If you need an efficient decongestant, Vicks VapoRub may be the best solution to your ailment. With this menthol-aromatic ointment you can treat your nostril congestion and cough. It is also rubbed topically over the chest for an instant breathing relief.
What is Vicks VapoRub decongestant property due to?
This ointment contains 3 active ingredients with strong remedial properties:
1. Camphor
2. Eucalyptus oil
3. Menthol
These ingredients have been used for ages to treat common cold complaints, and over time, their action has been fortified with other powerful ingredients such as cedar leaf and lemon. Although Vicks VapoRub has earned its ‘stardom’ as a decongestant, it also possesses other medicinal properties, discussed right below.
1. Vicks VapoRub can get you rid of headaches
Headaches with sinus origin or migraines can be effectively treated with repeated use of Vicks VapoRub. It brings an instant feeling of wellness, enabling you for your household chores or daily routines. If you feel tension in your head, simply take some amount form the bottle with your fingertips and rub it gently around your temples. Alternatively, you can massage it on your forehead with gentle pressure.
2. Vicks VapoRub can get you rid of muscle pains
If you have frequent aches in your muscles (including the condition of fibromyalgia), Vicks VapoRub is of great help. These muscle pains are often due to poor blood circulation and menthol in this ointment is the right booster for this condition.
This is how you apply it to remove muscle pain:
You rub a thin layer of Vicks VapoRub all over the sore muscle area for about 5-10 minutes. After the ointment has completely soaked in, put a piece of cloth over it to keep it warm and supple. You should also rest for a while to let the balm penetrate into the muscle tissues and heal them. Reapply the ointment as per need.
3. Vicks VapoRub heals insect wounds
Mosquitos and other biting insects can leave very bad itchy-and-scratchy bites on your skin. If you treat these little wounds with Vicks VapoRub you will get rid of them far more quickly than if you apply other pharmaceutical preparations. So, next time a mosquito makes your skin swollen and burning grab your Vicks VapoRub bottle.
This is how you apply it to heal your insect-bitten skin:
First you should wash the skin with water, and then you should smear a thin layer of Vicks VapoRub over the itching spot. The menthol works miracles with these insect bites [and blisters] as it cools down the burning sensation in a matter of seconds! Reapply the ointment locally as per need.
Note: Other infections can also be treated with Vicks VapoRub, but consult your skin doctor prior use to be on the safe side.
4. Vicks VapoRub is an ‘enemy’ of the ugly fungus on your toenail
Your toenails will look so much healthier and prettier if you treat that recurring fungus with Vicks VapoRub. There is some quantity of thymol in the ointment, listed as an inactive ingredient, but actually it is very active in eliminating toenail fungal infection, as the thymol acts as an antibacterial and antimicrobial agent in cases of fungus.
Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine published a study in 2011 which found that the infection onychomycosis can be clinically treated with Vicks VapoRub with very good outcome.
This is how you apply it to kill fungus:
Rub Vicks VapoRub on the affected toe or hand nail, and cover it with cheese cloth (gauze). After the application you can put back your stockings. After several generous application of the ointment, you will literally feel “foot-loose” as the fungus bacteria will be eliminated. Reapply the ointment locally as per need.
Note: Your toenail should be dry and clean before you apply Vicks on it.
5. Vicks VapoRub is so good for acne – that teenagers’ nightmare!
No teenager or adolescent likes to see their face in the mirror with those ugly, leaking acne, isn’t that right? Maybe you haven’t heard about it so far, but Vicks VapoRub is one of the best home remedies for this skin nuisance! Again, the menthol is the ingredient that will do the cleaning and cooling work on your swollen acne.
How you apply it:
Cover the acne(s) with a thin layer of Vicks VapoRub and leave it to work on the acne for half an hour. After the time is out, wash the affected skin with warm water. Reapply the ointment locally until you get rid your skin of the ugly acne problem.
6. Vicks VapoRub is the best cosmetic product for those cracked-and-racked heels
Women take pride in their heels when they are nice-and-smooth looking. But very often heels can get unsightly cracked, and be embarrassment for a lady-like appearance. If you are having this problem, it is time you tried Vicks VapoRub, rather than other ineffective gels or remedies available over-the-counter. There is some quantity of turpentine oil in the Vicks VapoRub, which proved very nourishing for any ruptured heels.
