How to Build a Men’s Personal Healthcare Kit

A personal healthcare kit keeps the things you reach for most in one place: supplies for small injuries, a way to check a temperature, and the grooming and skin care items you use every day. Putting one together takes an afternoon and saves a late-night search when you cut yourself shaving or come down with a fever.

Layer 1: First aid basics

Every home needs a first aid kit. The American Red Cross recommends keeping one at home and in the car, and checking it regularly. Core items:

• adhesive bandages in assorted sizes;
• sterile gauze pads and a roll of gauze;
• adhesive tape;
• antiseptic wipes;
• antibiotic ointment;
• an elastic bandage for sprains;
• an instant cold pack;
• tweezers and scissors;
• disposable non-latex gloves;
• a first aid guide.

A ready-made kit, such as our Home First Aid Kit, 100 Pieces, covers the dressings and tools; it contains no medicines, so add those yourself. Top up the items you use most with Assorted Adhesive Bandages.

For shaving nicks

Rinse with cold water and press with a clean tissue or cloth for a few minutes. An adhesive bandage is rarely needed on the face.

Layer 2: Monitoring

Thermometer

A digital thermometer gives a clear reading when you feel unwell. See our Digital Thermometer with Flexible Tip.

Blood pressure monitor

Worth having if you have high blood pressure, are at risk or your doctor recommends home checks. Choose a model with an upper arm cuff. When you measure, the CDC advises sitting with your back supported and both feet flat on the floor, and resting the arm with the cuff on a table at chest height. See our Automatic Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor.

Scale

Useful for tracking weight over time. See Digital Body Weight Scale.

Layer 3: Daily care

Shaving and grooming

• Razor and spare cartridges: 5-Blade Razor with 4 Cartridges
• Shaving gel: Sensitive Shaving Gel
• Nail clippers, scissors, tweezers and a file: Stainless Steel Grooming Kit
• Beard oil, if you have a beard

Skin

• Mild cleanser
• Moisturizer: Men’s Daily Face Moisturizer
• Broad-spectrum sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher: Daily Sunscreen SPF 50
• Lip balm with SPF

Oral care

• Toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste and floss

Hygiene

• Soap or body wash, deodorant
• Hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol

Layer 4: Personal medicines

• Your prescription medicines, with a current list of names and doses
• Over-the-counter items chosen with a pharmacist’s advice to suit your health and other medicines, for example a pain and fever reliever, an antihistamine or an antacid
• Any supplements you take
• A Weekly Pill Organizer if you take medicines on a schedule

Read every label and follow the directions. Ask a pharmacist before combining products.

For active men: the gym bag kit

• Adhesive bandages and blister plasters
• Elastic bandage and athletic tape
• Antiseptic wipes
• Instant cold pack
• Sunscreen for outdoor training
• Clean towel, shower sandals and a change of socks
• Antifungal foot powder or cream, if you are prone to athlete’s foot

The travel version

• A compact first aid pouch
• Your medicines in original containers, in hand luggage, with enough for the trip plus a few extra days
• A thermometer
• Sunscreen and insect repellent
• Hand sanitizer
• Travel-size grooming items
• Copies of prescriptions and insurance details

Information to keep with the kit

• Emergency numbers: 911, your doctor, a nearby pharmacy and Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222
• Your allergies and medical conditions
• Your medicine list
• An emergency contact

Storage

MedlinePlus advises storing medicines in a cool, dry place, such as a dresser drawer or a kitchen cabinet away from the stove, sink and hot appliances. A bathroom cabinet is a poor choice because heat and moisture from the shower can damage medicines.

• Keep medicines in their original containers.
• Store out of reach and sight of children and pets.
• Keep devices in their cases, away from heat and damp.
• Use a sturdy, clearly labeled box or bag.

Maintenance

Check the kit twice a year:

1. Remove expired medicines and ointments. The FDA advises against using expired medicines, which may be less effective or risky.
2. Replace what has been used.
3. Check that sterile packs are sealed and dry.
4. Test device batteries, and keep spares.
5. Replace razor cartridges and worn-out tools.
6. Update your medicine list.

What to leave out

• Old antibiotics or other people’s prescriptions
• Products bought online that promise cures or enhanced performance

Know the limits of the kit

A kit handles minor problems. Seek medical care for deep or dirty wounds, bleeding that does not stop after ten minutes of firm pressure, burns larger than the palm of your hand, a head injury with confusion, chest pain or difficulty breathing.

The bottom line

A men’s healthcare kit brings together first aid, monitoring and daily care in one organized place, with smaller versions for the gym and for travel. Build it once and review it twice a year. Find the components in our men’s health department and medical supplies range.

Sources

1. American Red Cross. Make a First Aid Kit: What to Include.
2. MedlinePlus. First aid kit.
3. MedlinePlus. Storing your medicines.
4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Don’t Be Tempted to Use Expired Medicines.
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Measuring Your Blood Pressure.