Ayr Saline Nasal Gel Review

What it does: Ayr gel is a cool and soothing gel designed to aid dry noses. It provides temporary relief by opening the airways and reducing sinus swelling.

How to use: Before using wash and dry hands thoroughly. Place a dab of the gel on your left index finger and rub half of the dab on your right index finger. With the gel now on both index fingers, rub inside the corresponding nostril.

Where to buy: I’m lucky that my local Target pharmacy carries quite few hard to sinus remedies. I’ve also seen it at independent pharmacies and my local Rite Aid.

Recommend: Absolutely. I love this gel. I was really skeptical prior to using it. Rubbing gel in your nose sounds gross and silly, but grossness and silliness aside it’s fabulous. I don’t go a day without using. I carry one in my purse to use on the extra rough allergy days. It brings immediate relief upon application.

My Night Routine

To ensure my allergies don’t prevent me from having a good night’s sleep, here is the routine I follow each night.

An hour before I do my nightly sinus rinse, I take an Allegra. I actually take the generic version by Target. I have taken both the generic and name brand without noticing a difference in effectiveness, so I choose the generic to cut down on costs. And now for a confession, the way I achieve this each night is due to my iPhone. At 8:45pm, 8:55pm, and 9:00pm, my phone kindly reminds me to take my Allerga. If I left it to chance each night, I guarantee my success rate in Allegra consumption would decrease significantly.

Then I rinse my nose. It’s the same process as in the morning. Consistency is key with rinsing. My biggest suggestion with nightly rinsing is the time which it is done. Ideally, an hour before sleep yields the best results. Any closer to bedtime and there is still quite a bit of water in the sinus. When lying down right after a rinse, that drowning sensation when the water rushes out of your nose? Not fun.

Right before bed, I finish off the evening with Ayr gel. Just a dab in each nostril is a very soothing way to fall asleep.

Good night!

My Morning Routine

Good morning! Or more often for me, what is going on?! I am not a morning person. Waking up is often a daunting and confusing process. Along with my grogginess, waking up typically means a stuffing nose and a congestion filled throat. I am striving to change that. Here are the steps I take to prepare my sinus for a day of good breathing.

First up, is the sinus rinse. This is a morning must. In a NeilMed bottle, I combine warmed distilled water, a NeilMed sinus rinse packet, and a dash of Alkalol. Then it’s time to blow, so I keep plenty of tissues on hand.

Another step I take before brushing my teeth is using Flonase. As much as I enjoy Omnaris, my medical insurance refuses to cover it. I actually enjoy Flonase a lot more than I expected to, honestly it may even be inching past Omnaris. Two squirts in each nostril of the Flonase every morning for me it is.

Finally, just before I put on my make-up I rub Ayr Gel in each nostril. It’s extremely important to ensure you have clean hands prior to using the gel to avoid introducing any bacteria to your sinus.

I’m now set to start my day.

My Allergy Arsenal

In order to help keep my allergies at bay there are several must have products I keep in my allergy arsenal. I have gone through lots of trial and error to find the best combination that what works for me. Here is my arsenal, the best weapons I have found in the fight for allergy relief.

1. Alkalol - As much as I rely on my Sinus Rinse, it is incomplete without a splash of Alkalol. Only add a little bit at first. If you add too much it burns. Add a little and a little more the next time to find the right amount for you. It’s very refreshing!

2. Sinus Rinse by NeilMed - I use the nasal irrigator two times a day. I rinse first thing in the morning and before bed. It has become so ingrained in my daily routine, not rinsing would be as bad as not brushing my teeth.

3. Omnaris - The best nasal spray I have used. It’s gentle, yet gets the job done by greatly reducing swelling in the sinus. I do one squirt in each nostril every morning. To achieve the best results you have the blow in and spray at the same time. That definitely takes some practice.

4. Ayr Saline Nasal Gel - At first the thought of rubbing gel in my nostrils was a gross concept, but the relief it brings is far from it. Be warned the relief does not last all day. It’s best to use in conjunction with rinsing or bedtime. As it feels great after a rinse and is very soothing for sleep.

5. Allegra - This is the holy grail of allergy medicine. Some say there are drawbacks like, it takes a week to get used to and you must take it at the same time every day. Also, you can’t drink juice for a couple hours before or after taking it. But for me the benefits out way any of the cons. No drowsiness, only relief.

As much as these products help, some days there is no relief. I find the more I maintain my routine the hard days become fewer.