One of the reasons I started to make my own Vicks Vapor Rub was because I had a child, and I started to look at every single label of the things I purchased to use on her.  One of the things that always made me nervous about Vicks was a couple of  ingredients in the gel, one of them being petrolatum.    There have been several studies linking Vicks Vapor Rub to severe respiratory problems. Research published in the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), found that it can  interfere with the ability of infants and toddlers to breathe.  “The ingredients in Vicks can be irritants, causing the body to produce more mucus to protect the airway,” Dr. Rubin, the study’s lead author, said in a statement to the media. “Infants and young children have airways that are much narrower than those of adults, so any increase in mucus or inflammation can narrow them more severely.”

Furthermore, Petrolatum is one of those nasty ingredients that have been linked to breast cancer in women and men.  “Among the studies linking the petrolatum impurity PAHs [polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons] to breast cancer is a Columbia University study in which researchers found that the breast tissue of women with breast cancer was 2.6 times more likely to contain elevated levels of PAHs bound to DNA (called DNA adducts) than the breast tissue of women without breast cancer (Rundle et al. 2000). Serious questions need to be answered over the safety of petrolatum or petroleum jelly as it is more commonly known.”

After reading/researching the information I have shared with you above, I started using essential oils, and I haven’t looked back since.  The brand we use and sell at the office is called Young Living.  You can sign up for an account to buy their products through the link above or HERE.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut oil (any food store, even Homegood’s will have it at a reduced price)
• 2 tbsp bees wax, which can be bought on amazon
• 10 drops lemon oil for children under 10, eucalyptus oil for anyone over 10
• 4 drops thieves oil

Directions

In the pot on the stove on low heat, I melt the coconut oil and bees wax.  I usually make one large batch and put it in a large glass container with a lid to use as needed throughout the winter season. Once you have gotten the coconut oil/bees wax mixture to melt, I remove the pot from the heat and put in the lemon oil or eucalyptus oil (depending on age) the thieves oil.  I let that sit until the coconut oil/bees wax hardens again, and then I put it in the glass container for later use!  Rub on the chest and back as needed.