My Cold/Flu Essentials kit!

Winter (especially January) is one of my favourite times of year (probably because of my birthday) even though it's a time when we all usually lack money after the christmas spending and the january sales. I think it's just because i love winter, and perhaps as a winter baby, I love the crisp cold air and the rosey cheeks that accompany the winter months. I absolutely love winter fashion; chunky knits, gorgeous fluffy jumpers and thick woollen tights in rich dark statement colours (the classic Blair Waldorf look!). Yet there is one thing that always seems to try and ruin winter and January especially and that's the dreaded cold and flu that will almost certainly come our way. Which is exactly what happened to me this past week. So i decided that this would not put a downer on my beautiful January (now February really), and would use my cold as inspiration for a new post! Hopefully i will be able to help other's stuck in my predicament, and get out and enjoy the lovely winter weather!

Here is a quick list of products i use to make my life a little bit easier when i catch the inevitable cold!

- Paracodamol or Ibuprofen.

- Vapo-Rub 

- Lemonade 

- Honey 

-  Whiskey 

- Mens face wash (One with menthol)

- Lush Lip Scrub

- Paw Paw skin salve 

- Home made foot soak and scrub

- Ear Plugs 

- A good audio book/ playlist 

- An abundance of Hankies (I made my own) 

The paracodamol or ibuprofen are probably standard choices for easing the symptoms of a cold or flu. Choosing which to use is really down to personal preference, at first i used the paracodamol which arewater soluable tablets that can be taken 4 times in 24 hours with a 4 hour rest perioid between each dose. I find these to be extremely effective at relieving symptoms that are especially bad, they work really fast too which is an added bonus, i willl warn you however that they taste awful so i would try and down the solution as quickly as possible! Ibuprofen are also great for relieving symptoms but i find they take a little longer and aren't always as effective, however i would recommend them if you really dislike water soluable tablets (which i did but i forced myself to get used to it because it was so much more effective (Make sure you read the insructions carefully though!)

Another obvious choice for a cold or flu but definitely needed to be mentioned as it is an essential; good old Vapo-rub! 

The lemonade honey and whiskey are all one really, i usually get myself a nice big mug, pour lemonade in, add a generous squeeze of honey and pop it in the microwave for about 2 mins. Once its finished i give it a good stir and then add some whiskey (Just add however much you feel you need!) and hey presto a yummy hot drink to soothe a sore throat, relieve head pain from bad sinuses and open up airways.  

Now we come to the essentials that are personal preference, but work really well! Mens face wash when i have a cold is amazing! I would recommend the nivea one i use because it has menthol in it, but i find that most mens face washes have menthol in them (where as womens often don't). The menthol in the face wash makes me feel immediately refreshed, unblocked and awake. It relieves the sinuses aswell which is usually a big issue for me when i have a cold. 

Lush lip scrubs are brilliant! I've tried the bubblegum and popcorn flavours and both are delightful, I think i probably prefer the popcorn one but thats just because i love popcorn! This i actually use on my nose as well as my lips when i have a cold, specifically around the nostrils because i don't know about you but all the nose issues end up causing really dry flakey skin around my nostrils which i hate. So i use the scrub to gently scrub off the dry flaky skin and it works so well! The skin is still red but it buffs off all of the flakey bits and keeps it smooth. 

After i use the lip scrub on my nose to then keep it smooth and hopefully soft i apply some of my Paw Paw lip and skin salve. One thing i love about this product is that its very skin friendly and it actually works better and quicker than just Vaseline which used to be my go to nose and lip healer. Applying this also helps to reduce soreness from further uses of tissues and hankies and also helps prevent dust going up the nose which helps prevent sneezing and reduces nose blocking. 

I dont know about you but when i get a cold i cant help but feel sorry for myself so i tend to treat and pamper myself more. This is where my homemade foot soak and scrub comes in (which im hoping to do a post on soon). These really help to relieve aches and pains and keep your feet smelling and looking great, plus you can do it sitting watching tv! 

Sleep is something i always need more of when i have a cold, yet its something i find very hard to do! Firstly, i'm more sensitive to noise because of head and ear aches. Thats why ear plugs are another of my essentials, just pop them in and if i were you i would invest in or make an eye mask too, day time napping will be a breeze!

Like ear plugs, i use audiobooks to help block out unwanted noise, which helps me focus and hopefully sleep. I ended up listening to Alice in wonderland because it was really cheap in the itunes store and i quite enjoy it, although i did have some weird dreams while listening to it!

Finally this is something you should definitely have if you have a cold; hankies! I know what your probably thinking that they're gross. Well i thought that too at first, but if you make your own you can make them small so they wont last very long and you can make as many as you need so you can keep changing them often. I ended up swapping mine frequently and whilst using one i would clean others, a quick hand wash will do and they dont take long to dry on the radiators. These are much better than tissues because they are so much kinder on your nose which will already be feeling sensitive, plus in the long run they are much cheaper as they can be used over and over again, especially if you make your own! I would reccomend making them from cotton only though, just to make sure its nice and soft. 

So there you go! my cold/flu essentials kit, i hope it helps anyone else suffering! Comment below if you have any cold essentials that arent on my list, or if you use the same! :) 

Charlotte x