Vicks VapoRub-The Love Rub Has Been Easing My Cold Symptoms for Over 30 Years
Written: Sep 16 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Safely reduces annoying cold symptoms
Cons: A bit expensive
The Bottom Line: The smell lets you know it is working, and it also lets the world know you have a cold.
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| mmcphee's Full Review: Vicks Vaporub 6oz |
My 4 year old started back to nursery school this week and now I have a cold. Coincidence? Probably, but I am sure this is the first of many colds that will run through the house. So I dug through the closet and behind the bottles sunscreen and bug repellent I found my trusty jar of Vicks VapoRub.
The Basics
Vicks VapoRub is 3.53 oz and 1.76 oz jars of thick clear gel. It is indicated for the relief of cough and nasal and chest congestion from colds as well as pain from minor muscle strains. The active ingredients in this strong minty menthol smelling gel are Camphor (4.8%), Menthol (2.6%), Eucalyptus Oil (1.2%). To use as a cold remedy, simply rub a thick layer of the sitcky, greasy gel on your chest and throat on Vicks VapoRub is safe for use on children ages 2 and up and can be applied up to 3 times a day.
My Experience
It has been almost 5 years since I have been able to walk into a store and take just any cold medicine from the shelf. Being pregnant and/or breastfeeding for that long means I have been sharing my body and any medication I take with my children. Vicks VapoRub is on the short list of medication that my obstetrician considers safe. It also happens to be one of the few things on the list that actually works!
This most recent cold hasn’t been too bad, mostly just a stuffy nose. So right before bed I rubbed a thick layer of Vicks VapoRub on my chest and a little under my nose. In just a matter of seconds my nose was clearing and the I was able to breath and get some sleep. Of course my husband wasn’t because he cannot stand the smell of Vicks. Oh well, that’s why we have a guest bedroom! The smell of Vicks is generally its biggest drawback. When you have it on everyone can smell you coming a mile away so I generally use Vicks only at night in the safety of my own house. By morning, the smell is almost gone along with its decongestant effects. A little soap in the shower and any remaining odor is washed away before you leave the house.
This is one of the few medications where I will not purchase the generic store version. I have tried and even though the active ingredients are the same neither the CVS or Rite Aid “medicated chest rubs” works as well as the original Vicks. The generics seem much greasier and provide less warming than the original Vicks. Since Vicks is already quite greasy saving $1 on a jar for an even greasier product is no savings to me.
Vicks is not a cure all. My nose is still stuffy even when I am covered in VapoRub but it does make it possible to breath, at least somewhat through my nose. When I have a cough it doesn’t completely stop the cough but it does reduce it enough so I can get some rest
My Memories
I’ve been using Vicks VapoRub all of my life, as have many people. The “Love Rub”, as it was advertised as when I was a child, was invented over 100 years ago. I still remember the little glass jar sitting in our medicine cabinet. Whenever I had a cold my mother would rub the gel on my chest and it always made me feel better. The tingly warm sensation on my skin was very soothing. While I am sure that the medicinal effects of Vicks VapoRub made me feel better, the simple act of having my mother rub the gel on my chest certainly went a long way toward that as well. When I apply it now to my daughters or even myself I am immediately brought back to those days as a young child. I hope in another 30 or so years my children will have the same fond memories of this simple cold remedy.
Final Thoughts
Vicks was a staple in my home growing up and it still is today. I figure in about a year I’ll finally have my body back and I will once again be able to pop some 12 hour multi-symptom medication when I have a cold. Until then, and even after, I will always have Vicks VapoRub in my home.
This is my entry into chelldun’s Nostalgia Write-Off
Recommended:
Yes
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mmcphee
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Member: Mary Ellen
Location: Nutmeg State
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Back from Disney and catching up!
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