How to Treat Sunburn

Did you spend a little too much time in the sun? Are you feeling the burn? Sunburn can be a really painful side effect of not wearing sunscreen and spending too much time in the sun. Taking proper care of your sunburn skin can mean the difference between healing and scarring. It can also help with pain relief and even speed up healing. Here are some ways on how to treat a sunburn:

• Take Asprin or Acetaminophen: These medicines can help lessen swelling and dull the pain you are feeling. Follow the instructions on the back of the bottle for dosage.
 
• Find Cooling Relief: Take a cool shower or cool bath. Make sure it’s not ice cold but is cooler than your normal shower. Hot showers will leave your skin feeling like it’s on fire and will dry it out. Avoid soaps or bath oils that may dry out or irritate your skin. Make sure to pat yourself dry instead of rubbing, which will add more pain. Place cold compresses on effected areas to help reduce swelling and pain as well.
 
• Apply Topical Applications: Apply Aloe Vera lotion, cortisone creams, or other soothing agents that are meant for the soothing of irritated and sunburnt skin. If you have an aloe plant, you can split the leaves and use the goo on the inside as a topical applicant. Just be sure not to rub anything all the way in. This can dry out the skin and the cooling agents in the creams won’t be as effective.
 
• Stay Hydrated: The sun sucks the moisture right out of your skin and body. So when you develop a sunburn, your body is constantly trying to replenish the moisture to your dry, burning skin. This in-turn dehydrates you even more. Make sure to drink more water than usual to stay hydrated.
 
• Protect Sunburnt Skin: Stay out of the sun and use 45+ SPF if you need to expose your skin to the sun. Wear loose clothing with long sleeves to cover burnt areas and to keep clothing from irritating your skin.
 
• Apply Unscented Moisturizer: Start introducing moisture to your skin as it begins to heal. Use unscented moisturizers as any scented ingredients may irritate your skin.

If there is Blistering:

• Don’t pop your blisters unless it is completely necessary. Popping them can cause more pain and lead to infection and scarring. If you must pop a blister, do so hygienically. Wash your hands and pop with a sterilized needle and then pat dry with clean gauze.
• Use topical applications on blisters such as aloe and antibacterial ointments to prevent infection and keep them clean.

Know when to see a doctor. If you experience dizziness, rapid pulse rate, extreme thirst with no urine output, nausea, fever, chills, rash, or severe blisters, it’s time to take a trip to the doctor.

The best way to treat a sunburn is to prevent it. Always wear sunscreen and remember to re-apply throughout the day. If you are going to be in the sun for a long time, hats or umbrellas are a good idea. Sunburn can lead to skin cancer, which kills thousands of Australian’s each year. So remember the next time you hit the beach, lathering sunscreen on your healthy skin now can save you time lathering aloe on your burnt, painful skin later.

Get In Control of Your Smoking Habit: Helpful Tips to Quit This Year

New Year’s resolutions should be in full swing by now. But more often than not, keeping up with them isn’t as easy as it looks. Are you starting to slip on your resolution to quit smoking or tobacco products in general? Here are some helpful tips to successfully quit your smoking habit this year.

1. Set a Quit Date: Having a clear date in mind is a great way to keep you on track and ensure that you will quit. If you’ve already started your journey into your resolution then think of this step as a reminder to yourself as to why you quit in the first place. Everyday into recovery is a new start date. Wake up every morning with the right attitude and be ready to conquer any cravings you might have throughout the day.


2. Gain Support: Tell your friends, family and co-workers you are quitting. Garnering support is very important when you are going through addiction recovery. Being able to call a friend when you are having a craving or having a family member be there for you on the hard days is more valuable than you’d think.


3. Be Prepared: It’s not going to be easy. Realize that fact early on and be ready for the hard times. Typically, smokers relapse in the first three months. By preparing yourself for common challenges others have faced in this journey, you can make it past that three month mark and beyond.


4. Remove All Tobacco Products From Your Life: By ridding your life of smoking related products and starting from a clean slate is important. Get your clothes dry cleaned, shampoo your car carpets and furniture if you smoke inside. This ritual cleaning will completely rid your life of that smoke smell that’s been following you around since you picked up your first cigarette and help to no remind you of smoking.


5. Take Advantage of Pharmacies: Pharmacies carry a lot of different quit smoking products that can help you quit gradually or even cold turkey. The Nicorette Quick mist or inhaler is a great way to help kill the cravings and slowly wean yourself off of tobacco if you are a moderate smoker.


