Can We Use Vicks Vaporub to Keep Mosquitoes Away?

Although Vicks Vaporub is not designed for repelling any mosquitoes, but yes we can use Vicks vaporub to keep mosquitoes away. It contains menthol and eucalyptus which have mosquito repelling properties and hence it also have repelling action against mosquitoes.

Does Vicks repel mosquitoes?

Vicks masks the body odor and smell of carbon dioxide, smell, carboxylic acid, lactic acid and other attractants that gets released from the human body. Thus, it helps in creating a mosquito barrier and gives a short term protection from mosquitoes. Not effective as other mosquito repellents but it can be used as an alternative household measure for a temporary quick relief by keeping mosquitoes away.

How to use Vicks Vaporub to keep mosquitoes away?

Vicks Vaporub which is a well known decongestant, and mainly used to get relief from blocked nasal passages, cough, sore throat, sore muscles, chest congestion, etc. and helps to get sleep while feeling uneasy.

For using it as a mosquito repellent we can apply as below:

1. Apply on uncovered exposed parts of the body

Apply a thick layer of vicks around the exposed areas like neck, wrist and forearms, around ankles and other exposed skin areas. It can be applied by rubbing a pinch of vicks with the help of two fingers. Take precautions while applying near sensitive areas like your face. Must avoid areas near your eyes and mouth as it can lead to severe irritation.

2. Apply in combination with mosquito repellent essential oils

To get better mosquito repellent effect, you must combine it with essential oils like citronella, lavender or lemon eucalyptus oil. This will enhance the effectiveness and will give longer protection from mosquitoes.

3. Place Vicks applied paper near you

If you don’t want to apply it directly on skin, like if you need to care for a baby and keep mosquitoes away. You can apply a thick layer of vicks vaporub on a small sheet of paper and keep it around the baby. This will release a strong smell of vicks and create a mosquito barrier around the baby.

The effectiveness will be within a small radius around the vicks applied sheet of paper, so you can place two or more sheets to get better protection.

4. Reapply frequently

The effective vapors from Vicks will exhaust soon and the effectiveness may disappear soon. Therefore, being highly volatile it will not lasts longer. You need to reapply to make it lasts longer.

Does Vicks help mosquito bites?

Yes, Vicks helps in soothing and relieving the discomfort, itching and irritation caused by mosquito bites. The menthol, camphor, etc. present in vicks have soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. It numbs the skin area and soothe itching and swelling around the mosquito bites. It also contains anti-bacterial compounds that also help in preventing any infections that may arise due to scratching.

Vicks on face overnight

As already said before, the vicks vaporub is mainly used as a decongestant. And any other potential use is just because of its contents and ingredients that it contains.

Some individuals apply vicks on face overnight to treat acne. It is risky to apply vicks vaporub near sensitive areas like eyes and mouth. Also, it may cause severe irritation if you have wound or any other skin damage due to scratching, acne or mosquito or any bug bites.

How to safely use Vicks on face:

1. Spot treatment for bugs and mosquito bites:

For mosquito or bug bites on face, apply a small dab of vicks on the bite area with the help of your index finger. It will soothe the itching and releieve the discomfort.

2. Avoid areas near eyes and mouth

Apply a very thin layer on your forehead and cheeks and chin, avoiding sensitive areas like around the eyes, nose and mouth. Take special care if you are using on kids and toddlers, as they may accidental rub their hands and then touch their eyes.

3. Avoid areas if you have any wound or skin damage

Any exposed wound or skin damage when comes in contact with vicks will exaggarate the itrritation, inflammation and unbearable discomfort specially in kids. Therefore, you must check for any wounds, acne, skin damage, etc. before applying.

4. Do patch test before applying on face

Some skins may be allergic or intolerant against the contents of vicks specially thin skin on the face. Therefore, it is advisable to do a patch test by applying a small patch on the forehead or cheek and check for any irritation or discomfort.

Vicks VapoRub rub on feet dangers and benefits

Vicks when applied externally especially by rubbing on feet poses no health risks and threats. However, in case if they are applied over any damage skin or wounds it may get absorb easily and can create issues later. But the irritation and discomfort will be instant in such case.

There are no dangers but many benefits have been experienced by people when it is applied on feet at night which cures nasal congestion, soreness of throat and muscles, muscle aches, even helps in neural pain relief.

Why rub Vicks on your feet at night

It is old belief to rub vicks on bottom of feet for nasal congestion and cough relief at night as a part of home remedy. It is believed that the useful ingredients are more easily absorbed from feet and quickly warm up the body. This body warmth and when socks are worn over, it retains the body heat and the menthol vapours act more effectively and helps in better sleep.

