Skip to main content

Vicks VapoRub on feet: Is it dangerous for kids?

Learn if using Vicks VapoRub rub on feet is safe for your child

Parent rubbing baby feet
Oleksandr Pirko / Shutterstock

When your little one is sick, you will try anything — old, new, weird — to get them to feel better. Parents today are part of the Vicks generation, where any ailment can be cured with Vicks VapoRub, chicken noodle soup, crackers, ginger ale, and The Price is Right.

Now, the trick is to rub Vicks on your child’s feet at bedtime when they have a cough or cold. But how effective is it? Is this safe, or is putting Vicks VapoRub rub on feet dangerous? Let’s see when and where this ointment should go if your child feels under the weather.

Recommended Videos

What is Vicks VapoRub

Mother holding sleeping baby.
Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock

Vicks VapoRub is an ointment mostly made of eucalyptus, camphor, menthol, thymol, and petroleum jelly. The camphor is the part that can make this treatment dangerous. The FDA has a warning on products containing more than 11% camphor, as even a few teaspoons of it can be enough to poison a small child if it is ingested, or even if enough is absorbed through the skin. Vicks has 4.8% camphor, making it the highest ingredient while being under the FDA guidelines, but it is still enough to proceed using it with caution?

Vicks VapoRub general guidelines

Parent taking care of a sick child, helping them blow their nose.
Westend61 / Adobe Stock
  • Do not use it on children younger than 2 years old.
  • Do not put Vicks under, around, or in the nose.
  • Do not put Vicks around the mouth or where a child can ingest it.
  • Do not use it on or around open wounds.
  • Keep an eye out for skin irritation.

We all love that first inhale when we take the lid off a tub of Vicks VapoRub. We breathe in as deeply as we can, almost immediately feeling the healing effects. But when it comes to our little ones, is Vicks VapoRub safe? This tiny jar of magical ointment can be a big help if you follow the instructions.

No child, at all, whatsoever, under the age of 2, should have Vicks applied to them — anywhere. We know Vicks works, but not on children younger than 2 years of age. There are other warnings on the label you should pay attention to, like not putting it close to the nose or mouth. You should avoid placing it near the eyes or anywhere on a child’s hands, as they could rub their eyes or mouth while they sleep. The other thing to look out for is redness on the spot it’s applied, as camphor can irritate people’s skin.

Rubbing Vicks on the feet

Sleeping toddler,
Pixel-Shot / Shutterstock

Here is where the foot part comes in. While there isn’t hard evidence that rubbing Vicks VapoRub on anyone’s feet — a child’s or adult’s — helps alleviate a cold, it can work magic in other areas. It can aid in healing cracked heels, combat toenail fungus, take on athlete’s foot, and ease pain and aches. So, there are benefits to rubbing it into your child’s feet, but not in the way you might think.

When Vicks VapoRub rub is good to use

If your child is 2 years old or older, you don’t put it near their nose, eyes, face, hands, or open wounds, but is putting Vicks VapoRub rub on feet dangerous, or can it help your little one feel better by the morning? In children older than 2, it can have a positive effect if you apply Vicks on the neck or chest, with the oils in it providing temporary relief of congestion and coughing long enough for your child (or yourself) to get the much-needed rest to get better.

Why Vicks on feet doesn’t stop a cold

The reason putting Vicks VapoRub rub on feet isn’t dangerous but doesn’t really do anything for a cold is because you have to inhale those oil vapors. You can’t do that when the ointment is on your feet under your sock. If it makes you and your child feel better to go through the motions of putting it on their feet, or if they have an ache, foot pain, or cracked heels bothering them, go ahead and put the Vicks on there. But you still need to wait until your child is at least 2 years old, and you check that the camphor doesn’t irritate their skin.

Additional Vicks tips

  • Never heat up Vicks.
  • Wear loose clothing so the vapors can travel.
  • Keep it secure when not in use, like all medications.

