My Gran swore by Arnica cream, she used to need a lot of injections and blood tests and ended up with large unsightly bruises on many occasions. When I had my son I used the tablets but when I ended up falling heavily and had a bruise covering the whole of my thigh she prompted me to get down to Boots and pick up their version which she said was slightly cheaper than the branded version.

*~* What Is Arnica? *~*

To me it sounded like a herbal remedy and after some research I found that it is of sorts. It comes from the Arnica plant which has been used since back in the 16th Century. Europeans used to use it to soothe stomach and skin problems before the Native Americans began to use it for muscle relief. In today's society it is mostly used for sprains, strains and bruising. It can be bought in both cream form as well as tablet form but this review will focus on the cream used for external use.

*~* Price And Availability *~*

As this is a Boots branded product it is only available online and instore however if ordering online you should be aware there is a delivery charge and there is also a £20 minimum spend if ordering to collect in store. I paid around the £4.50 mark for a 30g tube which might seem a bit expensive but if it worked I was happy enough.

*~* Packaging *~*

The tube comes contained within a cardboard box which also harbours an instruction leaflet however the box contains all the vital information you need to have such as usage, contact information, ingredients etc. The packaging is plain and simple but to be honest I wasn't that bothered by what it looked like as long as it did the job.

*~* Using The Cream *~*

Using the cream was very simple. You remove the screw cap and there's a foil layer that needs to be removed but it's easily done. It came out of the tube easily, neither too thick nor too thin. It was really the perfect consistency. I also liked that it didn't feel greasy as creams sometimes can do. There was no real smell to it, perhaps a whiff of something chemical like but nothing that is persistent or long lasting. I rubbed gently into the bruise and it mostly absorbed quickly although there was almost a film left over to slowly sink in. During the time of using this cream I work loose fitting linen trousers and it didn't rub off and negate to do the job which I was pleased about. My skin felt soothed and moisturised and the bruise did feel better after use.

*~* The Results *~*

After using the cream for just a day I noticed that the bruise was rapidly changing colour and getting darker much quicker than I thought it would have. Within 48 hours majority of the dark colour had faded to the ugly yellow colouring which stayed there for a good week at least. I stopped using the cream after the bruise turned yellow as it was no longer sore or needing soothed so I felt it was a waste.

Overall I was really pleased with the results. The bruise healed much quicker than it would have if I hadn't used the cream. I only had to use this twice daily for 48 hours before the pain and dark colouring had subsided and I know from experience that bruises like this can takes weeks to leave. I was sceptical if it would really work but it done exactly as it should have and I am really pleased. Although I feel it is a little overpriced it's worth it and a little really does go a long way. I have used this a few times since I first got it and there is barely a dent in the tube so I am really happy with it and I'd definitely buy it again.