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Investigatory Project Essay It is said that Lemon Grass is an excellent insect repellant. The ancients were familiar with this attribute. This action, bug repelling, does not carry the same punch that it did in the days of the Israelites. Egypt was fertile because it had good soil and lots of water. An abundance of water meant lots of insects, specifically mosquitoes. Mosquitoes carry malaria, which was bad news in the ancient world. The ancients burned lemon grass to keep the bugs away just as we do. However, they were worried about a little more than unsightly bump on the legs. Keeping bugs away was a life or death situation. Using coconut oil for the skin is healthy, the natural way. Tropical dwellers have known this fact for at least a millennium or two. Unlike superficial cosmetics formulated in labs of profit-hungry corporations, coconut oil contains absolutely nothing that will harm your precious skin, including the rest of your body. Related Study This essential oil proved to be one of the top performers in a comparative study of insect repellents published in July, 2002 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The two commercial sprays tested kept bugs away from 1 to 3 hours. The results of a 2004 California State Science Fair project show that lemongrass is 30 percent less effective than commercial preparations containing DEET, or diethylmetatoluamide, in repelling mosquitoes. Lemongrass, or cymbopogon ciatrus, may still be a suitable substitute for persons who cannot tolerate DEET. A study published on the CBS News website compares natural-based insect repellents against DEET products. According to the news network, natural products like lemon grass and citronella work by scent and must be reapplied more often than DEET-based products. On coconut oil as a skin friendly product, Leading biochemist Raymond Peat, Ph.D., has this to say. It is well established that dietary coconut oil reduces our need for vitamin E, but I think its antioxidant role is more general than that, and that it has both direct and indirect antioxidant activities.