Make Your Own Vicks Type VapoRub

My husband has terrible allergies and upper respiratory problems, which only seem to get worse when the pollution is bad here. This week, I knew he was in for another round of coughing fits as he woke up with his familiar hacking cough, which is loud enough to make your ears ring for days. I've been wanting to try and make my own version of Vicks VapoRub for awhile now, and I thought this would be the perfect time! Vicks VapoRub consists mainly of petrolatum, menthol, eucalyptus oil, and camphor.  These ingredients work in synergy with one another to help thin out the mucous secretions in your lung, and decrease airway inflammation to help you breath easier.  Plus I like the smell, and it seems somehow comforting to rub this on your chest when your sick.

I'm also going to include some additional ingredients in my recipe, such as clove bud oil, peppermint oil and spearmint oil which will add some extra goodness to this rub, and will make it double as a topical Tiger Balm type rub to relieve minor aches and pains. Let's take a closer look at what these ingredients will add to this rub.

Menthol: Menthol is extracted from peppermint oil (mentha arvensis) by freezing the oil to a temperature of -7.6 degrees F.  This causes the menthol within to crystallize, at which point the crystals are removed. Menthol is the constituent of peppermint oil that gives it it's trademark tingly, cold feeling. When inhaled menthol has a decongestant effect, which is why we are using this here, but it also has an analgesic effect when applied topically, which will make this rub double as a tiger balm

Eucalyptus: Eucalyptus essential oil can be extracted from many varieties of Eucalyptus plants, but the most commonly used is Eucalyptus Globulus. It is used for it's expectorant and decongestant abilities, as well as it's minor antispasmodic abilities.

Camphor: Camphor is used to treat coughs, colds, and bronchitis.  You might recognize it as one of the main ingredients in Carmex.

Clove Bud: Clove bud essential oil is an expectorant, which makes it useful for coughs and colds. It is also a topical anesthetic, which is why it's used for toothaches, and it means I could use this rub for aches and pains as well, kind of like tiger balm.

Peppermint: Peppermint does many of the same things as menthol, after all menthol is extracted from peppermint oil.  It does have a pleasant minty aroma that I think enhances my blend.

Spearmint: Spearmint essential oil expectorant and decongestant properties as well as topical anesthetic properties.  It is also said to be a mood uplifter and to help relieve fatigue and depression, which sounds perfect for a rub that you are supposed to use when your sick and feeling down in the dumps.

Now on to the recipe...

Vicks VapoRub Dupe

175g castor oil

16g beeswax

22g camphor

10g menthol crystals

10g clove bud

4g eucalyptus

6g peppermint
6g spearmint

 Directions
1. Weigh our 10g of menthol crystals into a microwave safe container. To this, add 16g of beeswax and microwave for a minute or two, until the beeswax and menthol are melted.
2. Add 175g of castor oil to the beeswax menthol mixture.  At this point you may need to reheat the mixture in the microwave again to ensure everything is fully melted.
3. Add 22g camphor, 10g clove bud, 4g eucalyptus, 6g peppermint, and 6g spearmint to the melted mixture, and stir well.
4. Pour this mixture into your storage container.



I used 2 small tins that I had on hand, but you could simply store this in a food storage container with a lid.

I found that cooling the mixture in the fridge seems to achieve smoother results. The tin on the left was cooled in the fridge and the tin on the right was cooled on the counter.

Now, simply rub the mixture on your chest, or on achy muscles, as this mixture main help relieve minor aches and pains. Enjoy!


Disclaimer:For educational purposes only This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.