DIY Natural Chest Rub

This chest rub recipe is almost impossibly simple. Made with only coconut oil, shea butter and essential oils you can whip it up in a mater of minutes.

Did you know that most VapoRub products are made from petrolatum which is derived from petroleum? This is not great for the planet and also not great for you or your children.

Be particularly careful using any chest rub that contains camphor – it’s unsafe for any use with children under 2 years old and for adults and children age 2 and older, use it only on the neck and chest. Camphor should never be ingested and be careful to keep it away from your furry friends too.

I first saw this recipe for natural chest rub on ncnz.co.nz, , created by one of their students, Annemarie Wissema. I added shea butter to the recipe for consistency. There’s a lot of great info at NCNZ regarding which oils are best to use under certain circumstances, I recommend having a look before you decide on your blend of oils.

Again, babies and children under 2 years old should not be exposed to eucalyptus or peppermint essential oils and if you are breast feeding or pregnant do not add thyme, peppermint or pine. The safest two oils in this instance are lavender and tea tree.

Click here for more information.

Oils to choose from are …

Eucalyptus (see cautions above): antibacterial, antiseptic, antiviral, decongestant, expectorant, etc

Pine (see cautions above): antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, bactericidal, expectorant, etc

Thyme (see cautions above): antiseptic, bactericidal, expectorant, etc.

Lavender: antiseptic, antiviral, bactericidal, decongestant, etc.

Tea tree: antimicrobial, antifungal, antiseptic, bactericidal, expectorant, immunostimulant, etc.

Peppermint (see cautions above): antiseptic, decongestant, expectorant, etc.

Make your chest rub …

Melt 20 ml shea butter and 50 ml of virgin coconut oil in a double boiler, once melted add 10 drops of essential oil of your choice.

Stir to combine and pour into a glass jar or other suitable container.

Leave overnight and your balm will have set. If you are in a hot climate then you’ll have to add a little beeswax to the first process.