One of the widely used homemade remedies to reduce belly fat and get rid of colds is Vicks VapoRub. It is also used for a smooth and silky skin, and as a topical analgesic which includes eucalyptus, menthol, camphor, and other ingredients in a petroleum base.

Vicks VapoRub has also been used for relieving coughs, headaches, throat stuffiness, and congested nose.

As you can see, this ointment can be used for various conditions, and in this article, we present 21 Vicks uses that you will find surprising.

1. Mosquitoes Repellent

Apply some Vicks on your skin and clothes to keep mosquitoes away from you.

2. Reduces Sinuses Headaches

Rub some of this ointment right under your nose and take a deep breath. Vicks contains menthol which relieves headaches and colds.

3. Eases Acne

Apply some Vicks on your acne several times a day. It will clean your skin by drying them and soothing the affected area.

4. Keeps Insects Away

Open the Vicks VapoRub bottle to get an excellent Eco-friendly trick to keep flies and mosquitoes away.

5. No More Bruises

To quickly get rid of your fresh bruises, apply some Vicks mixed with a pinch of salt onto them.

6. Soothes Sore Muscles

Massages with this ointment will help you alleviate your sore muscles. After the massage, cover the sore limb with a warm and dry towel and lift it until the pain lowers. Repeat this up to 3 times a day.

7. Moisturizer

Use this ointment to moisturize your skin.

8. Tennis Elbow

The camphor and menthol contained in Vicks will help your pain from tennis elbow disappear. Massage the area until the pain stops.

9. Treats cracked heels

Apply some of this ointment on your heels and feet before going to bed, and put on your socks. The next morning, rinse your feet with warm water. Use a pumice stone to exfoliate the softened skin. Do this every night before bedtime to keep your feet smooth and healthy.

10. Toenail or Fingernail Fungus

Apply some of the ointment on your infected toenail or fingernail and put on your socks. Do this twice a day, and make sure you trim your nails until your toenail/fingernail completely recovers.

11. Relieves Cough and Congestion Symptoms

Just apply some Vicks VapoRub on your chest and throat for a cough and congestion relief.

12. Prevents Your Cat from Scratching

If you are annoyed by your cat scratching your walls, windows, and doors, rub some Vicks on these places, and your cat won’t think of doing that ever again.

13. Fast Healing of Splinters and Cuts

Apply some Vicks on your cut or splinter to hasten the healing process and prevent possible infection.

14. Reek-free Racehorses

To keep racehorses focused on the race and not on the fascinating reek of mares, professional racers rub some of this ointment under the horses’ nostrils.

15. Stretch Marks

Two-week regular treatment with Vicks VapoRub will reduce the visibility of your stretch marks.

16. Prevent Your Pet from Peeing Inside Your Home

Just leave an open Vicks bottle in the areas of your home where you want to prevent your pet from peeing.

17. Treats Eczema

Reduce the inflammation and itchiness of eczema by applying some Vicks VapoRub on the affected area.

18. Relieves Awful Ear Ache

Apply some Vicks in your aching ear using a cotton ball for an instant pain relief. Another option is to apply some of the ointment on one end of a warmed garlic clove (10 seconds in a microwave) and to place the clove in the affected ear.

19. Heals Athlete’s Feet

Rub Vicks two times a day to heal your athlete’s feet.

20. Removes Warts

Apply some of this ointment on your warts, and cover the place with gauze and sock. Do this twice a day for 2 weeks, until the wart is completely gone.

21. Fat Burning Cream

Vicks can help you reduce your fat and cellulite, especially in your stomach and legs area when combined with camphor, baking soda, and a bit alcohol. Apply the obtained cream in the desired area and cover with a black plastic strip. Do this at home, work, or before your exercises.

Vicks contains a solid white glass with a mint flavor called levomenthol which shouldn’t be used alone since it can cause rash. However, this ointment is safe thanks to the eucalyptus oil in its content. Camphor is also dangerous if used directly. Therefore, use it only in commercial product packaging.

Vicks VapoRubn Home Remedy

Required Ingredients

• Camphor (squeezed)
• Vicks VapoRub
• Alcohol
• Sodium bicarbonate

Preparation

Make a paste from the listed ingredients, and store it in a glass or plastic container. Apply the paste with circular movements before going to bed, cover it with a plastic wrap and allow it to stay for half an hour or overnight.

Alcohol is commonly used as a disinfectant or for removing adhesive substances.

But did you know that it can be used for other purposes as well , including being an ingredient in many cosmetic products?

1. Deodorant Replacement

There’s no need to panic if you have forgotten your deodorant when going somewhere. If you just rub some alcohol on your armpits, you will eliminate the bacteria that causes the bad odor. If you wonder where to find alcohol, it’s there in your first aid kit. However, use it temporarily, as long exposure to alcohol can cause skin irritation.

2. Remove Bed Bugs

Bed bugs can be hard to eliminate. They can sneak home with you after vacation, or after staying in someone’s home that’s not very hygienic. You can kill them with the help of rubbing alcohol. Use a spray bottle to spray some over your pillow and mattress, and do this several times to completely get rid of these nasty pets.

3. Destroy Lice

Rubbing alcohol can help in cases of lice. Pour rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle, and add several drops of lavender oil. Focus on your scalp and hair when spraying the solution, and comb your hair to remove the dead lice.

. Remove Nail Polish

Common nail polish removers contain various harsh chemicals that can damage the nails. The best replacement for chemical acetone is rubbing alcohol. Although you might need more time to remove your nail polish, you will prevent them being damaged.

