I am terribly accident prone. From stepping off a dance floor and breaking my foot , to falling down the stairs umpteen times a year.

I recently had a very nasty fall / slip out of the shower and badly bruised my leg. I can honestly say I have never seen such bad bruising, which was on my knee and lower leg.

A friend of mine recommended Arnica, which I had never heard of before. I picked up a 30g tube from my local pharmacy for £3.29.

Arnica cream is a first aid application, effective for all types of bruises resulting from injuries, knocks and falls. It contains arnica prepared from the alpine plant Arnica montana - a topical herbal remedy traditionally used in the symptomatic treatment of bruises. I was told to apply it as often as I needed/wanted to and would feel and see the effects almost immediately.

Well - I have to say I have been very impressed. After rubbing the cream onto my large black and blue bruise only a couple of times - I was surprised to see the bruise actually fading! It turned a slight yellowy colour and then cleared in no time at all.

Thanks to the leaflet contained within, there are some precautions to think about as if you are using arnica cream for prolonged use, you may begin to have some reactions. Skin irritations, like redness, itching or blisters are a sign that it's time to stop using the cream. In some people, arnica can aggravate eczema. Eczema flareups can occur at the site where the cream was applied, or anywhere on the body. People who have allergies to arnica or other members of the sunflower family are the most likely to have adverse reactions. Finally, arnica cream should never be used on open woulds or broken skin and should never be taken internally.

It has certainly helped the unslightly bruises on my legs in a quick manner. I now have a couple of tubes in my cupboard to use on any future bruises.