Vicks VapoRub is a menthol-based lotion manufactured by Procter & Gamble, an American household and personal care manufacturer.
Originally developed by North Carolina pharmacist Lunsford Richardson to treat his son’s cyanosis, the mucilage has been used for more than 125 years.
People continue to invent uses for it, some of which are backed up by hard science and some of which are (yet) unexplored.
What is Vicks VapoRub?
Procter & Gamble lists the following active ingredients in Vicks VapoRub.
camphor (4.7 percent)
menthol (2.6 percent)
eucalyptus oil (1.2 percent)
It also contains several inactive ingredients that may be responsible for some of its popular uses:
cedar leaf oil
nut oil
jelly
thymol
oil of turpentine
Salve has a strong menthol scent and jelly-like texture.