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If you're like many people, you pretty much never think about first aid supplies until the blood starts flowing. And then, more often than not, it can be a bit of a panic�where the heck are those Band-Aids? If you've pawed through your medicine cabinet one too many times, it's time to stock a first aid kit or maybe two (one for the car.) Here's what you need, or check this list from the Red Cross. The right bag Not too big, not too small, this should be big enough to stash some gear, but not so large that you need to stuff it in the back of a closet or give it its own seat in your car. You can always buy a pre-stocked kit, such as this one from the Red Cross. But it's also okay to inject a bit of style and choose your own. Because really, who doesn't need a dose of panache to help ease the pain? Travel bags for toiletries are the perfect choice, what with all those cunning (clear plastic) compartments. Band-Aids The Red Cross recommends 25 adhesive bandages in assorted sizes for a first aid kit for a family of four. It's a cinch to stock up on Dora and SpongeBob Band-Aids at your local drug store for the kids (or even yourself). But feel free to ramp up the fun even more. FirstAidProduct.com stocks everything from pirate, ninja, and monster bandages to unicorns and fairies. Silly grown ups might like their eyeball or bacon bandages. Keep special fingertip and knuckle bandages on hand, and larger bandages for scraped knees or elbows. Antiseptic Individually wrapped wipes impregnated with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide are perfect for cleaning minor cuts and scrapes. (The Red Cross suggests keeping five packets in a first aid kit for a family of four. Tweezers Got a splinter? Rather than rifling through your man-scaping or beauty bag for your trusty eyebrow pluckers, get a pair of special first-aid tweezers. Handy for splinters, removing ticks, or plucking debris from scrapes, these metal tweezers come in a plastic cylinder, and are easier to handle than the eyebrow kind; they're also fine-pointed enough to use for tiny splinters. Buy a few so you can keep one in your bathroom and one in each of your first aid kits. Antibiotic ointment With a tube of triple-antibiotic ointment like Bacitracin or Neosporin in your medicine chest, you've got ammunition against infections in scrapes, scratches, cuts and other minor wounds. Swiping antibiotic ointment onto a clean, minor wound�or even one that's contaminated�will keep bacteria in check and help injuries heal faster. For your first aid kit, pick up a smaller tube or several single-use packets. Cold pack Cold packs can be as simple as a plastic bag filled with ice, or as fancy as these Boo Boo Buddy Instant Cold Packs featuring Lightning McQueen, Tinkerbell, and more. There are also kid-size reusable cold packs in the shape of My Little Pony, Scooby Doo, and assorted superheros. Grown-ups can choose from a wide range of cold packs too. Stow a couple in your freezer, and then keep one or two instant cold compresses�which are activated by squeezing and need no refrigeration�in your portable kit. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer Hand sanitizer is a key ingredient of any first aid kit, particularly if it's for your car. Presumably if you're at home, you can wash your hands with soap and water before treating your own or someone else's injury, which is the best way to kill germs. However, when you don't have easy access to soap and water, you can fight infection by using an alcohol-based sanitizer to clean your hands before and after treating injuries. Hydrocortisone ointment Itchy bug bites, poison ivy, mild skin irritations, and rashes are no match for hydrocortisone. You can buy 0.5% and 1.0% hydrocortisone cream over the counter, and individual use packets also are available for stocking your first aid kit. The Red Cross suggests two packets for a family of four. It's also good to have a tube on hand for at-home use.