6. Avoid Smoking Triggers: Commonly, people start smoking while they are doing other things or as a social activity. Removing those habits from your life can help you overcome your habit of smoking. Many people smoke while drinking alcohol. Limiting the amount you go out and drink can help you avoid potential smoking cravings. Also limiting your activity with other smokers can help you avoid possible yearnings to just take one puff or seven.

Just remember, you are not alone. There are millions of people who try to quit smoking and many are successful. But they did not do it alone and took the proper precautions and steps to do so. Each day will be a battle, but also each day you don’t smoke will be a victory.

5 Reasons to Make Exercising and Your Health a Priority this Year

Exercise and healthy living should always be at the top of our priority lists but sometimes time gets away from us and our workouts suffer. Here’s a quick reminder on why you should make exercising a priority this year.
 

1. You Deserve a Stress Break. Taking time out of your day to simply focus on yourself will set your mind and body at ease. Being able to exercise your stressors away can help your mind focus on what’s important in your life. It can also clear your mind of any cobwebs that may be keeping you from exploring your full potential or solving that one problem at work.
 
2. Your Relationships Will Benefit. Exercise tends to promote confidence and overall self-esteem, which will improve your relationship with yourself. Not only will you begin to love you again, but so will those around you. When you exude confidence, you tend to attract more people. As you strut around in your new, fit body, others won’t be able to help but take notice.
 
3. You’ll Genuinely Feel Better. Exercise releases endorphins in the brain that make you happy; so, not only will your mood lift from exercising regularly, but your body will also genuinely feel better. You’ll feel stronger, leaner and lighter on your feet.
 
4. You’ll Get More Sleep and Be More Awake. Exercising regularly plus a healthy diet trains your body to continually provide itself with the good kind of energy. This goes a long way during your work day. Exercising also gets you on a healthy sleep schedule. Because you are naturally energized all day, you’ll be more tired at night. With no presence of caffeine or other harmful stimulants in your diet, you’ll crash when you’re supposed to- in bed, not at the office. So, in the morning, take a run instead of your morning cup of joe.
 
5. You Can’t Afford to Get Sick. Healthcare, medicine costs, days off work – there are plenty of reasons why you financially can’t afford to get sick. The average Australian spends thousands of dollars each year on their health. Not only is it fiscally responsible to focus on staying healthy this year but it’s just smart. Being sick leaves you feeling crummy and throwing away money. By focusing on your health this year, you can stay in the winner’s corner – cough and cost free.

Making your health a priority can only benefit you in the long run. So jump up and get in motion this year. Not only will your mind, body and spirit thank you – but so will your pockets.

Valentine's Day Gifts Ideas for Him

If you’re stuck wondering what give the guys for Valentine’s Day there are a few go-tos that make gift gifting easy. By giving skin care products or fragrances for men you can make gift giving as easy as 1,2,3!

gift guide for men on Polyvore

1. Fragrances- Get him a new fragrance for a gift you both will enjoy.

2. Shaving Products- Any man that shaves will love a few new products to take care of his face and chin.  After shave, shaving kits and razors make perfect gifts. 

3. Moisturisers- Help him take care of his skin with a quality moisturiser. 

We carry several products and gift packages that make finding a gift easy.  Natio has several gift pacts with different Men’s grooming products including the Well Groomed gift pack, Face Off gift pack and many more.  You can also purchase the products seperately and pair them with a new fragrance like Paco Rabanne One Million to make him feel like a million bucks. 

Hope these tips help! What tips do you have for gift giving? 

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Her

If you are running out of ideas for the man or woman in your life Valentine's Day, we have a few more ideas to help you out. Giving nail polish, perfume, lotions or other beauty products may seem cliché, but you can always add a personal touch to these timeless gifts to ensure they will be loved.

Gift Guide for Women on Polyvore

1. Skin- Give her something to take care of her skin.  Consider giving her some lightly scented hand moisturiser or body lotion.  Natio makes gift giving even easier by packing some of their best-selling skin products in gift packs. 
2. Fragrance- Find a new fragrance.  Try a classic scent she is sure to enjoy or a recently released fragrance that will make her stand out in the crowd.
3. Nails- Give her a little more color in her life with some nail polish.  A few manicure or pedicure tools and supplies can really make a difference too. 

Shop at our online store or come visit one of our pharmacies to find the perfect gifts for the woman in your life.  We carry a huge selection of fragrances for her, lotions and moisturisers, and other beauty products she is sure to enjoy!

