How to: Make Vapor Rub Recipe

Here is a recipe that was sent to me by the gals in my Wise Home group.  Lots of people find relief from their cold symptoms by rubbing Vapor-Rub on the soles of their  feet then putting a warm pair of socks on prior to climbing into bed.  Our own  little B. Faith likes to have her Mama rub “medicine on her feeties” when she’s not feeling good so this is a recipe for those times when colds strike that has some real healing ingredients and none of the unhealthy ingredients found in the otc (over the counter) brand name products.

Here is my Coconut and olive oil, bees wax and essential oils for the ointment.

http://www.modernalternativemama.com/blog/2011/1/31/monday-health-wellness-homemade-vapo-rub-recipe.html

Monday, January 31, 2011 at 8:00AM

When your family gets a cold, especially kids, something like Vapor-Rub can be just what you need to help everyone get much-needed rest at night.  Except that store-bought Vapor-Rub is full of junk!  It's petroleum-based, first of all, and why do we want to be rubbing that on our skin?  Second, the adult version contains menthol, which has been shown to cause lung problems in some babies and children (and, I wouldn't be surprised, adults too).  Not really a good option.  There has to be a better way!

When my kids came down with minor colds recently, I decided to mix some up and see if it helped.  It did.  My daughter, who had coughed quite a bit the night before, slept soundly.  My son...didn't, but if you've read my posts on sleeping babies, then you know he never sleeps through the night anyway.  But every time I went in his room he was breathing freely, so there's that!  (And the following night he did give me a good 7-hour stretch, so...that's something too!)

Best of all, this is completely natural and safe for people of all ages.  Here's what you need:

• 5 tbsp. extra virgin coconut oil (a natural anti-viral)
• 1 tbsp. evening primrose oil (could use sweet almond, olive, etc. if you want)
• 2 tbsp. beeswax
• 8 - 10 drops tea tree essential oil (also a natural anti-viral)
• 15 - 20 drops rosemary essential oil (aids breathing)
• ***Note: you can also use Wintergreen, peppermint or Eucalyptys oils in the mix.
•  I am currently using Rocky Mountain essential oils.

In a small pan over low heat, melt the coconut oil and evening primrose oil.  Add the beeswax, chopped up or in granules (mine was in a large chunk, so I chopped) and stir until melted.  Add the essential oils and stir to combine.  Pour into a 4-oz. glass jar and allow to cool.  This mix is not completely solid even when cool, so be careful of that when you open the jar.  

Before bed, put this mixture on the feet and then put socks over it.  When it's put on the feet, it's absorbed quickly into the body and it goes through the whole system.  That's why it works.  You could follow this up with a spoonful of raw honey, and the same essential oils in a humidifier (which I did).  Worked great, and we all got sleep!

***Note: You can also must mix your oils in just a carrier oil such as olive oil or coconut oil without the beeswax but the bees wax will help it not to be so liquid so that it stays put a little better.  Without it, even the coconut oil melts and becomes liquid at about 76* and will be quite runny.

So mix some of this up and the next time someone in  your house has the sniffles, be sure to "rub some medicine on their feeties" so they can feel better.