And the inevitable has hit yet again and i've come down with my (what it feels like) monthly bout of Tonsillitis! So whilst I have a few days where I feel like doing absolutely nothing but binge watch Full House or House of Cards on Netflix I thought i'd compile a list of my Illness essentials and the little things I do whilst ill to nurse myself back to health, when really I should be attempting to begin that pile of uni work i've been avoiding for weeks!
It's all in the diet...
So typically when i'm ill my appetite becomes a complete minimum, if I was offered toast or McDonalds i'll take the toast because the thought of having to actually eat a full (and greasy) meal makes me extra sick. Typically I like to make sure I have a lot of fruit around, especially oranges which have a good amount of vitamin C in them which helps get rid of flu and cold like symptoms because of the antioxidant qualities which help the immune system. Also, this next part is 100% a placebo effect but it's something i've done (and my parents have done) since I was really little, but whenever I'm ill I always drink a hell of a lot of lucozade because obviously it's a good idea to keep your fluid intake high especially if your appetite is at a bare minimum but I like to think the lucozade gives me the energy to attempt to get a few jobs done when i'm down because of the glucose in it! Also the fact that it's slightly fizzy helps with a sore throat because it's supposed to get rid of some of the mucus (don't take my word for it, again another thing my Dad told me!) - Definitely a placebo, but i'll keep up with it for years to come!
Buh-bye chapped lips...
When I get ill I tend to suffer quite badly with dry, chapped lips like most people do. So my second essential is to make sure you always have a good moisturizing lip balm to hand. The two I currently have in circulation (one in my handbag, and one in my dressing gown pocket with a lot of tissues) are; I have one by a affordable brand called Lipsilk, it's kind of a knock off EOS balm - I don't know if it's an exact dupe as i've never purchased an EOS so I can't back it up on these points but I still think it looks damn cute. I got it from Savers for £1, and have it in Blueberry and I also have a Strawberry flavoured one that I picked up from Home Bargains for a similar price. It's pretty hydrating and it tastes nice! The second one I have is this Nivea Pearly Shine one which is hydrating, and also gives your lips something other than their normal colour it's kind of a my lips but more glossy and full effect. The only downside is it can make your lips look quite pale so i'd probably recommend blending this with a pinky lipstick if you're going out but it's good to just chuck on if you're around the house. You can get the Nivea one here for £1.49 at Superdrug (regular price £2.29)!
Bath time is the best time...
For anyone who knows me will know that I practically live in the bath when i'm back at home but this is definitely doubled when i'm Ill. This time i've been suffering so badly with a sore back which has meant the only thing to soothe it has actually been a really warm bubble bath (sometimes twice a day). I tend to use this Imperial Leather Fruit Salad scented shower gel to make some bubbles as I love the scent, it definitely makes me feel all nostalgic and when in use as a shower gel It actually makes my skin feel all soft! The scent doesn't linger for a long time which I think is actually a bonus because if mixed with a perfume I can imagine that it would be quite sickly and strong. You can get the shower gel from Superdrug for £1.80. If I feel in the mood for an extra pamper (which is basically all the time!) I like to stock up on Lush bath bombs, the other night I decided to use the Ickle Baby Bot as it was my pre-bed bath and this one is designed to make you feel all relaxed, it is primarily designed for children hense the robot shape but I like the gentle scent from the lavender and we all could probably use some aids when it comes to a gentle night sleep! Get it here for £1.95.
Show your skin some love...
When i'm ill I typically tend to condense my skincare routine quite heavily, this is just because I tend to just want to hop into bed without the hassle of having to put loads of different things onto my skin. I am going to do a post about my skincare routine so I wont go too heavily into it. But I tend to have a 2-step routine when ill. Firstly, I cleanse with the Garnier Micellar water, I have loads of small bottles of this lying around in both houses I live at because typically ASDA do them for £1 so I tend to stock up and it just makes it so much easier for transportation - the bottles have lasted me for quite a while as well! I like this micellar water as it's really gentle on my skin and works well and grabbing all the dirt out especially around my nose, it's also a big staple in the beauty blogging sphere and that's primarily because it's affordable and it does the job. You can get both sizes here and here. My second step is a good moisturizer, my skin gets so dull and dry when ill especially around the nose area due to constantly rubbing at it with tissues. I tend to use medicated creams on the really tough area but my new favorite moisturizer is by Superdrug in their Vitamin E collection, I bought this a few weeks ago along with the Hot Cloth Cleanser and I really like this product, from the scent to what it does to my skin - it soaks into the skin easily so you're not sat around waiting for it to work before you jump into bed, and my skin feels amazing the next day! It's £2.99 from Superdrug and they're currently running a buy one get one half price promotion so definitely pick up the Hot Cloth Cleanser as they work a dream together!
Do you have any illness essentials?
-Tasha x
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