Suse, I am not sure about the absorbtion through the skin.

But I know that anything on the skin that smells used to put Olivia off BF'ing.....she would get cranky & push me away.......

We were living in the NT whislt I was BF'ing her......in a mangrove area.....I just got bitten to bits by the sandflies and mozzies......but after a week or two they went off me!