I used to always buy branded health products but then I saw an investigation programme on the television which showed that most own brands were making the same products with the exact same ingredients for a fraction of the price so I started to buy some own products instead of forking out extra on what was essentially just a name.

Vicks VapoRub is something that has always been in my house and used extensively on both myself and my children but lately I have been buying the Boots version instead and to be honest I have noticed pretty much no differences between the two of them except for the price.

It costs £1.99 for a 45g tub while the Vicks version costs £2.99 for a tub near enough the same size. It might only be a pound that I am saving but a pound is still a pound.

This is a rub that contains Camphor, Eucalyptus Oil and Levomenthal and it is used to clear congestion, unblock noses and sooth chesty coughs. It resembles petroleum jelly and to use you just have to rub some of this in to your chest and back.

It has a really strong smell of menthol and gives a slight warming effect on the skin when you first rub it on.
I think this is really good and I use it on both myself and the kids at the first sign on the sniffles and it really helps to clear our noses and sooth out chest at night time and helps us all be able to get a better nights sleep.

It does feel greasy on the skin but the warmth on the skin does release the vapours and they keep being released for a long time after applying it.
It doesn't completely unclear my nose nor does it stop my cough but it goes a long way in helping and makes the whole situation a lot more bearable. It is also really comforting having this on and always makes me feel better quickly just smelling it.

It can be used on adults and children over three months old and I think a vapour rub is a great way of soothing colds and sniffles without resorting to proper medication. If I or the children have a bad cold then we take medicine for it but if it is only mild then this is usually sufficient enough for us to get over the sniffles without having to resort to medication.

I think this is just as good as the Vicks version and as it is cheaper I will continue to buy this instead as it works and is a good product.