Last week I didn't feel well. and in a moment of clarity or desperation, depending on who you ask, I decided to make my own vapor rub for two reasons, 1. I was out of vapor rub and 2. store bought vapor rub is full of petroleum byproducts.Surprisingly I had a really good idea how to go about this and I had all the ingredients.
Vapor Rub
- 5 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 Tablespoon beeswax
- 1 Tablespoon Evening Primrose
- 20 drops peppermint oil
- 20 drops eucalyptus oil
- 15 drops rosemary oil
- 10 drops clove oil
- 10 drops melaluca/tea tree oil
- 5 drops lavender oil
- Add coconut oil, beeswax, and Evening Primrose in a container to melt. You can do this several ways, I choose to place everything in the mason jar I wanted to store the rub in and place it in a hot water bath.
- Slowly melt the mixture, stirring often. It took me 15 minutes.
- Remove jar from water bath and add essential oils.
- Cover container with a paper towel or anything that will allow the heat to escape but not allow contaminants into the jar. In my house that translates into keeping the dog hair out.
- Allow mixture to cool until solid. I was impatient so I placed it into an ice bath but you can leave it on the counter to cool or place in the fridge.
How does it compare to store bought
This mixture is less thick and heavier than the stuff at the store. It also absorbs into the skin quicker. Probably because all those yucky ingredients are missing. It is also harder than the store bought stuff, so you end up digging the mixture out of the jar. This may be because I keep my house a little on the cooler side and because the mason jar I had was a pint jar which is much to big for the amount of rub I made.
Personally I think it did just as good of a job as the stuff in the store. I rubbed it on my chest and feet and it cleared up my sinus and I started to feel better. I have also place it in my wax burners in several rooms of my house to help everyone breath a bit better. If I have learned anything it is that once one person in my house gets sick, everyone will eventually get sick.
Be sure you are using quality essential oils. All oils are not creates the same. Do your research.
Check out the two posts that inspired my recipe: Wellness Mama and Modern Alternative Mama