5. Clean Your Skin

A lot of commercially-bought ointments and creams for acne contain benzoyl peroxide. But rubbing alcohol possesses strong anti-inflammatory and soothing effects which soothe the affected skin, prevent further acne appearance, and disinfect the existing pimples. Just apply some of it directly on the affected skin area.

6. Cool Pack

If you store alcohol in fridge, it won’t freeze. This means you can use it to make a cooling pad. Prepare a solution of water and alcohol in 2:1 ratio, and keep it in a sealable plastic bag in the fridge. Remove as much air from the bag as you can, before placing it in the fridge. The solution should stay in the fridge around an hour before using it as an ice pack, or to cool for instance, your meal on a hike.

7. Clean Your Ears

Majority still use cotton swabs to clean their ears, although using those means pushing the earwax deeper into the ear canal. Combine some rubbing alcohol and white vinegar, and soak a cotton swab in the solution. Drop it into your ears to allow the earwax remove on its own.

8. Remove Ingrown Hairs

Shaving your bikini area and armpits might leave your skin with red dots. Applying some rubbing alcohol will alleviate any irritation and leave your skin smooth.

9. Cold Sores

Although around 85 percent of world population carry the herpes virus, only small percentage of them have experienced a break out. In case you are one of them, apply 70 percent isopropyl alcohol on the affected area and your herpes sores will disappear quickly.

10. Clean Eyeglasses

Use some rubbing alcohol to make your eyeglasses streak-free clean. Just spray them and then wipe with a soft cloth.

11. DIY Hand Sanitizer

Rubbing alcohol is an excellent homemade hand sanitizer. Prepare a solution using ½ tablespoon of isopropyl alcohol, several drops of tea tree oil, and 4 ounces of Aloe Vera gel.

See the whole process in the following video:

Like any machine, over time our bodies wear down. Joints are especially susceptible to wear and tear because of the movement and pressure that are necessarily applied to them. Joints are where two bones meet. They are connected with ligaments, tendons, and cartilage to each other and the surrounding muscles.

The knee joint is the largest in the human body. It handles a tremendous amount of stress as it allows lower body mobility while supporting the upper body. Over time, the cartilage at the end of the bones that form the joint can deteriorate.

In addition, there are fluid sacs in the knee capsule to keep the joint lubricated. These bursae can become irritated or inflamed if injured, resulting in bursitis.

There are many potential causes for knee joint pain:

• Osteoarthritis – a chronic condition that occurs when the cartilage between bones breaks down
• Rheumatoid arthritis – an autoimmune disease that affects joints, causing swelling
• Bursitis – inflammation of fluid sacs either in front or directly behind the kneecap
• Immuno-inflammatory conditions
• Injury/over-use
• Infection
• Tendonitis – inflammation of tendons
• Gout – a form of arthritis in which uric acid accumulates and crystals of it settle in a joint

Fortunately for our knees, there are natural remedies to reduce inflammation and ease the pain.

DIY Knee Joint Pain Remedy

The following recipe is a knee joint pain relieving rub. It contains effective anti-inflammatories and analgesics. Let’s look at what’s in it.

1. Cayenne

Cayenne has been used by Native Americans for millennia for pain relief. Capsaicin is a phytochemical in this spicy pepper that relieves pain through a variety of mechanisms. First, capsaicin blocks chemical pain transmitter “substance P” from reaching the brain. Second, when applied topically, it penetrates the skin to defunctionalize fibers that respond to pain stimuli. Through the skin, capsaicin stops nerves fibers from feeling pain and transmitting it. Lastly, capsaicin prevents pain from spreading to other areas. One study of an 8% concentration of capsaicin patch applied for pain management found that a single 1-hour application was effective in reducing pain for up to 12 weeks.

The capsaicin in cayenne is also effective for inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. Cayenne works to relieve inflammation when taken internally as well.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar

Supremely beneficial for human health in a wide range of applications, ACV is a potent anti-inflammatory that can relieve joint stiffness. The acetic acid in ACV penetrates the skin and can help to break up acid crystals that can form in the joint. Acetic acid has also been found to provide effective relief for tendonitis and other joint inflammation.

Additionally, unfiltered ACV contains bone-supporting minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus.

3. Olive Oil

Anti-inflammatory and emollient, olive oil is a wonderful carrier oil.

4. Ginger

A potent anti-inflammatory, the phytochemical gingerol inhibits excessive immune response that results in inflammation. A 2014 study of the daily topical application of ginger on joints of people with osteoarthritis (OA) resulted in pain relief within a week and continued for the 24-week duration of the study.

“Topical ginger treatments were found to improve the subdimensions of quality of life scores of physical function, pain, and health satisfaction and overall global effect of OA. The noninvasive nature of topical ginger avoids the risks of conventional medication and surgery and has the potential to delay and possibly negate the use of these more invasive treatments.”

Natural Rub Recipe for Bone, Knee and Joint Pain

You can apply this paste on any joint to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. You may want to experiment with the recipe and mix half the amount of ACV with the olive oil; sometimes the rub can be quite strong and the olive oil will lessen heat and make the paste easier to apply.

All of these ingredients will also reduce inflammation if you eat them. Please note that cayenne can stain fabrics, so take care around adjacent clothing.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper powder
• 1 cup raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar OR ½ cup extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil, warmed
• ½ inch ginger, grated

Directions:

1. Add grated ginger and cayenne pepper to the apple cider vinegar or warm olive oil. Stir well until a paste forms.
2. Apply the paste on the affected area twice a day and leave it for 20 minutes.
3. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.
4. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Give it a stir before application.

Sore joints are no joke. Age-old yet modern clinically-tested natural remedies can help manage and reverse the effects of time. Use the recipe above for knee joint pain and other painful conditions.