Our Top Three Celebrity Fragrance Picks

The festive season is upon us, and it is the perfect time to give the gift of a new fragrance to a loved one or update your own signature scent. You can’t go wrong with the bold new perfumes from Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, and One Direction. These three fragrances -The Key, Killer Queen, and One Moment - are easily our favourite new celebrity fragrances on the market. You’re sure to delight in their show-stopping blends of musk undertones, fruity aromas, and floral notes.


1. The Key is the newest fragrance in Justin Bieber’s wildly popular line of perfumes. Much like Bieber


himself, The Key aims to inspire you to follow your dreams and believe in yourself. It is a provocative yet feminine scent that blends jasmine and water lily with fruity notes of mandarin, boysenberry, and pear. A sexy musk undertone adds a mysterious allure to the perfume. The perfume is housed in an attractive white bottle embellished with a golden key charm.

2. Next up is Katy Perry’s Killer Queen, a scent that is as beautiful and regal as the singer herself. Killer Queen is the perfect companion to Katy’s new album. Both the perfume and the music have a strong message about empowerment and individualism. The fragrance is a playful yet majestic blend of wild berries, plum, jasmine, and red velvet flower. Its bold notes are sure to command attention and make you stand out this holiday season. Killer Queen comes in one of the most unique and beautiful perfume bottles we’ve seen this year. The bottle, which is designed to resemble a queen’s bejeweled scepter, is capped with a miniature golden crown. Killer Queen's vibrant red hue makes it the perfect gift for the holidays.

3. Finally, be sure to check out One Moment from One Direction, a flirtatious new scent from one of the hottest bands on the music scene. One Moment is as playful and quirky as the band members themselves. The fragrance pairs musky base tones with aromatic notes of grapefruit, wild berries, jasmine, and redcurrants. The result is a fragrance that is as feminine and flirtatious as the cute pink bottle it comes in.

Find all these scents and more online at www.simplypharmacy.com.au.

Hay Fever Vs. The Common Cold: Know The Difference

The symptoms of a hay fever and the common cold can often be mistaken with the other. Both problems cause sneezing, coughing and a runny nose. Even though hay fever and a cold can seem similar, there are distinct differences that set them apart. Learn about the differences so that you do not take the wrong medicine for the condition that you are struggling against.

Pay attention to the symptoms

Although many of the symptoms are similar, the common cold and hay fever do not have symptoms that occur in the same way. When you have a cold, it is likely that your symptoms will develop slowly.  A day or two after exposure you will start to notice the running nose, sneezing and sore throat.  With hay fever, it is likely that all of the symptoms will occur at the same time as you are exposed to the allergen. You may develop a runny nose and a cough at the same time. Sneezing may occur more regularly and it may even interrupt a sudden cough. Also, pay attention to the length of time symptoms persist.  Symptoms of hay fever will only last as long as you are exposed to the allergen, while cold symptoms typically last a few days to a week.

Differences in symptoms 

Hay fever has certain symptoms that do not develop with a cold. The itchiness is a particular sensation that is not likely to develop during a cold. It generally occurs around the eyes and nose, and can also develop in the throat. In some cases, the itching feels like an internal irritation that is hard to ignore.

Although the term “hay fever” can lead to the assumption that a high fever is a common symptom, it is actually a misnomer. During hay fever, the body temperature does not usually increase. It is rare that allergic reactions to pollen or other allergen in the air will cause a fever to develop. During a cold, a mild to moderate fever is a common symptom. The body temperature is likely to have a measurable increase, though the severity of the cold will often determine the exact temperature.

Another symptom that usually does not occur during hay fever is having aches and pains.  If you find yourself sore and achy you probably have a cold.


Hay Fever Treatment

For hay fever, there are two basic treatments. The simplest treatment is to avoid being exposed to the allergen, although this is not always easy during allergy season.  Most allergies are treated with antihistamines to relieve sneezing, watery and itchy eyes and a runny or itchy nose. A decongestant or a nasal spray can also be used to help reduce congestion, sneezing and put an end to a runny nose.

Cold Treatment

Colds are caused by viruses and there is no cure. The best treatment is to get some rest.  There are however many remedies to treat the symptoms of a cold. For aches and pains, take a pain reliever. Decongestant nasal sprays and cough syrup can also relieve symptoms. For other tips on treating a common cold, see our previous blog post, 5 Tips to Treat a Common Cold.