This idea of wearing socks after applying vicks on feet, helps in retaining the heat generated within the sock’s occlusive layers. This gives relief from congestion and cough and promotes better sleep at night and this is the reason why should we apply vicks on feet with socks.

Can we apply Vicks on feet for pain relief?

Some people use to apply vicks on their feet for pain relieving especially in cases of muscle soreness and muscle aches. It however gives some relief as it contains menthol and camphor and its cooling sensation works in a similar way as many menthol based pain relievers works.

However, it is just a temporary pain relief from mild muscle aches and cannot be considered a cure in cases of severe pain like muscle aches and cramps.

Similarly, applying Vicks VapoRub on feet for neuropathy i.e., releiving nerve pain where people experiences numbness, tingling with severe pain in feet.

There are no supported research studies for this but it is believed that people may get temporary relief from discomfort and nerve pain because of the cooling sensation and soothing effects provided by menthol and camphor.

Vicks Vaporub ingredients and contents

Vicks is an over the counter ointment used for relieving coughs, nasal decongestion and throat and muscle soreness. The active ingredients of vicks are:

1. Camphor (4.8%): It is obtained from the wood of camphor trees and known for its mosquito repellent properties including bugs and many insects. It is also used in many skin caremedicines and cosmetics.

2. Menthol (2.6%): It is extracted from mint plants and gives a cooling sensation when applied on skin. It helps in soothing irritation and itching against mosquito bites.

3. Eucalyptus Oil (1.2%): It is very good natural mosquito and insect repellent. It also helps in relieving nasal congestion and used in many natural home remedies due to its anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties.

4. Thymol: It helps in releieving itching and reduce inflammation. It also has anti-septic, anti-microbial, anti-viral properties and contains phenolic compounds which have strong anti oxidant properties.

5. Plant substances: It also contains plant based derivatives like turpentine oil, cedar leaf oil, etc.

6. Petrolatum: It does not have any useful properties, and used just as a carrier base for smooth application.

Vicks Vaporub banned in many countries

It is widely used in countries like U.S., Canada, India and many countries in Europe. As it contains camphor which poses serious health concerns when ingested and therefore the usage of vicks products containing certain compounds and combination of drugs has been restricted and even banned in many countries.

The U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) has limited the use of Camphor to 11% in any over the counter products. In many countries, vicks and other products that contains Phenylpropanolamine has been banned (Example: Vicks Action 500 banned in India).

However, Vicks Vaporub is an ointment for external use but still there are chances of ingestion among children, due to which country like Japan have restricted the usage of Vicks Vaporub below the age of 2 years.

Harmful ingredients in Vicks VapoRub

The ingredients like camphor, menthol, eucalyptus and petrolatum are toxic and can create health risks and dangers if consumed, ingested or misused.

• Camphor: Can be toxic if ingested or misused by application through nostrils. Stronger doses may result in nausea, vomiting and seizures.
• Menthol: May cause allergic reaction in some sensitive individuals
• Eucalyptus oil: HIgher concentration can cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals and yound kids with delicate skin.
• Thymol: It may cause respiratory issues when and skin allergies if misused.
• Petrolatum: It may travel through nose and get stick to walls of lung tissues which may result into lipoid pneumonia.

Vicks VapoRub side effects

It is considered safe when applied externally as per given instructions on product label. Some sensitive individuals may experience side effects like:

• Skin Irritation: Repeated application with higher concentration may cause redness, rashes with severe irritation.
• Allergic reactions: Some individuals may show allergic reactions and unsuitability for some ingredients like menthol, eucalyptus oil, etc.
• Respiratory issues and breathing difficulty: When misused or applied abnormally by putting inside the nostrils, it may cause severe respiratory issues and difficulty in breathing. Vicks is not recommneded for children below the age of 2 years

Conclusion

Vicks vaporub as it has not been designed as any insect repellent, but it has got some mosquito repellent properties die to its ingredients. This mosquito repellent effect can be enhanced by combining its use with essential oils and it also helps in soothing existing mosquito bites. Hence, vicks can be employed for a home based mild mosquito control effect.

Vicks vaporub may be a simple household remedy for cough and cold, flu, throat soreness symptoms, but it should be used as per prescribed guidelines. Any misuse may invite health troubles specially in cases of babies, young children, and heart patients.

Applying vicks on face for acne, or on feet for pain relief, putting inside nostrils for quick decongestion of nasal passages, may lead to severe issues if done in uncontrolled manner. While being popular all over the world, it faces bans or restrictions in many parts of the world.

Vicks according to the manufacturer cannot cure even the cold or flu but only helps in relieving chest congestion symptoms.

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