Earlier this year, my husband Carl and I were given the invitation of a lifetime: to attend a beautiful wedding in magical Cartagena, Colombia.
But a few weeks before leaving, we received some disheartening news: the Zika virus was spreading all throughout South America causing catastrophe in its wake.
(From www.aljazeera.com read full article here)
A number of wedding guests, ourselves included, questioned whether we should still attend this trip of a lifetime. The news about the Zika virus hitting Cartagena was scaring us and we wondered whether the risks were worth it. After further research, Carl and I decided to still go but we also decided to come prepared.
(From the www.cdc.gov website. Read the full article here.)
The Center for Disease Control recommends applying mosquito repellent with DEET when entering Zika virus-zoned areas. So after doing quite a bit of research, we decided to trust our trip to OFF! Overtime and bought a few bottles from Mercury Drugstore. With OFF! being the world’s leading No. 1 mosquito repellent since 1957, we knew we were choosing the right brand to get such a crucial protection.
We chose this variant because it offers up to 8 HOURS of protection against Dengue and Zika virus carrying mosquitos. We also liked that it had a pleasant scent and was actually cooling and not sticky on the skin, a big plus when you’re in a hot country like Colombia. There was no other product like it in our Philippine market.
I’m happy to report that OFF! Overtime certainly did the job! We were in Cartagena for 10 days and not a SINGLE mosquito bit us. That’s right, absolutely no bites! And trust me, there were quite a number of big fat ones hovering all around us in restaurants and hotels. So because of OFF! Overtime, we were still able to take part in one of the most magical trips safely. I will be forever grateful to this product. Here are some pictures to show you what we could have missed out on!
I would highly recommend OFF! Overtime if:
1. You’re planning to visit an area or country that has been noted to have Dengue or the Zika Virus.
2. You’re looking for a repellent that offers protection up to 8 hours.
3. You want a repellent that is cool to the skin and not sticky.
4. You want a repellent that is affordable (only 7pesos to 158pesos) and easy to find (leading drug stores, supermarkets, sari-sari stores, and groceries)
Because of how well OFF! Overtime worked for us, we always have at least one bottle in the house in case needed. I recommend you do the same.
This is a sponsored post, but the opinions and stories and genuinely mine.
(All images in Cartagena shot by the ultimate IG husband: Carlo Ledesma)
