Vicks VapoRub

Vicks VapoRub (or VapoRub) is a mentholated topical ointment, part of the Vicks brand of over-the-counter medications owned by the American consumer goods company Procter & Gamble. VapoRub is intended for use on the chest, back and throat for cough suppression or on muscles and joints for minor aches and pains. Users of VapoRub often apply it immediately before sleep.

First sold in 1905, VapoRub was originally manufactured by family-owned company Richardson-Vicks, Inc., based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Richardson-Vicks was sold to Procter & Gamble in 1985 and is now known as Vicks. VapoRub is also manufactured and packaged in India and Mexico. In German-speaking countries (apart from Switzerland), it is sold under the name Wick VapoRub to avoid brand blundering, as the German-language pronunciation of the written name "Vick(s)" would be homophonous with a German word usually considered profane.[1] VapoRub continues to be Vicks's flagship product internationally, and the Vicks brand name is often used synonymously with the VapoRub product.

History

The product can be traced to Jules Bengué, a French pharmacist, who created Ben-Gay, a menthol-based treatment for arthritis, gout and neuralgia. Lunsford Richardson, a pharmacist in Selma, North Carolina, sold Ben-Gay and heard from his customers that it cleared their sinuses. Richardson formulated Vicks to cure his son’s croup. He blended menthol into petroleum jelly, at first calling it Richardson's Croup and Pneumonia Cure Salve, later changing the name to Vicks VapoRub. It was named after Richardson's brother-in-law, Joshua Vick, a physician who had arranged for Richardson to have access to a laboratory to create the product. Richardson began selling it in 1905, renaming it VapoRub in 1912.[2] In 2019, Vicks re-introduced VapoCream, a cream version of VapoRub - which was previously discontinued in the early 2000s.

Usage

While VapoRub has in the past been marketed for hot steam inhalation, this can potentially present a risk of burns due to splattering or fire, and should never be heated or added to hot water. [3] VapoRub is labeled only for external use, with care to avoid eyes, nostrils and mouth. Application directly under the nose is not generally recommended as both camphor and petroleum can cause health problems if absorbed. [4][5]

In pre-clinical animal studies, the application of Vicks VapoRub directly onto the tracheae of ferrets caused an increase in mucus production compared to a water-based lubricant.[6][7] One of these studies suggested that because the ingredients of Vicks VapoRub can be irritants, it may also stimulate mucus production and airway inflammation in humans, leading to respiratory distress in infants and young children due to the small size of their airways.[7]

Ingredients

The ingredients, as listed on older product labels, are: camphor, menthol, spirits of turpentine, oil of eucalyptus, cedarwood, nutmeg, and thymol, all "in a specially balanced Vick formula".

See also

• Aromatherapy
• Chest rub
• Essential oil
• Levomethamphetamine (Vicks Inhaler)
• Mentholatum
• Tiger Balm

External links

• Official site
• Antique & vintage Cobalt Blue glass Vicks VapoRub jars - webpage illustrating base mark variations over the years