Vicks VapoRub Easy Applicator Cold Relief Ointment Stick - 35g

VapoRub without the greasy fingers: the same menthol, camphor and eucalyptus ointment in a twist-up stick, so you can apply it to a child's chest or your own throat at 3am in the dark and not touch a thing. Relieves nasal catarrh, congestion, sore throat and coughs due to colds for up to eight hours. Suitable from 6 months. 35g.

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.

Twist up, glide a thin layer onto 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. Wipe the applicator before capping. Not for steam inhalation; use the jar for that.

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. The 100g jar is the better-value version for a household and the one for steam inhalation.