Back To School

It’s hard to believe, but its officially that time of year again when all the kiddies head back to school!! This means early morning starts, leading into a full day of brain training, followed by evenings spent doing homework or heading out to the endless number of activities our little ones (and not so little ones…) inevitably end up taking on throughout the school year.

This can often come as a shock to the system after the relaxed and routine-less summer break which is why September is a month were we regularly see frazzled parents looking for ‘tonics’ for their kids or ‘something that will build them back up’.

So this year we tried to make it easy for you all and write a blog post on some of the products we highly recommend for your children that are available in our pharmacy and online…

First of we feel a must have for September is Head lice repellent and treatment. One of the biggest downsides to sending the kids back to school is the inescapable head lice breakout. Unfortunately it is something that happens every year so we might as well be prepared..

We have several treatments available in store/ but we highly recommend stocking up on the Hedrin Protect and Go Spray which retails at €5.35. This spray is a hassle-free conditioning spray, which is clinically proven to help protect against head lice. It works by disrupting the life cycle of head lice, helping to prevent an infestation. It is a water-based conditioner which is easy to use and can be applied to wet or dry hair after shampooing. We recommend that you apply this to your child’s hair after every hair wash or at least twice a week!! Better to prevent than have to treat as they can be difficult to eradicate once they have taken hold.
If, despite your best efforts, those pesky lice manage to take over your childs hair we highly recommend the Lyclear Shampoo (€19.00) and Créme Rinse (€10.50). These products help kill off lice and their eggs within 15 minutes without harming your child scalp. If necessary these products may be used along side each other first use the shampoo on your child’s hair and follow it with the créme rinse treatment.

Where head lice have entered your home we recommend:

• Avoiding head-to-head contact with the person who has head lice. This would mean avoiding hair touching hair when playing together at home or at school, and anywhere else that head to head contact is likely to occur (e.g. sports activities, at the playground, of if children are partaking in sleep-overs).
• Do not share clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms or hair accessories,.
• Do not share combs, brushes, or towels. Disinfest combs and brushes used by an infested person by soaking them in hot water (at least 60°C) for 5–10 minutes.
• Do not lie on beds, couches, pillows, carpets, or stuffed animals that have recently been in contact with an infested person.
• Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items that an infested person wore or used during the 2 days before treatment using the hot water (60°C) cycle and the high heat drying cycle. Clothing and items that are not washable should be dry-cleaned OR sealed in a plastic bag and stored for 2 weeks.
• It is also ideal to vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.

Now that we have the dreaded lice out of the way we can move onto ensuring your child’s minds and bodies stay healthy with some multivitamins and probiotics…

Multivitamins can be a great supplement for when your child just isn’t getting enough from their diet. We always recommend trying to get vitamins and minerals from your food first ,and not to rely solely on supplements as breakfast cereal, milk and orange juice are all fortified with important nutrients, such as B vitamins, vitamin D, calcium and iron. But where you feel your child might not be getting the amount necessary we recommend these products:

Aged 1 year+: we highly recommend Abidec and Vivio Junior.
Abidec has a lovely fruity, raspberry flavour, which is always a bonus for our fussy eaters. It has been specially formulated for children aged 1-5 years and contains Vitamin C to improve immunity and Vitamin D to aid normal bone growth and maintain strong bones and teeth. Retails at €9.10.
Vivio Junior was formerly known as Vivioptal Junior. This multivitamin tonic provides children and adolescents with quality vitamins, minerals and important ingredients such as lysine to help them grow healthy and strong, support immunity and cognitive function. It now also has added iodine, increased Biotin, Zinc, Vitamin C and D. this product is actually suitable for children and adults. Its sugar free, gluten free and has no artificial colours. Retails at €12.50

Aged 4 years+: we highly recommend Revive Junior and Centrum Kids.
Revive Junior was developed in Ireland with 22 active ingredients in every sachet. These sachets are  unflavoured and so can easily be added to your child’s favourite juice and they are designed for children aged 4-12 years of age. They are enriched with Wellmune®. This product was specially formulated to support a growing child’s physical and psychological needs. The pack contains 20 sachets which support your child’s Heart, Brain, Bones, and Immune System. Retails at €22.25
Centrum Kids: With more than 35 years of nutrition expertise, you can trust Centrum to provide your children with vitamins and minerals combined into a great tasting chewable tablet. The Department of Health recommends that all children aged 6 months to 5 years are given vitamin supplements containing vitamins A, C and D every day which is exactly what is contained in these delicious chewable multivitamins. You wont have to fight to get your little ones to take these each morning!! Retails at €7.10.

Aged 13 - 19 years: We recommend Revive Teen and The WellTeen Range from vitabiotics.
Revive Teen aims to support the level of nutrients required by our active youngsters on a daily basis. This supplement contains a superior blend of high-quality ingredients formulated to fuel and support a teenager’s active and healthy lifestyle. This special formula includes 22 active ingredients to give an all-rounded support for our teen’s hearts, brains, bones and immune systems. We recommend to take this product first thing in the morning. Simply empty the contents into a glass, add 100mls water or your favourite juice, and stir to dissolve. Alternatively, it can be added to a yogurt, healthy cereal, or smoothies if this is what your child prefers.
The WellTeen Range is tailored to support the growing nutritional needs and busy lifestyles of teenagers. With Iron and Vitamin C which contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, it’s added support for those first steps into young adulthood. WellTeen Him is specifically tailored for young mens needs. WellTeen Her is specifically taiolred for womens needs.
 

One thing that we highly recommend every autumn is taking a course of probiotics and giving your child a course of probiotics as they have a range of great benefits!!!

Probiotics help enhance the presence of good bacteria in your body which in turn helps contribute to a good immune system. By reinforcing your child’s immune system you are reducing the likelihood of them catching common colds and flus. They are also fantastic to give to your child when they are taking antibiotics as they can reduce the risk of negative side effects after a course of antibiotics!

Probiotics can help improve your child’s digestive system, reducing the risk of bloating and constipation which can be very common in Irish children.

As we mentioned above probiotics are helpful in fighting off cold’s and flu’s but they are also helpful in staving off infections. The introduction of good bacteria helps fight off bad bacteria and prevent them from taking hold of your child’s immune system. Probiotics can be helpful when treating colic, allergies, and UTI’s by boosting your child’s gut system. Probiotics are also helpful in bolstering good dental health for your children.

Probiotics often help children with skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. They can also be helpful for children who suffer from rashes caused by allergic reactions.

As you can see, there are many benefits to giving your child a course of probiotics once a year!! We recommend the Udo’s Choice range.

There is the infants blend which is suitable from birth and the Children’s blend which is suitable from aged 5years+. These products must be kept in the fridge and so, for this reason, we cannot sell them online but they are available in store. 

We hope you found this blog post helpful and that it has made navigating the tumultuous back to school period a little easier for you, where your child’s physical and mental health is concerned.

We’ll check in with you all again soon.

Garrett and team.

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