holiday first aid kit

[Qd]

I am in the process of putting together my holiday first aid kit. A real hotch-potch affair. What do you put in yours? Do you have a great product you wouldn't leave home without? Please share any tips/hints.

arnica cream(for bruises)hypercal cream (for cuts and sores),Savlon wound wash and TCP !

Piriton syrup. You can give it to children from 12 months (I think) & is great if, like me, you tend to get reactions to bites & stings. At least I don't have to worry too much if the children also have a reaction.
BTW its also v good for youngest dds hayfever.

Braun thermoscan digital thermometer. Light, quite small, comes in a secure packing case, reassuring to have to hand if you have very young children with you.
I don't go down to the shops without my arnica/hypercal/tea tree trio! They are such good products.
Might also pack some Dioralyte but depends on where you are off to. We have always found flat lemonade more palatable and equally effective.

At least one spare plastic measuring spoon or syringe in case the original gets lost. Cotton wool or kitchen roll to absorb any bleeding from cuts.

I carry lavender oil everywhere - it's good for calming fractious children, soothing headaches, sun burn etc. Boots Botanics do lavender balm in a tube which is absolutely brilliant.

I know this isn't really 'first aid' but I always take a tube of 'Berocca' fizzy tablets which contain vit b,c,calcium & Magnesium (just reading off the tube!) for helping hangovers! If you can leave them out with a pint of water when you get in from a late night and then take another in the morning - you will feel so much better! The other thing I cannot do without is tweezers (see the Capt Corelli messages!) Thanks for that note about the botanics stuff, I'll look out for that this weekend, my lot have gone made for this range! Instead of dioralyte we used to use cold unsweetened tea.

Cannestan cream in humid climates. Antihistamine tablets for unexpected reactions to insects, blister covers, earplugs and a wedding ring!

Thanks for all that. Re tea tree oil, do you use a carrier oil or just use it neat? And the lavender oil as well I suppose? I always have arnica pills as well as the cream. My kids open their mouths as soon as they see the dispenser come out of the bag.

Also re sun creams. I found a Sainsbury's own children's suncream yesterday spf 25 for only £2.99. It seemed almost too cheap. What do you think?

Qd: In fact there was a recent survey suggesting no difference between the cheaper sunscreens and the expensive brands. As long as the cream has the correct sp factor, the cheaper creams are ok.

Qd

I've been using both Sainsbury's and Tesco's factor 35 for my son who has very fair skin - seems to be fine. I don't see the point in paying a fortune for suncreams, especially since we seem to use so much, and I presume a reputable company makes it for them.

Can anyone recommend suntan lotion for a fifteen month old with ezcema (not that bad, mainly behind knees!)

Willow2 - my son gets excema in similar places - legs and behind the knees. I've always just used an ordinary sun tan lotion and it hasn't made it worse. I have some from Superdrug which was very reasonably priced.

Willow2 - my GP recommended a suncream which was NOT waterproof or water resistant, as they clog the pores - but these do not seem to exist. I posted a question on mumsnet about this a couple of weeks ago and someone recommended an Avon suncream. I've managed to get hold of some, and it is 'light water-resistant', but feels much better on the skin than other creams I've tried. Also, don't get one with a very high factor (30+), as these do tend to be very thick and heavy and need a lot of scrubbing to get them off.

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