Cut your chance of the cold? (Vicks First Defence)

Member Name: GuruOnAMountain

Product:	Vicks First Defence
Date:	02/11/08 (345 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Is well designed and easy to use.

Disadvantages: Is unpleasant to use and not convinced it works.

I was a bit sceptical of this product when I first heard of it. After all, I know enough about biology to know that the common cold is spread by hundreds of different viruses and is therefore currently uncurable. However, a product from a trusted brand such as Vick's and with such a hefty price tag (my 15ml bottle set me back 7 quid!), I decided it was worth looking into.

Apparently its meant to work by trapping the cold virus at the back of your nose before it gets the chance to spread. I still wasn't entirely convinced, but decided it was worth a try.

So at the first hint of my next cold I cracked open the box and took out the little glass bottle. You're supposed to insert it into your nose and press down on the white lid to squirt some of the gel into your nose. You're meant to spray it 2-3 times per nostril, no more than 4 times a day.

I must admit, its quite well designed. I've used nose drops before and know how infuriating they can be. In order to not have them dripping back out your nose, you need to tilt your head but that usually causes the nose drops to run down the back of your throat. Both the fact that First Defence is more of a gel than a liquid and the fact that you press down to cause the bottle to spray it into your nose, allows this problem to by and large be avoided.

However, it isn't exactly a pleasant experience first of all inserting a rather large piece of plastic up your nostril and then squirting a thick gel up your nose. It leaves a rather unpleasant smell/taste behind after it and makes you feel like you really need to blow your nose, but both of these rather unpleasant downsides seem to disappate after 10 minutes or so.

The bottle is small and easily portable so could be slipped in a pocket or bag and taken to work or wherever without a problem.

But does it work? Well, its hard to say. I've used it when I've felt a cold coming on before and the cold hasn't came to anything, but then again, maybe that was just because I wasn't coming down with something in the first place and just felt like I was.

However, I would probably buy it again on the offchance that it has worked as its worth it if it helps to stop a cold developing or developing fully, even if I'm not 100% convinced that it has worked.

Summary: Is meant to reduce the chances of developing a full-blown cold.