Vicks VapoRub 4-in-1 Cold Symptom Relief Ointment - 100g

The jar in every family's cold cupboard: a menthol, camphor and eucalyptus ointment rubbed on the chest, throat and back to relieve the four symptoms of a cold at once, nasal catarrh, congestion, sore throat and the cough that goes with them, for up to eight hours. Suitable from 6 months. The 100g jar lasts a winter.

Rubbed on the chest, throat and back, VapoRub's menthol, camphor and eucalyptus warm with body heat and rise as vapour, so every breath for hours carries them into the nose and throat. The cooling sensation makes a blocked nose feel open and a tickly throat feel calmer, and the mild counter-irritant action on the skin eases the chest tightness of a cold. It's been the bedtime ritual of a British cold for a century because it works while you sleep, with no dose to swallow.

Rub a thin layer on the chest, throat and back, up to three times a day, and leave clothing loose so the vapours rise. For babies from 6 months and children, the chest and back only, gently. Adults and children over 12 can also add two teaspoons to a bowl of hot (not boiling) water and breathe the steam for 10 to 15 minutes with eyes closed.

External use only: never in or near the nostrils, in the mouth, on broken skin or heated in a microwave. Not for babies under 6 months. Stop and see a GP if a cough lasts more than a week or comes with a high temperature, rash or persistent headache. Also as the Easy Applicator stick for no-mess use, and for a steam room without the rubbing, VapoBath.