Vicks VapoRub has been around since before most of us were born, and unlike other health treatments, it’s survived the test of time. Vicks is, of course, designed to treat chesty coughs, and many of us will remember our parents rubbing it on our chests and noses to clear our airways before bed. But while this may be the main marketed use for Vicks, there are plenty of other ways you can take advantage of it for the sake of your health.
Even today, Vicks VapoRub is the number one selling branded children’s cough and cold product. It can be used on children ages two and up, and is essentially a topical cough medicine with medicated vapours. It starts working quickly for both children and adults to relieve chesty cough symptoms and alleviate sinus issues.
Lets take a look at the uses of Vicks VapoRub starting with the most common:
No 1 Relieves chesty cough
Vicks is used all around the world predominantly to relieve chesty cough symptoms. Experts say it can temporarily relieve coughs caused by minor throat and bronchial irritation that many people get with the common cold. It contains the active ingredients camphor, a cough suppressant and topical analgesic; eucalyptus oil, a cough suppressant; and menthol, a cough suppressant and topical analgesic.
To use Vicks VapoRub for a chesty cough, simply rub a thick layer of the lotion onto the skin of your chest and throat. You can cover the lotion with a warm, dry cloth if preferred. Keep any clothing or other material around your throat and chest loose to allow the vapours to easily reach your nose and mouth.
No 2 Nasal decongestant
Vicks contains a whole host of ingredients that are said to help with chesty coughs, but the characteristic that makes it most effective for decongesting the nasal passages is its strong menthol odour. It’s thought that this odour can actually trick your brain, so you feel like you’re breathing through an unclogged nose, making it easier to sleep at night or go about your day congestion-free.
If you want to try Vicks VapoRub out as a nasal decongestant, massage a small amount of the lotion above your upper lip, directly below your nostrils. You should notice the effects of the rub immediately after applying it.
No 3 Improves skin
If your skin commonly suffers with eczema or acne, on popular alternative use for Vicks VapoRub is to help soothe the skin, reduce inflammation, and clear up your complexion. How does this work? Well, Vicks contains menthol, an ingredient that’s known for its antimicrobial and drying abilities. If you suffer from acne, putting a bit on the spot may help to suck the oil away from the area and dry it out overnight.
This tip might not work for everyone, but if you’re dealing with a flareup and you don’t have any other forms of medication, there’s no harm in giving Vicks VapoRub a go. Just add a coating of the lotion onto the affected area and leave for a minimum of two hours to let it get to work.
No 4 Deters insects
Insects are pesky things to deal with, especially in the height of summer, when we want to be able to spend late evenings in the garden without being bitten all over. If you don’t have any decent insect repellent, it’s worth locating your Vicks and taking it on your countryside adventures or outdoors with you at night.
To use Vicks VapoRub for deterring insects, dab a bit of the lotion on your arms, legs, neck, or other areas of exposed skin to keep bugs, including those nasty mosquitoes, at bay. Again, you’ll find that it’s the menthol in the rub that does the trick. It might smell invigorating to us, but bugs dislike it, and it’s generally enough to keep them away.
No 5 Treats earache
If you’re dealing with an ear infection, it’s usually always advisable that you get things checked out by the doctor if your symptoms don’t clear up after two or three days. Before then, though, or if your ear infection is only mild, you can relieve your symptoms and help keep the pain under control by using Vicks on the area.
All you’ll need to do is place a cotton ball dabbed with a generous amount of Vicks VapoRub in your ear for several hours. Be careful not to stuff the cotton bud right into your ear canal, which may only serve to make the infection worse. Gently inserting it into your ear and leaving it for long enough should help reduce the irritating symptoms associated with an earache.
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