Nontoxic Vicks Replacement
By April. Filed in Living |Tags: cancer causing, chemicals, liquidum paraffinum, Nontoxic Vicks Replacement, PAHs, Petrolatum, petroleum, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, posh mineral oil, toxins skin, vicks, vicks ingredients
Want to know what my biggest pet peeve on the Facebook page is? When someone recommends putting Vick’s Vaporub on the feet of someone with a cold or congestion. As you know, there are a lot of questions that get posted and a lot of answers but this is one I just can’t let go unaddressed each time. I have to get on each thread and say something. Vick’s is NOT a natural treatment. It’s not pure like essential oils.
Here is a list of the ingredients:
Petrolatum
Thymol
Turpentine
Camphor
Eucalyptus
Menthol
Cedarleaf oil
Nutmeg
At first glance maybe you’re unsure what could be so bad. I’m sure if I analyzed each ingredient I would find things like isolated chemical components. I know that just by knowing that menthol is the main chemical component in Peppermint essential oil and the fact that they are not claiming that the product is made with natural essential oils is also a good sign. My strongest concern is for the base of the product. The petrolatum. Petrolatum has varied and unregulated manufacturing procedures that make it vulnerable to contamination by foreign elements. I’d say you’re pretty safe to avoid putting any product containing the word petrol on your skin. Take it a step further and don’t put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t eat. The magazine In-Cosmetics once reported that the average woman absorbs 4lb 6oz of chemicals from toiletries and make-up EVERY year!
From EWG.org regarding petroleum products:
“WHAT? Mineral oil (petrolatum, petroleum, liquidum paraffinum - also known as posh mineral oil). WHY? A by-product of the petroleum industry, it comes from crude oil and is used in products as an emollient, giving “slip and slide” to a product. Popular because it is incredibly cheap. Also used by industry as metal-cutting fluid. WHY AVOID? Sits on the skin surface and may “suffocate” the skin by forming an oil film. May aggravate acne and slow down skin function, resulting in premature ageing. May be contaminated with cancer-causing PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons).”
Everything put on the skin gets absorbed into the body. It then gets stored in our brains, liver, tissues, lymphatic system, fat cells, other organs and more. Even chemicals in the air can be absorbed through the skin like those from candles, clothing and perfumes. The skin is the body’s largest organ and accounts for 16% of body weight. It is not a complete barrier from toxins. Scientists are learning more and more how easily molecules can enter the bloodstream through the skin. Just look at how successful nicotine patches, birth control patches, B12 patches, and hormone replacement therapy patches are.
From Daily Mail:
Biochemist Richard Bence has warned that the chemicals found in everyday beauty products could be doing untold damage. Richard Bence has said that absorbing such chemicals is more dangerous than swallowing them. Quotes form Bence:
“If your lipstick gets into your mouth, it is broken down by the enzymes in saliva and in the stomach. “But if the chemicals get straight into your bloodstream, there is no protection.”
“There is a growing amount of research questioning the ingredients found in conventional beauty products.”
“We really need to start questioning the products we are putting on our skin and not just assume that the chemicals in them are safe.”
“We have no idea what these chemicals do when they are mixed together. The effect could be much greater than the sum of the individual parts.”
Why does it bother me so much when people recommend Vick’s? I think it is because I used it on the feet of my middle son at just over a year of age. Shortly after using it he developed eczema. He had normal skin up until that point and I have spent the last six years analyzing all of the things I changed during that time. Do I think Vick’s may have had something to do with it? Yes, I think it’s possible that having a toxic petrochemical product put on his feet a few nights in a row may have weakened his immune system. Do I know for sure? No, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to warn others of its ingredients. Am I angry with myself for using it? Heck yes! What was I thinking?! Why did I take that advice? I was buying organic food and using cloth diapers to protect him but at the same time putting toxins on him! I tell you all of this because I want you to understand that I am not coming from a place of judgement when I complain about it. Instead I come from a place of wanting to prevent others from making the same mistake I did. My sons eczema is now gone after a lot of work but I’ll save that story for another day.
So what in the world can you use instead? I use coconut oil as a base with organic eucalyptus essential oil and sometimes a little organic peppermint essential oil in it. Peppermint oil can be irritating to some people’s skin but I haven’t had a problem in small amounts. Peppermint oil in the special reservoir of a vaporizer also works amazing for congestion. It works every time for us. The irony is that my vaporizer is made by Vick’s. I just don’t put their products in it!
Monday, October 15th 2012 at 11:17 pm |
I have a really old bottle of Vicks from 10? Years ago. It has formaldehyde as an ingredient. I know formaldehyde can cause eczema or at least irritation. I don’t know if formaldehyde is still in the ingredient list, but it can be listed as other things, such as quaterniun-10. That might be something to look into.
Saturday, October 20th 2012 at 12:22 am |
I’m so sorry you have experienced this, thanks for sharing these details. While many people are becoming more educated on the benefits of eating organic and natural living like using cloth diapers, so many are still misinformed of the dangers of chemicals in personal care products and over the counter drugs. Just like food, it’s important to read labels of anything you use: bath and body products, cleaning products even clothing has chemicals on it (fire retardants, wrinkle and stain proofing are just a few).
Essential oils are currently an unregulated industry, and companies don’t need to disclose chemicals used to dilute or “water down” an oil, (a lavender oil could be 90% synthetic and 10% real lavender oil and still be labeled pure essential oil) so make sure when you switch from traditional personal care items like Vick’s that you replace it with a high quality essential oil from a verified source. I like Young Living, they are the only company in the country that tests all their oils for purity, many are food grade so what you see is what you get.