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Monday, January 28, 2013

USES FOR VICKS VAPORUB

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.

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.



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!

38 comments:

  1. Right, I am rubbing it all over........... Let's see what happens!

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  2. My chihuahuas LOVE he smell and will rub themselves in it if given half a chance.
    dianne

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    1. That is too funny! "dognip", LOL!

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    2. My cat also loves the smell also. She goes crazy like its catnip

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    3. My cat also loves the smell. She goes crazy as if it's catnip

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  3. "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."

    I couldn't figure out how to get those socks on my elbows! :-D

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    1. Post has been edited to reflect Granny's confusion. LOL!!!

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    2. It 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!

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    3. Granny, I don't what they say, you are wise beyond your years. Great idea. Thanks!

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    4. Cut the toe end off the socks and then you can slide them up your arms.

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    5. Great suggestion, thanks for stopping by!!

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  4. In college on girl was told to use Vaseline to ease her first time inserting a tampon. She misunderstood and used Vicks. True story.

    I blogged about the truly amazing success of Vicks for my cough. I was desperate, but it worked.

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    1. I should have said I put Vicks on the soles of my feet and wore socks to bed. That cured my cough.

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    2. Practical 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. :-)

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    3. Oh, and yes, we just recently discovered that cure as well, that's what started me looking this up. It's amazing isn't it??

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  5. Great information to keep on file for my first aid kit.

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    1. I 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.

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  6. I had a cat that loved Vicks. He would aggressively go after if I opened the jar and stick his face right into it.

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    1. Wow, 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.

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  7. My 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.
    Our cat keeps digging up the beds!

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    1. 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!

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    2. Great way to get him to leave you alone at night LOL

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    3. Ha, too true as well. Maybe we can call it a people repellent too? :-)

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  8. Hey, 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.

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    1. You 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.

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  9. Mentholatum 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.

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    1. Thank 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!!

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  10. My mother and Aunt used Vick's for EVERYTHING and I mean everything from itchy rashes to cold sores to putting into the vaporizer and everything in between. It a rash is really itchy, Vick's stings so much that it takes the itch away!

    However, the Vick's we have always used is NOT, I repeat NOT the newer "lemon" scented version. If they were alive, they'd surely not approve. It HAS to be the original Vicks. Perhaps I shouldn't say this in case it's unsafe, but if I wake up with a really bad sore throat, I dab a little in each ear, put a little cotton in (NOT DEEP - just to seal in the vapors) and then suck on a Hall's menthol eucalyptus cough drop. Unless it's a serious virus causing the sore throat, I wake up in the morning and it's all gone! I have great affection for Vick's Vaporub!

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    1. That''s a great idea (and my apologies for the delay in replying to this, a year late, lol. I love what you said, it's so true about the new 'scented' versions. Those are nothing like the original huh? I frankly just love the smell of it anyway, ha.

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  11. I don't recommend it but my grandmother used to give me a dollop to eat for a chest cold.

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    1. Ha, you survived though, lol. Yeah, it's probably not supposed to be used like that but hey, Grandparents often knew best, ha.

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  12. I have found out using the named brand works much better.

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    1. Yep, same here, we tried the 'store brand' and found that it doesn't work as well either. I think the Vick's is a proprietary blend that others can't copy. Since it's not a "medicine', it doesn't have to be exactly the same...at least that's what I've heard. Thanks for stopping by!!!

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  13. What about mice?? I keep reading peppermint oil for mice deterent. Has anyone used this in their boat??

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  14. Will Vicks work to put jars of it in or around our new speedboat?? I need to repel mice! Ugh!

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