounts below the standard.

Those repellent patches and wristbands that claim to ward off mosquitoes are not friendly to babies and pregnant women, a group that these products target.

Among the 50 sample products, 14 were spotted without citronellol, and the rest reportedly had citronellol but far below the normal standard. /Photo via industry.people.com.cn

Researchers said the so-called plant-based and non-toxic products on the market have yet to undergo scientific testing, which is why vulnerable groups are not advised to use such repellents.

Online sales of such products spike during the summer, with some users leaving similar reviews concerning the effectiveness of these repellents.

“It’s no use at all. Even wearing them on both the wrist and ankle, my child still got several bites from the mosquitoes. The odor makes me dizzy. Don’t recommend buying -- it’s no better than the repellent spray.”

“The odor is so strong, but not stinky. Anyway, it’s useless. Mosquitos are not scared at me. But it looks pretty on my wrist.”

“I feel it's useless. I wore it on my ankle, but saw a bunch of mosquitos biting me without any fear. Mosquito sprays are better.”