OK, I admit it: I am clumsy. I'm forever hitting my shins on furniture and tripping and falling down on my butt. This really becomes a problem when I'm getting ready to don a cute miniskirt or a swimsuit, and I realize I'm walking around with an enormous bruise. Plus, bruises take so long to go away that some of my skimpier clothes are out of commission for weeks.
That's why I can't say enough about Boiron Arnica Gel. Made from a Northwestern mountain plant called arnica montana, this nice-smelling, non-sticky ointment is used by athletes to cure muscle aches and pains. But it's also miraculous when it comes to banishing even the biggest, ugliest bruises. You just gently and generously rub the gel on the affected area a couple of times a day, and the bruise will literally disappear in a matter of days. (As a bonus, it will also stop hurting.) Even I thought it sounded too good to be true at first, but every time I use it, I'm amazed at how quickly and effectively this stuff works. You can buy a 2.5 oz. tube for $8.39 here.
Wow. I could seriously use some of this stuff. I don't even know where the heck my bruises come from most of the time, but I'm always getting them on my legs.