Olbas Oil (Olbas Oil)

Member Name: Whizz11

Product:	Olbas Oil
Date:	02/11/09 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It works, easy to use

Disadvantages: None

It's that time of year again, cold and flu season and unfortunately I have caught my husband's man flu. I wrote last week how I bought him some tissues with Olbas oil in them and that I was looking after him through his illness. Well I, unlike him, and not on my death bed and do not need constant care, as all men do with man flu but I do need something to sort out my blocked nose.

It's so infuriating when you cannot breathe and so I really needed something that would unblock my stuffy nose. I have always used Vicks in the past but had heard that Olbas Oil might be a little bit stronger and after using the tissues the other week could definitely smell them and recommended them for unblocking noses so I decided to give the ordinary Olbas Oil a try.
Olbas oil is an inhalant decongestant. According to their website Olbas is a special mixture of pure plant oils, with ingredients including clove oil, eucalyptus, juniper berry and cajuput. It's the combination of these natural ingredients which releases those famously soothing and relieving vapours.

Olbas oil is very easy to use. Probably the most common way is to add a few drops to a tissue or hanky and then inhale the vapours. I found the oil to be very strong and definitely felt like it was burning away my nose hairs but in a good way. You could definitely feel that it was working and helping to unblock my nose and my nose did unblock after sniffing it although I needed to keep using it as it was/is a stubborn cold and keeps blocking up. I would describe the smell much like a Vicks smell, quite potent and very vapourish. It has a slightly different smell to Vicks though and I think this is because is includes lots of natural ingredients such as juniper berry and eucalyptus.
The other way they recommend using Olbas oil is by adding a few drops to your bath and inhaling the vapours that way or adding it to hot water and leaving the vapours to release in your room overnight. I haven't tried either of these ways but it's nice to know it's quite a versatile product with a number of uses to help sort out your cold. I especially like the overnight idea as the product will keep on working even when you are asleep.

According to their website it is suitable for adults and children as young as three months but I would check with a doctor or pharmacist if you have any concerns before using. A 15ml bottle of Olbas Oil from Boots costs £2.93 and I'm sure will last quite a long while as I have really only used a couple of drops since I got it and the bottle looks brand new still. It seems to be working on my cold so definitely a product I recommend.

Summary: Olbas Oil