If your child is soothed by Vicks, there is nothing wrong with using it. They even make child-friendly versions (like BabyRub) that don’t contain camphor. When used properly, Vicks is safe and effective, or it wouldn’t still be around 125 years later. It can ease a mild cough, make you less congested, and help your child sleep when they have a cold, which every parent knows is the most important task.

As long your child is over 2 years old, ease cold symptoms and help them sleep when they have a cold or congestion with Vicks VapoRub rubbed on the chest — and on the feet under socks if they have pain there or dry heels. Otherwise, don’t forget the chicken noodle soup, crackers, ginger ale, and The Price is Right in your child’s get-well starter pack.

Dannielle Beardsley
Dannielle has written for various websites, online magazines, and blogs. She loves everything celebrity and her favorite…
Help your child de-stress with these brain breaks for kids
These brain breaks will help your kiddos reboot and reset their minds and bodies
A child and parent on the floor talking.

Emotional outbursts and children shutting down when faced with a problem are a part of learning and growing up. While a child can't sit in the car for 10 minutes to calm down after work before walking into the house, there are ways for parents to help their child de-stress to lower their anxiety level so they can refocus.

Brain breaks will give kids healthy coping mechanisms later in life if they get into the habit now. Do these fun and amazing brain breaks for kids when they get home from school, are stuck on an activity at home, or anytime you notice your child needs one.
Breaks that get your child moving

Read more
No caffeine required: 11 fun Starbucks drinks for kids
Keep your child calm and caffeine free with these Starbucks drinks for kids
A girl outside with a Starbucks drink.

Every parent has had to stop at a Starbucks to grab one more coffee to make it through the day. If the kids are in the car, you know you will order drinks — and every kind of cake pop they have — for your child. While water from Starbucks just hits differently, if you treat yourself, those kids should get something fun, too. Aside from letting a child run around with a caffeinated beverage, we have Starbucks drinks for kids every parent needs to know about. 
Easy drinks to please most kids

These tasty go-to drinks at Starbucks usually please everyone.
Chocolate milk
We know you can make this at home, but kids love chocolate milk. Instead of the boxed kind from Horizon out front that your child will drink down in two gulps, ask for handmade chocolate milk. Your child could always get regular milk with vanilla for a kick or try strawberry milk if they feel adventurous.
Hot chocolate
Although this one technically has a little caffeine, it's not a lot. If your child likes their drink hot, nothing beats a hot chocolate on a cool day. The same is true when you order a mocha; your child can have regular hot chocolate, white hot chocolate, zebra hot chocolate, or vanilla hot chocolate.
Lemonade
Starbucks usually has a rotating lineup of lemonades your child will love to try. From regular to strawberry puree, you can't go wrong with a refreshing lemonade. See if your location has any employee creations to try or has a seasonal flavor.
Blended lemonade
When it's a little hotter out, and a frozen drink would keep your child cool, a blended lemonade would do the trick. Starbucks takes a regular lemonade and blends it up to a slushy consistency for an additional texture your children will enjoy. Strawberry is a favorite, but see what other options your local one has.
Babyccino
While you won't see a Babyccino on the menu, order your little one steamed milk with added foam on top. To take it up a notch, ask for a drizzle of flavored syrup.
Apple cider
While only seasonal, no child can resist the call of a hot apple cider from Starbucks. There is something about that first one of the year, like how adults are with their pumpkin spice.
More creative drinks for the kids

Read more
10 fantastic lunch ideas for kids so they don’t get bored at mealtime
Keep the lunch boxes fresh and exciting with these cool meal ideas
A child eating her school lunch

Any parent knows making those school lunches day after day gets tedious. Well, it's the same for your kids and teens who open up the lunch bags and boxes every day. It doesn't take long for those lunches from home to get mundane. So, what are busy parents to do? We want to keep lunches fresh and exciting during the school year, but it's hard to come up with creative and tasty lunches five days a week.

If you are searching for ways to brighten up the lunch boxes this school year, we've got fun, delish, and healthy lunch ideas for kids that will make opening the box or bag the best part of the day.
Lunch ideas for kids

Read more