The other day, I posted about HERE about our amazing results with coughing and the Vicks Vaporub cure. Many of you suggested other uses so I decided to see what was out there.
So, I've been scouring the Internet and have found all sorts of interesting uses. I can't reference one specific website that I found all of these on because I gathered them from a variety of places. I did the hard work for you and pulled them together from posts and even comments on other websites.
So, in no particular order, here are some of the many uses I found for Vicks
(most as yet untested by me):
Headache?
Rub a dab on your temples or forehead.
Splinter, paper cut or small cut, scrape?
Clean the wound and rub some on to prevent infection and speed up the healing process. Small cuts/scratches only.
Want to keep a dog or cat away from a certain area?
Place an opened jar in the area you don't want the pet to be in and they should stay away as they don't like the smell.
Bruises?
Rub some on the potential bruising area to prevent it from turning purple and black and blue. It will help break down the blood that causes the bruise.
Nail fungus?
Rub some on the nail and the nail bed, several times a day, fungus should turn dark and as nail grows, you can eventually cut off dark area. This technique supposedly works very well but it does take a while as nails grow so slowly.
Don't give up right away.
Don't give up right away.
Bug repellent?
Rub some on the back of your neck, behind your ears, the backs of your knees and elbows. These are pulse points that will release the aroma continually and can repel mosquitoes. An open jar on an outside table can drive them away as well. Not sure about your dinner companions though, ha.
Bug bites and stings?
It helps to relieve the itching and pain of stings and mosquito bites.
Ticks?
Cover the tick with Vicks and it should work it's way back out.
Stretch marks?
Rubbing them with Vicks is supposed to help fade them. I'm guessing this is another long term use.
Cracked heels and rough feet or elbows?
This one I can attest to, even if you don't need it for coughing, rubbing some on your heels and feet and putting on socks before bed for several nights can leave you with smooth feet. Dry elbow patches can also be treated this way (minus the socks of course, hat tip to Granny for pointing that out, LOL!)
Chapped lips?
Obviously, a bit rubbed on your lips is supposed to help them heal faster.
Cold sores/Fever blisters?
Again, a dab rubbed on them will dry them and heal them faster.
Athletes foot?
Goes back to putting it on the feet and wearing socks before bed.
Acne?
A dab several times a day is said to clear them up.
Poison Ivy?
Rubbing some on the irritation is supposed to relieve itching and speed up the healing process.
Leg cramps/Sore muscles?
Massage into muscle and cover with warm cloth up to three times per day.
Rubbing some on the irritation is supposed to relieve itching and speed up the healing process.
Leg cramps/Sore muscles?
Massage into muscle and cover with warm cloth up to three times per day.
As always, there is nothing on here that is scientifically proven, and Vicks is never intended for internal use or use on 'sensitive areas'. I left off a couple of remedies that dealt with that, I'm not EVEN going to go there.
Otherwise, I think a jar (or two or three) is an essential in any farmhouse medicine cabinet. Never hurts to be prepared!
Otherwise, I think a jar (or two or three) is an essential in any farmhouse medicine cabinet. Never hurts to be prepared!


Right, I am rubbing it all over........... Let's see what happens!
ReplyDeleteZombie repellent? ;-)
DeleteMy chihuahuas LOVE he smell and will rub themselves in it if given half a chance.
ReplyDeletedianne
That is too funny! "dognip", LOL!
Delete"rubbing some on your heels and feet and putting on socks before bed for several nights can leave you with smooth feet. Dry elbow patches can also be treated this way."
ReplyDeleteI couldn't figure out how to get those socks on my elbows! :-D
lol!
DeletePost has been edited to reflect Granny's confusion. LOL!!!
DeleteIt was funnier before you edited it! Actually, you could take an old pair of socks, cut the toes out, then slip them over your arms to cover your elbows. I have a tendency to get scaly elbows during the winter, so I have Vicks on my shopping list!
DeleteGranny, I don't what they say, you are wise beyond your years. Great idea. Thanks!
DeleteIn college on girl was told to use Vaseline to ease her first time inserting a tampon. She misunderstood and used Vicks. True story.
ReplyDeleteI blogged about the truly amazing success of Vicks for my cough. I was desperate, but it worked.
I should have said I put Vicks on the soles of my feet and wore socks to bed. That cured my cough.
Deleteomg! hahaha that poor girl!
DeletePractical Parsimony, I have a similar experience from a male point of view. A friend of mine in college played football and said that they always got the rookies by rubbing vicks on the inside of their cups. 'Nuff said. :-)
DeleteOh, and yes, we just recently discovered that cure as well, that's what started me looking this up. It's amazing isn't it??
DeleteGreat information to keep on file for my first aid kit.
ReplyDeleteI know, I'm always on the lookout for stuff we can keep out the farm for our first aid kit/future prepping needs too. I'm all for home remedies or alternative uses of things. Glad I could share these.
DeleteI had a cat that loved Vicks. He would aggressively go after if I opened the jar and stick his face right into it.
ReplyDeleteWow, that was a happy cat huh? All three of ours are entirely repulsed by it. Of course I know people who hate the smell and others, like me, love it, so I guess cats are no different, ha.
DeleteMy hubby can't stand the smell, but thanks for sharing all of these. I'm going to find mine tomorrow and set it out in the garden.
ReplyDeleteOur cat keeps digging up the beds!
Good idea, hey maybe you'll find it repels bugs or something too, ha. Yes, I know many people don't like the smell. I love it, ha!
DeleteGreat way to get him to leave you alone at night LOL
DeleteHa, too true as well. Maybe we can call it a people repellent too? :-)
DeleteHey, this is not a joke... I wonder if it would run the coyotes off? I might try it tomorrow night if it is not raining hard.
ReplyDeleteYou know, that's not a bad idea. Maybe a few jars scattered around? Or some globs on the fence line? You HAVE to let us know how it works.
DeleteMentholatum is what I use instead of Vicks, for me it is gentler and lasts longer. The efficacy is about the same, but it might be worth a try. sometimes it is also much cheaper.
ReplyDeleteThank you for that tip! I didn't realize there was a just a mentholated rub. I will definitely look for that. Thanks again and thanks for stopping by!!
Delete