Vicks Vapor Rub is known by many children (and adults) as a dependable, and effective, children’s cough medicine.

The key ingredients in Vicks Vapor Rub are camphor, menthol, and eucalyptus oil. This trio of ingredients are modeled after natural derivatives from common plants. Camphor for instance comes from a type of evergreen tree found in Asia, menthol is taken from the distilled products of corn, peppermint, or other plants with menthol as a compound ingredient, and eucalyptus oil comes directly from the eucalyptus tree.

All these ingredients mixed together (along with a few others), are what help to form the popular children’s medication.

And while the number one prevailing use for Vicks 44 might be to help relieve the hacking and wheezing that is associated with the common cold and the flu, there are indeed other uses for this medication.

Read on to discover why you should plan on holding several jars in reserve.

Discover Survival Uses For Vicks Vapor Rub You Never Thought About Before

1 – Use it to remove splinters:

Splinters are going to be something you end up dealing with far more frequently than you might anticipate.

And while a pair of tweezers can do the job of getting a stubborn splinter out of your skin, Vicks 44 can help with the ones the tweezers have trouble reaching while also helping to treat and sanitize the wound spot.

Part of the reason the Vicks helps is the petroleum base of the product will cause the skin around the splinter to moisten which helps the splinter work its way out.

2 – It can help ease earaches:

Vicks Vapor Rub is a known analgesic (pain reliever) which means you can use it safely to reduce pain you might experience in other areas of the body.

Earaches while not necessarily debilitating, can nonetheless prove to be a nuisance when you’re in a crisis situation.

To remedy an earache take a bit (just a small amount) and place it on a swab of cotton and then trace the inside of the ear canal with the Vicks and you’re done. Be careful not to force the cotton ball too deep into the ear canal as this might do more harm than good.

3 – Use it to banish mosquitoes:

If you don’t have a dedicated bug repellant then you’ll be happy to know Vicks can help keep them at bay.

The strong odor of menthol will keep mosquitoes away from you. Not only can this provide you relief from their annoying and itchy bites, it can also keep you safe in an emergency.

Mosquitoes are the primary non-human transmitter of disease. They’re responsible for passing on dangerous diseases like Malaria, Dengue fever, and even the new Zika virus.

The good news is using Vicks as a bug repellant doesn’t mean you’ve got to slather your whole body in the substance. All you need to do is put it on certain “zones” of the body. These include the wrists, the back of the neck and on portions of your clothing. This will repel them quite well.

An added benefit is if you do get bitten you can then place the Vicks on the bug bite to help zap the pain.

Follow this link to see how to build a DIY mosquito trap for under $1.

4 – Use it to treat hemorrhoids:

While I would recommend Preparation-H many people swear by the power of Vicks to treat these common “pains in the butt.”

Before you do this you need to know how well you can tolerate the burn; if you find placing Vicks on other parts of your body is too much then you might not want to try this. You also need to understand what kind of hemorrhoids you’re dealing with. If they’re really large and problematic you’ll want to try something else.

But, for the small, itchy ones you can put Vicks on there and let the menthol drown out the itch.

5 – Use it for bruises and muscle aches:

Can you imagine just how tired and sore you’ll be if you’re ever thrust into a crisis situation?

As far as you can tell now a survival situation might be a slight adjustment from your current lifestyle. Truthfully though you’re going to be put through the wringer. If you’re younger and more vivacious then this might not be as much of an issue. But what about those of us who are older and prone to fatigue and excessive soreness?

That’s right, it’s going to hurt.

Vicks Vapor Rub can replace some of the therapeutic muscle balms you find (things like Ben Gay and Aspicreme). Best of all the application process is the same, and so are the effects. So when you carry Vicks with you it means you’ve got a multi-purpose topical pain reliever.

6 – Use it to cure toenail fungus:

If you presently suffer from toenail fungus or want to have the means to treat it in a SHTF scenario then you’ll like this use for Vicks.

The simple treatment involves taking small amounts of Vicks and placing it on the infected toenail. If your nail is yellowish/green and then turns to blue-black then it means the strain of fungus you’re dealing with is dying off. You’ll want to use this treatment for at least two to three weeks to ensure complete fungal death.

7 – Use it to help heal topical cuts:

If you’ve got a series of topical cuts and scratches you can use Vicks to help cure them quickly.

The main ingredients in Vicks, camphor and menthol, are both known to have the proven ability to fight off bacterial infection. Additionally the petroleum of Vicks helps to lock in moisture while also keeping dangerous bacteria out of the cuts. Though the application might burn for a moment or two this means you’re doing all you need to do to help resist infection.

8 – Use it to treat ringworm:

This harmful fungal infection can be treated quite easily with an application of Vicks.

Dr. Peter H. Gott’s staff and Jared Zeiman, M.D write:

“Vicks, as well as store and other generic forms of mentholated chest rubs,
has been used successfully by many of my readers for a variety of conditions,
including nail fungus, plaque psoriasis, seborrheic keratoses, ringworm,
neuropathy pain and more.”

If you’re in a crisis situation the odds you’d have access to the typical antibiotic treatments for this scourge are pretty low. Instead you can just put this on two to three times a day to help get the same results.

9 – Use it to heal dry, stinky feet:

Dry, cracked feet are a very likely outcome of a survival situation. To help treat them you can use Vicks Vapor Rub. Just lather the cream on your feet before going to bed to help treat cracked heels and feet. Doing this will also help to drive down the odor you might develop after spending a considerable amount of time on your feet.

10 – Use it to help treat a dry scalp:

Dandruff isn’t going to affect you negatively in a survival situation. However, it can be irritating (especially if it itches) and if you’re not in a survival situation but want to get rid of dandruff this little tip might help.

To treat the affected area just take a thin layer of Vicks and rub it on the dry portions of your scalp. You would do well to keep it away from your eyes. You can do this before you go to bed, or shortly after a shower. The oil from the eucalyptus and the petroleum work together as a salve for your scalp.

11 – Use it to get rid of most headaches:

If you have a tension headache or a headache resulting from congestion in the sinuses then Vicks could help clear that up in a jiffy.

For the same reasons Vicks helps to relieve a it can be used to get rid of a headache. you’d want to take it and rub it on the temples or on the forehead. The penetrating, opening quality of the menthol will help to relieve tension and open up airways which can help stop a lingering headache.

Want to see some more regular and survival uses for Vicks Vapor Rub? Check this video out below.