This is how you apply it to heal your heels:
First, soak your feet in warm water for about ten minutes. Then scrub your fissured heels to remove dead skin and wash them right after the scrubbing. When your heels are dry, it is time to apply Vicks VapoRub. Massage the ointment until it completely soaks in. To protect your heels from drying too soon, wear socks. Reapply the ointment locally as per need.
7. Vicks VapoRub repels insects and is environmentally-friendly at the same time
If you are a ‘magnet’ for pesky insects, especially mosquitoes in damp areas that transmit deadly diseases [dengue, malaria…], you can try Vicks VapoRub to make them stay away from you. Indeed, you can do your everyday activities paying no attention to any mosquitos anymore!
This is how you apply it to deter insects:
Depending on your summer clothes ‘coverage,’ you should rub some Vicks VapoRub on any exposed skin area (such as arms or legs, as well as on the neck and cheeks).
8. Vicks VapoRub can help remove warts
Periungual warts are very susceptible to Vicks VapoRub. Besides its active ingredients, the amount of methanol and thymol in the Vicks VapoRub effectively eliminate the virus that causes this skin damage by shrinking and drying out the wart.
This is how you apply it to remove warts:
Rub Vicks VapoRub directly on the wart, and then cover it with a sterile gauze. You shouldn’t wash it from the wart for several hours. Reapply the ointment locally and daily until your wart falls off by itself.
9. Vicks VapoRub is like a pet trainer
Many pet lovers have found that Vicks VapoRub is an excellent potty-trainer for their undisciplined pet(s). They just cover the surfaces that their pet likes to scratch and unintentionally damage. The strong menthol and eucalyptus odor of Vicks VapoRub will literally ‘freeze’ the pet the moment it comes nearby the protected surface!
Note: Vicks VapoRub is available in 2 scents: regular and lemon.
10. Vicks VapoRub can make your stretch marks ‘invisible’
Pregnancy is a blissful for all mother- to-be, but the stretch marks it leaves on the mother’s stomach skin after the baby delivery are not, right? My friend Linda May from Connecticut has tried out many commercial creams and gels to get rid of her stretch marks, but they were of little avail!
When she finally learnt about Vicks VapoRub ability to fade away that is lighten these ugly skin marks, she was happy to share it with other disturbed mothers who were “in the same boat.”
This is how you apply it lighten your stretch marks:
Through circular massaging, you gently rub in Vicks VapoRub into the skin. You will see the results in a month or earlier if you apply it twice daily.
11. Vicks VapoRub treats minor chest and throat infections
When applied topically on chest and throat, Vicks VapoRub temporarily relieves throat and bronchial irritations associated with the common cold.
HOMEMADE NATURAL VAPOR RUB RECIPE
Ingredients:
- 20 drops of eucalyptus oil (only use 4 drops for newborns and small toddlers)
- 20 drops Peppermint Oil (substitute 4 drops fir essential oil for use on babies and small children)
- 10 drops Rosemary Oil (omit for use on newborns and young children)
- 10 drops cinnamon or clove oil (optional—omit for use on newborns or tiny children)
- 1/2 cup olive, coconut, or almond oil.
- 2 level tablespoons of beeswax pastilles
Directions:
- Beeswax with oil of preference should be melt until it is well-dissolved.
- Stir in the essential oils (you should use half the amount for a baby version or dilute it with coconut oil)
- Swirl until well-mixed. Pour into an airtight container. You can use a clean tin or a little jar and keep it in your purse to use on your baby’s feet.
- Use the remedy as needed to sooth cough and congestion.
Keep in mind that many essential oils, including the above-listed, are not recommended for babies or infants. So, you should dilute them prior to their use, and apply just a little. Always consult a doctor or a healthcare provider on applying herbs or essential oils on your infatnt(s).
Note: This recipe can be made with herbs instead of essential oils by mixing the oil with 1 tablespoon of each of the herbs. Do it in a double boiler for 2 hours over medium heat.
