Being a university cheerleader and training upwards of three times a week, bruises are something I have come to accept as an inevitable part of my university life. However, when I'm on a night out or in lectures they can be provoking to say the least! After having numerous comments about where my twenty million bruises on my arms came from, and even being given a leaflet about domestic abuse, I decided that I needed to do something about the appearance and frequency of these pesky little things.

My weapon of choice was Arnicare, a herbal remedy sold and distributed by Nelsons. It comes in many different forms, such as bath oil, soothing spray and pillules. There's even a special 'kids stick' which is suitable for youngsters over the age of 3 years and is handy to carry around with you. This review is about the cream, which you can get a £1 off voucher if you buy it from the Nelsons online shop making it £3.35 rather than the RRP of £4.35. Arnicare can be used for almost any bruise, though it must be noted that if you bruise frequently without explanation, get massive bruises or worry at all about your bruising, then you should go and see your GP. Arnicare does not replace proper bruise treatment, such as icing the injury, and should not be used on broken skin. It simply speeds up the healing process. It's a white cream that's virtually odourless, and should be applied with a small amount on the end of your finger rubbing it in until it's not visible any more. You really don't need a lot!

The next morning I trekked off to the health shop (small town Wales only has one and doesn't sell any medicine that isn't mainstream anywhere else) and asked if they had some Arnica, remembering from my horse riding days that it was good for reducing the size and colour of bruises and gently numbing the pain from them. They gave me some Arnicare which I took home and eagerly applied it to the hand sized bruise on my forearm which was really sore and raised. Whilst Arnica doesn't have an immediate effect, it does have a gradual one and by the end of the day it was less raised and seemed to have a more yellowy tinge. It wasn't as painful to the touch but still needed some treatment so I applied a little more before bed and once again when I woke up, it wasn't as painful and raised as before. It still took some time to go as bruises do, but it certainly sorted it out for the first few days where I can't normally even touch the skin near the bruise. This isn't a miracle cure but it does help. I did a comparison a few weeks ago with two bruises of near equal size and colour on either forearm; one got Arnicare'd and the other was just left to heal. The one that was left to heal took a good few days to fade completely compared to the Arnicare'd one! The cream tube is 30g but seems to last for ages, especially as you don't need a massive amount for each application.

This has very fast become a staple in my medicine cabinet and one that I wouldn't hesitate to buy again if I ran out of it here at uni. However, at home I don't really do any bruise causing injuries and so it's a little expensive to have *just in case*, so I may think twice about buying another tube if I keep this one until I graduate next summer. We'll see!