Vapour Rub

Stuffy noses and chesty coughs. Two symptoms that could disturb your child’s sleep. And usually, one’s first reaction is to reach for that vapour rub sitting in your medicine cabinet to soothe the discomfort. One popular brand that we are familiar with in Singapore is Vicks Vapour Rub. The mentholatum provides quick relief for the child and clears nasal passage. I remembered using it when I was a child and the warming effect just seemed to make everything feel better.

However, most vapour rubs or chest rubs contain petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly is a semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons, a byproduct of petroleum. One of the side effects of using petroleum jelly is that it suffocates the skin, reducing the amount of oxgen that is being absorbed through the skin. Mineral oils may also aggravate stressful skin conditions such as eczema.

For parents who are conscious about the use of petroleum jelly on their child, there are organic vapour rubs available in the market that can provide the same relief and ease cough, yet without the greasiness of petrolatum.

You can try our Little Innoscents Winter Blues Vapour Balm that does not contain any petrolatum, and just the goodness of Wintergreen and Eucalyptus essential oils, and calming Lavender to lull your child to sleep.