Last Updated: February 27, 2024
What Is Vicks VapoRub?
Vicks is a popular mentholated ointment typically applied to the chest, throat, and back for medicinal purposes. This medicine consists of camphor, petroleum jelly, menthol, eucalyptus oil, etc. Dating back to hundreds of years, Vicks Vaporub has been used extensively to treat everything from coughs and colds to muscle soreness and other aches and pains.
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About Humidifiers
Humidifiers are an excellent way to add moisture into the air and maintain the optimal humidity level ranging between 25% to 55%. These electrical appliances emit water vapor or steam to increase the moisture level in the room. These machines combine humidifying fluids and fans to disperse a fine cleansing mist. Humidifiers are beneficial in curing cold and flu symptoms, reducing allergies, asthma attacks, respiratory ailments, and dry skin, rough lips, and skin irritation. The mist released by humidifiers is unscented, odorless vapor.
Is it Safe to Use Vicks in Your Humidifier?
Essential oils are corrosive; adding essential oils to the humidifier can damage the machine, leading to voiding the humidifier warranty. Apart from the corrosive properties, essential oils can also clog the humidifier, which will slow it down and become ineffective with time, and it may lead to a crack or breakage in the tank. You should not mix the water going in the humidifiers with materials or ointments that contain any form of oil or grease as it creates a buildup that will affect the mechanisms that propel the steam or cold vapor.
Vicks VapoRub contains petrolatum, a type of petroleum jelly that can cause respiratory tract irritation when inhaled. VapoRub is flammable under certain conditions and potentially toxic when ingested. It also contains menthol, which may cause reactions in your body, especially in the brain. Vicks VapoRub is also, by nature, greasy; while this can be great for treating muscle aches or a nasty chest cold, it doesn’t mix well with a humidifier. That slippery texture can impact the inner workings of a humidifier leading to a potential breakdown.
Check the manufacturer’s instructions for humidifiers with separate essential oil compartments or medicine cups before adding any topical ointments to the dispenser.
How to inhale Vicks with the Help of Humidifiers?
Procter & Gamble, which manufactures Vicks Vaporub, also produces a line of Vicks-branded humidifiers. However, you cannot directly add Vicks Vaporub to these humidifiers. Instead, the company manufactures Vicks VapoSteam, a liquid designed to be added to water in a vaporizer where its active ingredient, camphor, is released along with eucalyptus and other soothing oils that are antiseptic and decongestant. Vicks VapoSteam does not contain petrolatum and can be used in a vaporizer.
Before using the humidifier, fill the tank for the VapoSteam with water. Add a tablespoon of VapoSteam to measure with every quart that you use in the process.
Procter & Gamble produces another product called Vicks VapoPads, which can be used as a substitute for the VapoSteam and added to your humidifier instead of VapoSteam. To use VapoPads, add them to your steam humidifier, and they will release a soothing healing waft of air you’ve come to expect from Vicks, along with a lovely scented aroma. Please note that VapoPads are meant to be used only with warm steam humidifiers and should not be added to ultrasonic or cool mist humidifiers.
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