Aerogard is an Australian brand of outdoor insect repellent, that is applied directly to the skin.

It comes in a variety of application types, including aerosol sprays, bottled creams and roll-ons.

Together with its sister product Mortein, a popular household insecticide, Aerogard has become something of a "household name" in Australia, owing much in this regard to its promotion by former Australian tennis champion John Newcombe and the catchphrase "Avagoodweekend".

The active ingredient in Aerogard is N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET). Recent low odor formulas use Picaridin (See Icaridin)

History

An insect repellent developed by Australias' Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) s Doug Waterhouse made Elizabeth II s 1963 visit to Australia much more pleasant than it might have been otherwise eventually. Although the Queen was meant to be sprayed with the repellent at a garden party held at Government House in Canberra, the aide responsible lost his nerve.

The next day was a different story, when Government House staff made sure the Queen was liberally sprayed before heading off for a game of golf. Journalists following the Queen noted the absence of flies around the official party, and word about CSIRO s new fly-repellent spread. A few days later Mortein called Doug Waterhouse for his formula, which he passed on freely, as was CSIRO s policy at the time.^[1]

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