The schools have been back for almost a month and most our children have already been through their first set of school-related sickness or even worse, visit to the doctor or the pharmacist!

I have been sent all month of September things to try out with Emma, that would prevent some of the normal ailments and plagues children get once they return to school and into a germ-exchanging community, so to say :-).

Very high on my list is Picksan, NO LICE, a new lice preventative stray. I work in a school environment too so picking lice is a genuine concern at times.

 Fortunately , we were sent Picksan which is supposed to be a “natural and effective approach for preventing and treating head lice for your family.”

 NO LICE! Preventative Spray and LICE STOP Shampoo Treatment are natural and scientifically proven applications for preventing and treating head lice for the whole family, from children age 3 to adults.

In their press release, Picksan says “It’s well known that head lice are becoming increasingly resistant to synthetic and chemical products of late. However, research carried out by Professor Dr Mehlhorn from the Dusseldorf University, shows lice are less resistant to natural products like herbs and oils.“

NO LICE! Preventative Spray and LICE STOP Shampoo Treatment have been used to treat head lice in Europe for over ten years.  Both products contain a unique blend of natural ingredients including the patented MelAza extract from the seed of the Neem tree.  Neem has been used in India for thousands of years as a treatment for head lice.

Whilst many parents are happy to use well-known brands of lice treatments containing powerful chemical ingredients to treat their children’s head lice, most aren’t comfortable using these harsh products as an ongoing, preventative treatment.

NO LICE! And LICE STOP are both priced at £8.95 for 100ml and are available from Holland & Barrett, Victoria Health and other independent health stores.

 NO LICE! and LICE STOP are both:

•  SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE

• CONTAIN NATURAL INGREDIENTS

• DERMATOLOGICALLY TESTED

• PARABEN FREE

• SLES FREE

• DEET FREE

• INSECTICIDE FREE

• SILICONE FREE

• KIND TO THE HAIR AND SCALP

• PLEASANT FRAGRANCE

• INCREASES SUPPLENESS OF HAIR FOR EASING COMBING

• SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN OVER THREE YEARS OLD

Personal verdict: I love the fact that these are natural products, that I do not have to worry about spraying Emma(and myself) with chemicals and that it pretty much works like a hair conditioner, no hassle! They also smell lovely and they do not leave one’s hair oily looking so it could easily be used in the morning, as part of the normal beauty routine, really!

Another product I know Alex will appreciate loads when we are in Greece and now Emma, when she goes swimming in public places, is Swim Seal, drops that are meant to prevent water causing painful ears. Alex suffers terribly, even when swimming in the sea, with painful ears and has been trying all sorts to prevent it every summer and I am sure he would love this solution, as it is supposed to be a “naturally protective barrier containing Australian tea tree oil.”

According to their website, SwimSeal is “the natural answer to preventing water-related ear problems” and works equally well for children and adults in a wide array of situations:

SwimSeal ear drops are applied before going into the water and act similarly to natural ear wax creating a waterproof coating in the external ear canal. Common issues, like swimmer’s ear, can be prevented by applying the drops on a regular basis when in the water. After about two to three hours the SwimSeal coating will wear off and migrate naturally from the ear without build up.

The product sell online and in all major stockists, like Boots and Superdrug for £7.99.

Personal verdict: I am happy Alex has no excuse now for not taking Emma swimming at the weekends :-)! On a more serious note, I am genuinely pleased that we can prevent his sore ears and create some beautiful family memories without the fear of sore ears and since the drops are all natural, I will not worry about him not taking them well!

If Alex suffers from bad ears, I personally suffer from cold sores in winter or when my immune system is depleted of energy so the next product we received and were asked to review is Zzip clear lips, the cold sore soother.

While no product can cure a cold sore, this ground breaking Swiss innovation can provide sufferers with immediate pain relief, activate healing with just two quick and easy applications and empower them to feel more confidant and comfortable to face the world.

This new cold sore soother offers additional features in demand by consumers worldwide:

• Free from parabens
• Contains no animal products
• Has not been tested on animals
• Contains no Alcohol

Personal verdict: I love the little kit it comes with and the fact that it can be applied neatly and without any spillages. I will be keeping this close this winter, for sure! I was a bit shocked by the price, though, as a 3 ml treatment kit sells for £12.95. Worth checking with your pharmacist before you purchase, as it may be on the list of minor ailments products.

I left the most common ailment for the last: the usual colds and infections children(and adults!) get upon return to school and periodically throughout the winter, leading to sometimes visits to the doctors, antibiotics and other unpleasant medical interventions.

I was sent two products that are meant to alleviate the unpleasant symptoms that accompany the colds and flu we all get once the cold season kicks in.

We had worked with Sterimar before and this autumn, they have launched a new nasal spray, which they kindly asked us to try out and give a verdict on.  Sterimar Stop& Protect is supposed to be an improved version of their original patent and includes now eucalyptus and copper, to decongest even quicker, neutralise viruses and bacteria and fight infections.

The nasal pump sells online or in any pharmacies and health store in the UK at £9.27.

My verdict: again, I LOVE the fact that it is a gentle, no strong chemical product that is suitable for children from 3 years as well as pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. I am impressed with the new ingredients and that fact that it is 100% sea water, rich in mineral salts and that the spray is preventive as well as alleviating symptoms. Just like my cold sore remedy, I will be keeping this one in my bedside table this winter!

The ProVen Probiotics Fit for School is the last product I will be reviewing this evening.

I was very impressed by the product info immediately, as I recognised it as a possibly revolutionary product in the illness prevention industry. Specially formulated for children from one year old to help maintain immune function and general well being, it is the sort of product I wish I had come across when Emma was a toddler, as she used to get a cold and infection every three weeks!

Some more product blurb for you:

• 12.5 billion friendly bacteria per stick pack plus vitamins C & D and prebiotics
• Proven to reduce the duration of coughs and colds by 50%
• Proven to reduce the incidence of cough and cold symptoms by 30%
• Proven to reduce absenteeism from school by 30%.

In order for the product to start taking effect, a child needs to take it every morning for six months, as the friendly bacteria works on the gut relatively slowly but with long term benefits, for sure. We were able to see that with Emma when she was 2 and a friend recommended we put her on vitamins and other good stuff and the effects were extraordinary after six months of consistent use of gentle natural aids.

Emma’s verdict: we used the stick version and added it into her morning porridge. She did say it made her morning cereal much sweeter, as the main ingredient is fructooligosaccharides(or fruit sugar, in short) and wasn’t too fussed on the taste. I would recommend adding it to a cup of milk with no other sweeteners, if your child is fussy like mine!

The product sells for £7.75 per container with 14 sticks(two weeks’ worth).

Which products from the above review would you find useful? Have you used any of them before(or similar) and what is your opinion?

Disclaimer: we were sent the above products for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed are ours, as always.