DIY All-Natural Vapor Rub For Kids + Adults
Does your baby or child have a cough or congestion and nothing seems to help them sleep at night?
It’s horrible when your child needs sleep so badly to feel better but nothing seems to help stop their cough!
You feel so helpless and want to do whatever you can to stop their cough and help them rest!
I know when my girls get sick, especially the baby, I always reach for the most natural remedies possible.
Young children and babies can’t handle the same ingredients that older kids can so it’s always best to use natural products on them.
Since we started using essential oils. We have been making our own all-natural vapor rub for our kids when they have a cough or congestion.
This recipe below works like magic every time!
I also use it on my husband and myself but a stronger version of it. Both are listed below!
This post is all about All-Natural Vapor Rub.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor so this is not medical advice, just something that has worked great for me and my family. Please ask your doctor for further recommendations.
Recipes for all-natural vapor rub:
This recipe is safe for babies under 2- You can also rub this on the bottoms of their feet as well!
Babies Vapor Rub Recipe:
- 1/4 cup of shea butter ( if your children have very sensitive skin, you can use Cetaphil lotion in place of shea butter. Shea butter is more moisturizing but children with eczema may tolerate Cetaphil better)
- 1/2 cup of coconut oil
- 4-5 drops of Frankincense oil
- 2-3 drops of Lavender oil
- 2-3 drops of Lemon essential oil
or shop below for more info:
For directions on mixing, follow the directions under the kid’s recipe below.
Kid’s Vapor Rub Recipe
Here is what I use on my kids and it’s safe for children under 6 years old.
- 1/4 cup of shea butter (again, if your children have very sensitive skin, you can use Cetaphil lotion in place of shea butter. Shea butter is more moisturizing but children with eczema may tolerate Cetaphil better)
- 1/2 cup of coconut oil
10 drops of RC YL essential oil or this respiratory essential oil
2 drops of Lemon essential oil
2 drops of Thieves YL essential oil or try this immune-boosting oil
(you can also add lavender or peace & calming for a calming/sleepy effect if you have it on hand as well)
Mixing directions:
Mix together just the shea butter and coconut oil in a jar and microwave for 10 seconds, then add the oils and mix again but don’t heat the oils!
Let it sit for ten minutes so it hardens or place it in the refrigerator.
If you are short on time, you can just use coconut oil and the essential oils alone. There are other recipes which you can add beeswax and melt everything together, but who has time for all that?
This works just as good, if not better in my opinion!
I rub this vapor rub on my children’s chest, back, and even the bottoms of their feet and place socks over them at night!
This vapor rub works awesome and smells amazing! My children even ask for it!
It’s so much better than the Vicks store-bought brand!
Adult vapor rub recipe:
1/4 cup of shea butter
1/2 cup of coconut oil
5 drops of RC YL essential oil or this oil
5 drops of Eucalyptus essential oil
5 drops of Peppermint essential oil
4 drops of Thieves YL essential oil or try this immune-boosting oil
3 drops of Lemon essential oil
Again, mix the shea butter and coconut oil together and heat up, and then let sit. Then add your essential oils and mix again so the oils don’t sit on the bottom.
This adult version is a bit stronger and also has peppermint and eucalyptus which adults and older children can handle much better than children under age 6.
Be sure to diffuse RC in your diffuser which will also help them breathe better and hopefully get a good night’s sleep!
Parenting is tough and what makes it even worse is when you have little ones at home sick!
They are too young to use any meds or cough medicine that older kids or adults can take. It makes parenting so much harder because all you want to do is help your kids feel better!
I hope this DIY all-natural vapor rub will help your children get a good night’s sleep and feel so much better in the morning!
For more information on the essential oils you can use, click the photos below:
You may want to try this combination set of oils to save you money:
And we love diffusers! Here are some of our favorites! These help so much in bedrooms at night!
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Some extra tips on keeping your kids healthy
Another way to help boost your child’s immune system they are fighting a cold is with immune-boosting detox baths!
These are amazing and my kids love them! We take them all the time and they help fight colds and boost our immune systems! Great to take during flu season! 👇
Here are some vitamins and more tips that have helped keep my family from getting sick during those awful cold and flu months!
Worried about the stomach flu? Learn how we stop the stomach flu in its tracks fast! Also, find out how we prevent it from spreading to the whole family!
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What type of coconut oil did you use; refined or unrefined?… thanks so much … can’t wait to try
Hi Chris,
I use the refined coconut oil for making this vapor rub. The refined coconut oil has a higher concentration of vitamin E so it’s better to use on the skin. You can always use unrefined if that’s all you have, it will work the same, it just may have a stronger coconut smell and less vitamin E but it will work! Hope this helps! 🙂