Today on the blog I thought that I would do things a bit differently. I want to shine the spotlight on the products/items that bloggers don’t review. When I say “products that bloggers don’t review”, I mean that you seldom see the OG products in reviews, the products that were staples in our routines way before new products comes out, before bloggers got press packs of new items being released, the products you run back to when the new items doesn’t work, the items that you can rely on and often handed down from generation to generation… heck I sound like an old woman writing a short story, but you catch my drift. 
We usually see reviews on blogs of mainly new items that hit the market, even I am guilty of that here on the blog. Today I want to share the things that I can wholeheartedly attest to, that I have been using for years and also that I can recommend to you without hesitation that it might differ in outcomes for you, for example skincare or trying out a new lotion that you won’t like the scent of. All my items, except for the Watkins are from Clicks (not sponsored) as I buy all of my beauty essentials from Clicks.
Zam-Buk Cherry Lip Balm
Oh my beloved Zam-Buk! I have been using Zam-Buk since high school and my love for it never fails. This is the longest that I have ever gone without wearing lipstick (yes I used to wear lipstick every day since I started wearing lipstick after high school) and this cherry flavoured lip balm became my go-to. I am just at home for the this lockdown period so I use my lipbalm with my finger but when I am out for some essentials shopping, I would apply some before putting on my mask, as I have the masks with the pocket space at the lips. Even now in winter, I will not be a victim of dry and chapped lips, this has become my ultimate bestie. I am not a fan of the green Zam-Buk but my mom loves using it when she’s recovering from a cold-sore, a quick little dab on a cotton swab and you’re good to go. What I also love about this delicious smelling lip balm? It is super affordable and retails for about R6!
Dr Lee pain relief patches and spray
You guys, we are 16 days into winter here in South Africa but I feel like my level of granny has increased by 20 years in these 16 days. It is so cold at night, to the point where my muscles ache and I lay bunched up – causing me to lay badly and waking up with the a sore neck or back. These heat patches are a lifesaver! I swear by them and recommend them to anybody that tells me about back pain. I apply these heat patches on the area where I feel the pain and after a few minutes you can actually feel the patch heating up and giving you relief from the pain. The spray I use on areas liked my wrist or ankle where I know a patch won’t stick well. The spray is also such a lifesaver in the warmer months and the mosquitoes won’t leave me alone. These two products are such such such great gems, the granny in me LOVES IT! Any injury that you experience where you need relief from pain? give this a try! You get the patches in a pack of 2 but I buy the value pack because it is such a handy thing to have in the medicine and first aid cabinet, it retails for R55,99. The spray retails for R59,99.
Clicks Mini Humidifier
Now this next item is a bit of an investment that I can truly say works for me in winter and in spring. I discovered this humidifier at my sister’s house as she swore by it and then I experienced it myself and just had to have it. In winter I wake up with a dry throat and nose a lot, causing me to break out in a coughing fit. In this time of covid, coughing is the last thing that I want to do, that is when I bring out my humidifier to bring some moisture into the air. In spring when my sinuses act up, this is such a lifesaver and I can’t recommend it enough. I love that it shuts itself off when the water in it is below the recommended millilitres and also that you can set it to how much steam you want it to release. This is also so effective for clearing your room from dust and impurities and that is why it manages sinus issues so well. With this humidifier, I found it best to follow the instruction as is when it comes to filling the tanker, or else you will run into problems with it leaking or making noises that it shouldn’t. There is also a very handy manual in (I suggest you actually read it and follow the diagrams in it) that makes it easy to set up and follow – to the point where you won’t need it the next time. The mini humidifier retails for R360.
Crystal Aire Purifier Concentrates
These purifier concentrates is what I use in my humidifier and I cannot even begin to describe how a light scent in the air can change your mood and the way you go about your day. These concentrates aren’t really recommended to use specifically in the Clicks humidifier (and Please don’t say Tasneem recommended I do it on her blog, because I personally took the risk) so I wouldn’t recommend you do it, but it is what I have been doing and I love it. I put just a drop or two into the canister and it gives the entire room a fresh and calming feeling. It also improves the quality of MY sleep by a huge chunk. My favourite out of the three is the eucalyptus one as it relaxes me the most and is also great for nasal congestion and to manage my asthma. These retails for R145 and it might seem expensive but this box lasts me for more than a year. This particular brand also has their own air purifier, which I am assuming these concentrates are for but I risked it and used it in my humidifier.
Watkins Menthol Camphor Ointment
Okay now this little tin can be recognized a mile away and is a staple in so many coloured households in Cape Town. This has been a firm fave in our family for years and is something that my mom and grandmother swears by. Covid aside for just a little bit, it is flu season in South Africa and this camphor (in my opinion) is such a lifesaver for the chest and nose when you’re down with the flu or a cold. I even love applying some of this to my lips when I have the flu or just feel a bit congested. If I had to compare it to any product then I would say Vicks vaporub, just stronger and more effective. This retails for R72 from a Watkins Valeur rep and you will definitely get your money’s worth from this camphor.
And that is it for my winter life savers. Are there any products/items that I mentioned that you absolutely swear by, like I do?
citygirlvibe.com 