When I was packing for homeschooling camp at the beginning of August, I debated what to include in my first aid kit. I knew the camp would probably have bandaids and the usual first-aid stuff if we really needed them; I was more concerned about the homeopathic remedies that I usually use for things like sunburn, bug bites, scrapes, rashes and achy muscles. I knew we’d be outside a lot and I’d be treating some of those things during the week.
In the end, I took Boiron’s Arnicare Gel (for achy muscles, since we’d all be really active during camp) and Cicadermine cream (for any scrapes or rashes). As I expected, both came in handy.
While others were putting on bug spray during the week, I never noticed any mosquitoes.
There was some poison ivy growing around the camp, but thankfully our girls avoided that.
We did encounter leeches in the lake the one afternoon we went swimming and kayaking. Most of those bites were hardly noticeable once I’d pried the leeches off, but one leech bite on my leg refused to stop bleeding and then even swelled up a bit. I applied Cicadermine a couple times and the swelling and redness went away.
However, I was most thankful for the Arnicare Gel. This is a product I’ve used before, because Lily often gets achy legs at night. I didn’t have a chance to try it out myself, however, until camp.
On our second day at camp, we hiked the popular “Cougar Caves” trail. This trail winds through the woods, across a gravel road, and then up a steep hill before we clambered down into a rocky canyon. The last part of the trail involves as much climbing as hiking, and dads and older kids help pass the younger kids down. I carried Jade in the Ergo all the way there, though she walked partway back by herself. The next day, I noticed that my thighs were aching anytime I went up or down the stairs. I didn’t think of the Arnicare Gel right then, however.
Two days later, we hiked to Mystic Beach. As soon as I saw the stairs heading down into the beach, I began to imagine how my legs would be aching the next day. They were just barely recovering from the Cougar Caves trail. Then I remembered the Arnicare Gel. Sure enough, by the time we got back to camp, my legs were sore. I ducked into my tent and slathered Arnicare Gel on generously. Within an hour, my legs had stopped aching and I had none of the pain the next day that I’d had after the shorter Cougar Caves hike.
After that, I passed the Arnicare Gel along to a couple other moms who were also complaining about achy muscles after the unusual activities we were doing at camp. It makes a great gift, actually. Last year, one of my friends was complaining about a really sore knee. She wasn’t sure what she’d done to it, but it was making both housework and chasing the kids really difficult for her. On my way to her place, I swung past my favourite health-food store for some Arnicare Gel for her. Later, she told me it make a huge difference on her knee.
Boiron is a name that I trust and look for in pharmacies and health-food stores. Every product I’ve tried has worked just as well as the Arnicare Gel and Cicadermine Cream and none have side effects (my biggest gripe with most over-the-counter medicines). I think a friend first recommended Boiron’s cold medications to me and I now keep our medicine cabinet stocked with Stodal.
Whether you’re also dealing with common summer ailments like bug bites, achy muscles, and poisonous plants, or gearing up for the cold and flu season as school starts, I recommend checking out Boiron’s homeopathic medicines. They’ve got a solution for every ailment your family might face!
I received these products from Boiron for the purposes of this review; all opinions expressed are my own.
5 Comments
We use a lot of Boiron products in our home too. My daughter also gets achy legs. I have found Arnicare very helpful! I like to stick with natural products when possible.
I haven’t tried Boiron products before. But both of my kids get achy legs at night (growing pains?) and I think the gel sounds so soothing for them. I’ll give it a try! Thanks for these practical tips!
That brings back so many memories reading Christine’s comment. I actually used the same for my kids when they were teething. Now we use a lot of the Arnica gel. It’s a really great product. I have used it on three generations here and it works great each time.
We have used some Boiron products but haven’t tried the Arnicare gel yet. I will pick some up to have handy!
I really like Boiron products. When Little One was teething, we used the Camilia on her. It worked and I was happy that it was natural and safe to use.
I like the Arnicare Gel as well.