Items to Include in a College Care Package

Items to Include in a College Care Package

When I was in college I loved getting packages from my parents with products I needed like personal care items, laundry products and snacks.  Getting items like these made it easy for me to keep the money I had in my pocket and just use what they would send to me.  My husband was a counselor at a high school in Washington, D.C. for a few years and he took on a few mentees.  When they went off to college we started to send them a care package over the holiday break.  It was our way of showing support and a reminder that we cared.  It’s been a while since I’ve had to make one of those packages but my nephew is heading to college soon so I am getting back in the habit of making them.

Disclosure: I received these products for review, any opinions expressed are my own.

Snuggle Laundry Products

All college kids deal with laundry at some point doing their college years.  Laundry products can get expensive and they are perfect for care packages.  I love Snuggle products because they work great and they are very affordable.  The Exhilarations line adds a nice light scent to laundry.  The dryer sheets are my favorite to share because it’s usually the first product to get cut when budgeting for laundry.

Febreze Odor Eliminator

My husband played sports in college, he was on the football team, so he had lots of stinky laundry.  Another great product to add along with the laundry products is Febreze Odor Eliminator.  To help with mysterious odors clinging to clothes, Febreze created Febreze In-Wash Odor Eliminator. The formula works along with detergent and targets lingering odors while detergent focuses on cleaning away dirt and stains.  This works great on my kids clothing after they come home from gym days or long days outside for recess, they also help get rid of odors in stinky socks.

VO5 Salon Series

For the month of August I was testing Alberto VO5 Salon Series line of products and how they helped with frizzy hair.  As someone with natural hair frizz control is a major issue for me.  I have to say I loved the whole line of products and the prize makes it even better.  These products range in prices from $3 to $5 per product.  I would definitely recommend adding their whole line to a college care package but mainly adding the shampoo and conditioner.  It’s sure to save your college kid some time when getting ready for class, college events or the occasional party.  Learn more about product line below:

Did you know that 62% of women indicate frizzy hair as their #1 dreaded hair malfunction? And that 80% of women suffer from frizzy hair?

Frizz occurs when moisture from the air’s humidity infiltrates the cuticles on the head causing hair to literally spring out of control. To help fight all that frizz, Alberto VO5has created an easy and simple 3-step process with products under $5. 

• 1x a week – Hot Oil Treatment ($4.79): Moisturize and condition hair before shampooing from roots to ends with VO5’s iconic Hot Oil Therapy treatment which helps restore shine, strength and silky softness. Use once a week.
• 3x a week – Smooth + Sleek Shampoo and Conditioner ($2.49 each): Formulated with a unique smoothing complex that helps manage unruly hair, use the shampoo and conditioner together three times a week for best results in helping eliminate frizz, pronto!
• 7x a week – Shine, Glow and Go Beauty Oil  ($4.99): Light, natural oil blend for both hair and body. This new innovative oil that’s mineral oil-free, quickly helps replenish dry hair and skin to help you feel soft, silky and look radiant. Apply once a day.

My stylish has given me compliments on my Shine, Glow and Go Beauty Oil for weeks, she loves it more than her current professional products in her kit.  I ended up getting her a bottle to use for finishing on her clients.

First Aid Products

These may not seem like the average products you would find in a care package but they are indeed essentials for college students.  Compeed Blister Cushion works great for students that live on big campuses.  All that walking around campus could cause some blisters and these works as a second skin to keep relieve blister pains.  Band-Aids are a must have for minor cuts and scrapes.  Now you can get them featuring your favorite characters like Darth Vader, Inside Out Character, and so much more.  Neosporin is a very handy product to keep on hand.  Its useful for so many reasons including minor cuts, minor burns, scratches, swelling and other minor injuries.  It helps prevents infection and minor pain associated with minor injuries.  Learn more about all three of these products below:

• New! Gift fashionista’s the newest solution for relieving blister pain instantly — COMPEED® Blister Cushion, which uses hydrocolloid technology that fits like a second skin and stays on all day long, unlike ordinary bandages. SRP $8.99
• New! BAND-AID^® Brand Adhesive Bandages by Oh Joy! feature bright, colorful patterns and designs, offering a fun way to protect cuts and scrapes. Exclusively designed by leading DIY star Joy Cho, the bandages offer an assortment of 12 styles; available only at Target stores and Target.com; SRP $2.49
• New! Make healing fun and entertaining with BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages featuring Star Wars, BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages featuring Peanuts and BAND-AID^®Brand Adhesive Bandages featuring Inside Out. Kids can now cover up cuts and scrapes with designs featuring their favorite characters! SRP $2.49
• Keep NEOSPORIN^® + Pain Relief Ointment close by for easy application to unwanted minor cuts and scrapes from decoration or cooking mishaps this holiday season. It helps prevent infection and provides temporary pain relief. SRP $5.50

Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer

New from Jergens Wet Skin moisturizer is an after shower/bath moisturizer that helps lock in moisture and keep skin soft and smooth.  I would add this to a care package especially for boys because if they are anything like my boys they don’t lotion after showering or bathing.  Or they don’t use enough moisture on their skins.

Softsoap Foaming Hand Soap

Hand soap is a must for the college care package, especially if you child is in a dorm setting.  When I lived in the dorms we shared a bathroom in our suite and there was never any hand soap in the bathroom.  These would made a great addition to any bathroom and add an extra touch of feeling at home.  The Softsoap Fragrant Foaming Collection make great home giving gifts, the bottles are already decorated so no need to wrap just drop them in a gift bag and give to your recipient.  My favorite is the Whipped Cocoa Butter scent.  It reminds me of a Chocolate Mousse.  The Kitchen Citrus Bliss is great for hand washing in the kitchen.  Learn more about the scents in the collection below:

• Jasmine and White Cotton: Impress your guests with the fresh scent of Jasmine and White Cotton. Its airy aroma makes every hand wash sparkle, while lush foam gently purifies the skin.

• Whipped Cocoa Butter: Pamper your skin with the rich foaming lather infused with real cocoa butter extracts. The decadent scent of Whipped Cocoa Butter makes every hand wash a treat.

• Kitchen Citrus Bliss: Awaken your senses and brighten your home with the crisp, sun-drenched scent of Kitchen Citrus Bliss. Its vibrant aroma invigorates every hand wash, while lush foam gently cleans and soothes skin.