When my first child was born and developed the "sniffles", my midwife recommended a couple of products that would be safe to use, as obiously, you have to be very careful what you use on a newborn baby. One of the products was Snuffle Babe vapour rub, although she called it "Snufflebaby". Luckily, the chemist knew what it was, and gave me a small box, containing a little plastic jar. The product cost about £2, which I considered very reasonable.


The product states that it is suitable for babies 3 months and up, though you can use it on babies younger than this if you place it on a handkerchief tied to or nearby the cot, out of baby's reach. This way, the soothing vapours can help the baby to breathe, without being overpowering, or touching the baby in any way. I used to put a blob on the mobile above the cot, so that the vapours would waft gently over the baby's head.


The product itself is a mixture of Eucalyptus, Menthol and Thyme oils, in a White soft Paraffin (vaseline) base. This means that the product smells lovely and is very good at clearing the airways. Because of the WSP base, it is really easy to apply to oldre babies by rubbing onto their chest or back, and the massaging action will also help to relax a fretful baby.


Personally, I have always had good experiences using the product, and continued to buy it for all of my kids when they were babies. Although a tub is small, it lasts a long time, as you don't really need to apply much product to the baby. I also found it very effective to place a blob in some hot water in a room to create humidity and decongestant vapours. I also found success smearing a little onto a lightbulb and allowing the heat from the bulb to dissipate the vapours.


None of my kids ever had allergic reactions to this product, and I think it is a really good, gentle product to use, when products like Olbas oil are too strong. Obviously the midwife knew what she was talking about, and I would also heartily recommend this product as it really does work, gives you peace of mind when you are feeling a bit helpless, and is also quite effective on adults too.


Another benefit of this product is that you can apply it on your own joints to ease arthritic pain, in places like knee joints and to ease a stiff neck. Bonus!