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apoRub can be inhaled with hot steam. Since VapoRub ointment is an oil-based medication, it should not be used under or inside the nose or inside the mouth, and it should not be swallowed. Any oil-based product can get into the lungs if used improperly.^[4]

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.^[5]

A Penn State study showed Vicks VapoRub to be more effective than placebo petroleum rub for helping cough and congestion with regards to helping children and adults sleep.^[6] However, the study also showed that, unlike with the petroleum rub placebo, Vicks VapoRub was associated with burning sensations to the skin (28%), nose (14%) and eyes (16%), with 5% of study participants reporting redness and rash when using the product.^[7] The study’s first author is a paid consultant for Procter & Gamble, maker of VapoRub.^[8]

A study conducted in 1994 suggests menthol and camphor are effective cough suppressants for guinea pigs.^[9] It has been suggested that thymol oil can reduce or cure onychomycosis (nail fungus), although the same source mentions that “no human studies have been conducted to test whether thymol is a lasting and effective treatment”.^[10]

Ingredients[edit]

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”.