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Natural (Klutz) Woman

Some of the handy items klutzes should have in their medicine cabinets.

Photo: David Croxford

If there’s a chair, you’ll fall off it. You haven’t met a curb you didn’t trip on. And your shins take such a beating, they’re accusing you of leg abuse. 

Since wrapping yourself in bubble wrap should be saved for kinky, not klutzy moments, you might want to arm yourself with a clumsy person’s first-aid kit. Here’s what you’ll need:  

Aloe vera gel for non-serious burns and sunburns. The aloe vera plant grows well in Hawaii, so you might already have this plant in your yard, or, if you have a black thumb in addition to a burned one, just buy some 100-percent aloe vera gel. Waikiki Aloe (2168 Kalakaua Ave.) carries it and also claims their variety is fragrance-free and greaseless.

Butterfly bandages for cuts that are too deep for a plastic bandage, too shallow for an exciting trip to the E.R. If your skin gets irritated by plastic bandages, use the latex-free kind.

Two handy natural remedies to try: Arnica gel, which is used for pain relief, to bring down swelling and alleviate bruising; and Calendula ointment,a homeopathic herbal remedy that is supposed to help in the healing of cuts, burns and scrapes. You can find both at Whole Foods.

An old-school ice pack for icing down sprains and bumps. I got a cute one with a retro-style print from Cinnamon Girl, or, you can find them online. A 1950s ice pack is way cooler looking on your forehead than a frozen bag of corn Niblets.

For your bruised ego? You're on your own, I'm afraid.

Posted on Monday, August 17, 2009 in Shopping | Permalink