WARNING: Do not put this stuff near your eyes! (Vicks VapoRub)

Member Name: Claribella

Product:	Vicks VapoRub
Date:	05/11/09 (43 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Helps you to breath

Disadvantages: if it gets near your eyes it hurts

Along with my Vicks Inhaler, I've was using this whilst I had a cold the other week. It's basically a tub of clear jelly-like cream which looks a lot like Vaseline but smells very strongly of menthol. You can buy different sized tubes and but the one I buy is around the £2.50 mark.

There are two ways of using the stuff; you can either rub it straight onto the nose, throat, chest and back or you can dissolve it in some hot water and inhale. I tend to do the first option because it's quicker and less 'faffy'.

The smell of Vicks is quite strong and seems to waver up your nose and through your bunged-up-ness even when your nasal passages are severely closed over. I find that rubbing on the various parts of body mentioned above really helps me to breath easier especially at night time. I also find this is the case for my boys too when they have colds.

The one thing that I hate about this stuff is the way that it doesn't absorb into your body. It seems to stay on the surface of your skin so your clothes or pyjamas tend to cling to it which is not a nice feeling.

When we were at school I had friend who would often rub it under her eyes which resulted in eyes that severely watered and hurt and then she'd pretend to cry. She'd run out of the classroom and I would be the faithful friend who followed her to the loos where we often spent the rest of the lesson. It got us out of endless lessons but I wouldn't recommend it because she would be in a lot of pain for hours after.

Summary: for every first aid box