My homemade vaporub

One go-to remedy for cough and colds when we were growing up was Vicks vaporub. Just hearing the words brings back it's scent. Some people can't stand it and others love it, but we all know it's scent. I'm one of the ones who loves it. Anytime I get sick I practically bathe in it. If I have a cold, I only use Puffs brand tissues with Vicks. Got a cough? Slather it all over your feet and cover 'em with socks, Grandma always said.....Well, maybe Grandma is on to something. I always thought she was crazy when she said, "put some slippers on or you'll catch a cold" How exactly can walking around barefoot cause you to catch a cold?

Well, did you know, that the pores on the bottom of your feet are the largest on the body? This means that the bottom of our feet are very absorbent. Think about all the bacteria and "germs" found on the ground. All that "junk" can be absorbed into the body through the soles of your feet. The same goes for the ingredients in that Vicks vaporub that helps quiet your cough. The main ingredients in Vicks are: Levomenthol, eucalyptus oil, turpentine oil and camphor. Eucalyptus oil is a key ingredient in many cough and throat medicines as well as chest ointments (such as Vicks) because it assists with clear breathing and supports overall respiratory health. So it makes sense that, rubbing vicks on the bottom of your feet allows that oil to be absorbed into your body and help with the cough, but what else exactly is being absorbed into your body?

Levomenthol is one of the main ingredients found in Vicks and is "an organic compound made synthetically or obtained from cornmint, peppermint or other mint oils." Another main ingredient, turpentine oil comes from the resin from certain pine trees and is used in medicine so that has to be good for you, right? Well, as WebMD states, "Turpentine oil is POSSIBLY SAFE when adults use it on their skin or inhale it appropriately. When used on the skin, it can cause skin irritation. When inhaled, turpentine oil can cause spasms of the airways, particularly in people with asthma and whooping cough." POSSIBLY SAFE? Well how about camphor which used to be made by distilling the bark and wood of the camphor tree? Sounds all natural. Today, camphor is chemically manufactured from turpentine oil. Turpentine oil, which is "possibly safe" and can cause spasms of the airway. WebMD also states that camphor is "likely safe," but if used on broken or irritated skin can be easily absorbed into the body and reach toxic levels.

Now, I have safely used Vicks on myself as well as my children with no unfortunate side effects to report, but it does make me think twice about what exactly we put on and into our bodies. Since I have been using essential oils, I've been trying to cut out as many chemicals and artificial products out of our house as I can. Making my own "vaporub" was my first experiment since it seemed like the easiest and we have a need for it with my daughter's allergies. Her cough always seems to start up at bedtime. Last night I tried my homemade "vicks" on her and she slept quietly and comfortably. The ingredients found in my "vaporub" are: Organic coconut oil ( I used refined coconut oil since it doesn't have a strong coconut scent) doTERRA Breathe essential oil blend and doTERRA peppermint essential oil. Next time I will also add in some eucalyptus oil too. Since doTERRA's CPTG (Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade) essential oils are all natural, I feel safe using them on my family because I know exactly what ingredients are in them. If you want to learn more about these essential oils, please visit My doTERRA Website

Wishing you wellness through essential oils