DIY Vapor Rub

11:35 AM Jackie Mart 0 Comments


My mom slathered Vick's Vapor Rub on us as kids. I'm sure your mother did too! I've even heard of people using it as a cold remedy by putting it on the bottoms of their feet at night, covering them with socks, and waking up cold-free in the morning?

Here is the short list of toxic ingredients in Vick's Vapor Rub:

Camphor: Contributes to the vapor quality.  Toxic levels are anything over 11 percent.  Vick’s has 5  percent.

Turpentine Oil: Also aids in the vapor qualities.  It is a paint solvent.

Laureth 7:  which comes from ethylene oxide and lauryl alcohol, serves an emulsifier. A common, probably too common, component found in detergents, cleaners and paint.


Petrolatum: THIS is what make’s Vick’s, Vick’s. The silky, thick salve substance you scoop out of the container and rub on chest, neck and nose. Derived from petroleum (aka crude oil) it is approved by the USFDA as a glide in ointments and cosmetics.  Petrolatum has been found in cancerous tumors (breast, coincidently the same area where we like to RUB Vick’s), causes suffocation of the skin, premature aging and aggravated acne.

Just a few reasons why you should to make your own! 

Homemade Vapor Rub

Ingredients:

5 TB coconut oil
2 TB cocoa butter
1 1/2 TB beeswax
30 drops eucalyptus essential oil (for children use Eucaylptus Radiata or Eucaplytus Citriodora)
12 drops each of essential oils: peppermint, lavender, and rosemary
5 drops tea tree essential oil

Instructions:

In a saucepan, over low heat, add the coconut oil and cocoa butter. Melt.

Once melted, add the beeswax. Melt.

Remove the pan from the heat. Allow the mixture to sit in the saucepan for 5 minutes. This will allow the mixture to cool so the oils aren't damaged.

After 5 minutes, add the eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, rosemary, and tea tree oils to the coconut oil mixture. Combine with a spoon.

Pour the mixture into glass jars. I use these mason jars. This recipe will make one 4 oz. jar of vapor rub. As the mixture cools in the jar the liquid will solidify, making it a creamy, spreadable rub.

**This recipe will keep for a year.

www.ewg.org 

Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.


www.optimumwellnessmn.com

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