When your little one is sick, you will try anything — old, new, weird — to get them to feel better. Parents today are part of the Vicks generation, where any ailment can be cured with Vicks VapoRub, chicken noodle soup, crackers, ginger ale, and The Price is Right.
Now, the trick is to rub Vicks on your child’s feet at bedtime when they have a cough or cold. But how effective is it? Is this safe, or is putting Vicks VapoRub rub on feet dangerous? Let’s see when and where this ointment should go if your child feels under the weather.
What is Vicks VapoRub
Vicks VapoRub is an ointment mostly made of eucalyptus, camphor, menthol, thymol, and petroleum jelly. The camphor is the part that can make this treatment dangerous. The FDA has a warning on products containing more than 11% camphor, as even a few teaspoons of it can be enough to poison a small child if it is ingested, or even if enough is absorbed through the skin. Vicks has 4.8% camphor, making it the highest ingredient while being under the FDA guidelines, but it is still enough to proceed using it with caution?
Vicks VapoRub general guidelines
- Do not use it on children younger than 2 years old.
- Do not put Vicks under, around, or in the nose.
- Do not put Vicks around the mouth or where a child can ingest it.
- Do not use it on or around open wounds.
- Keep an eye out for skin irritation.
We all love that first inhale when we take the lid off a tub of Vicks VapoRub. We breathe in as deeply as we can, almost immediately feeling the healing effects. But when it comes to our little ones, is Vicks VapoRub safe? This tiny jar of magical ointment can be a big help if you follow the instructions.
No child, at all, whatsoever, under the age of 2, should have Vicks applied to them — anywhere. We know Vicks works, but not on children younger than 2 years of age. There are other warnings on the label you should pay attention to, like not putting it close to the nose or mouth. You should avoid placing it near the eyes or anywhere on a child’s hands, as they could rub their eyes or mouth while they sleep. The other thing to look out for is redness on the spot it’s applied, as camphor can irritate people’s skin.
Rubbing Vicks on the feet
Here is where the foot part comes in. While there isn’t hard evidence that rubbing Vicks VapoRub on anyone’s feet — a child’s or adult’s — helps alleviate a cold, it can work magic in other areas. It can aid in healing cracked heels, combat toenail fungus, take on athlete’s foot, and ease pain and aches. So, there are benefits to rubbing it into your child’s feet, but not in the way you might think.
When Vicks VapoRub rub is good to use
If your child is 2 years old or older, you don’t put it near their nose, eyes, face, hands, or open wounds, but is putting Vicks VapoRub rub on feet dangerous, or can it help your little one feel better by the morning? In children older than 2, it can have a positive effect if you apply Vicks on the neck or chest, with the oils in it providing temporary relief of congestion and coughing long enough for your child (or yourself) to get the much-needed rest to get better.
Why Vicks on feet doesn’t stop a cold
The reason putting Vicks VapoRub rub on feet isn’t dangerous but doesn’t really do anything for a cold is because you have to inhale those oil vapors. You can’t do that when the ointment is on your feet under your sock. If it makes you and your child feel better to go through the motions of putting it on their feet, or if they have an ache, foot pain, or cracked heels bothering them, go ahead and put the Vicks on there. But you still need to wait until your child is at least 2 years old, and you check that the camphor doesn’t irritate their skin.
Additional Vicks tips
- Never heat up Vicks.
- Wear loose clothing so the vapors can travel.
- Keep it secure when not in use, like all medications.
If your child is soothed by Vicks, there is nothing wrong with using it. They even make child-friendly versions (like BabyRub) that don’t contain camphor. When used properly, Vicks is safe and effective, or it wouldn’t still be around 125 years later. It can ease a mild cough, make you less congested, and help your child sleep when they have a cold, which every parent knows is the most important task.
As long your child is over 2 years old, ease cold symptoms and help them sleep when they have a cold or congestion with Vicks VapoRub rubbed on the chest — and on the feet under socks if they have pain there or dry heels. Otherwise, don’t forget the chicken noodle soup, crackers, ginger ale, and The Price is Right in your child’s get-well starter pack.
