There’s nothing worse than feeling congested, having an annoying cough and feeling run down. That’s why vapour rubs are a go-to for most people.
While shop bought vapour rubs are often the first choice, more people are turning to natural alternatives.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through how to make your own natural vapour rub with simple ingredients and essential oils.
Contents
- Why Make Your Own Vapour Rub?
- Which Essential Oils Are We Using?
- Natural Vapour Rub Recipe
- How To Use It
- Can I Substitute the Ingredients?
Why Make Your Own Vapour Rub?
Making your own vapour rub gives you full control over the ingredients you use on your body. You can use 100% natural ingredients and they are customisable for your needs.
Commercial vapour rub products often use petroleum jelly as the base which can be harmful for the environment. Petroleum jelly is a non natural product and it cannot be recycled as it is not biodegradable.
They may also use synthetic fragrances that can be irritating for sensitive skin. Whereas you can ensure your homemade version only uses high quality, natural essential oils.
Which Essential Oils Are We Using?
We have created a blend using essential oils that have proven benefits for reducing cold symptoms.
Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Eucalyptus essential oil has a fresh, camphorous scent. It is one of the most popular essential oils for its ability to clear sinus and nasal congestion when inhaled. It is also said to soothe irritated airways and reduce a cough.
Peppermint Essential Oil
Peppermint essential oil has a strong minty aroma. It is often used for colds as it is great for clearing airways and congestion.
Camphor Essential Oil
Camphor essential oil has a fresh woody scent, similar to eucalyptus. It has the ability to help clear congestion and ease coughs.
Natural Vapour Rub Recipe
Ingredients
- Coconut oil refined 85g
- Beeswax 15g
- Camphor oil 1g
- Eucalyptus oil 2g
- Peppermint oil 1g
Method
1. Weigh the solid ingredients
- Weigh the coconut oil and beeswax into a heatproof bowl.
- Gently heat the ingredients in a bowl over boiling water or in a microwave until they have fully melted.
- The beeswax takes a long time to melt compared to the coconut oil. We recommend mixing them continuously as this will help the beeswax to melt faster.
2. Add the essential oils
- In a separate bowl, weigh out the essential oils
- Once the solid ingredients have fully melted, add the essential oils and mix everything together.
- Once fully combined, pour the mixture into a tin and leave it to set. Now your vapour rub is ready to use!
How To Use It
Simply rub a small amount of the vapour rub on either the chest or throat for easy inhalation.
However, we highly recommend doing a patch test on a small area of skin to check for any reactions to the ingredients.
Can I Substitute the Ingredients?
This recipe can be easily adjusted for your specific needs. Here are some substitutions we would recommend...
Essential Oil Substitution
You can easily substitute the essential oils with scents you prefer, or with scents that you know work better for you.
Here’s another essential oil blend you can try:
- Peppermint oil 2g
- Eucalyptus oil 1g
- Tea tree oil 1g
- Lemon oil 1g
Solid Oil Substitution
If you don’t want to use coconut oil, or you are allergic to the oil, we would recommend substituting it with babassu oil.
Babassu oil has a very similar consistency to coconut oil so it should not change the texture of the final product too much.
Here’s how the recipe would look with babassu oil:
- Babassu oil 80g
- Beeswax 20g
- Camphor oil 1g
- Eucalyptus oil 2g
- Peppermint oil 1g
Vegan Substitution
If you are looking for a vegan alternative, we would recommend substituting the beeswax with olive wax. It is a 100% vegan wax with a similar consistency to beeswax. However they are not exactly the same, so you will need to use a different amount in your recipe.
Here’s what the recipe would look like with olive wax:
- Coconut oil refined 75g
- Olive wax 25g
- Camphor oil 1g
- Eucalyptus oil 2g
- Peppermint oil 1g
Continue Reading
Now you know how to make your own vapour rub, why not continue reading?
- Want to make more cold remedies? Try our natural decongestant recipe!
- Learn how to make your own calm balm to destress with this recipe!
- Interested in easy soap making? Try this simple tea tree soap recipe!
Did you enjoy making your vapour rub? Show us how it turned out! Tag us on Instagram or Facebook or use our hashtag #thesoaperyuk
