Saving Money on Vicks Vaporizing Steam Liquid with a Homemade Substitute

Our pediatricians have always recommended steam vaporizers with Vicks for the little ones when they get a stuffy nose and congestion. Unfortunately, the liquid Vicks is really expensive and only last us three nights. I began buying the Rite Aid brand which was still over $6.00 for 4 ounces, and not quite a strong.

I was researching homemade vaporizing steam liquid when I came upon a possible alternative to the store brought liquid - eucalyptus leaves and camphor liquid. I read that the liquid eucalyptus oil is not recommended for the vaporizers, so I purchased the leaves.

I love Mountain Rose Herbs organic products, so I ordered from them. I've mentioned them here on my blog before in other posts. I've decided to add the company to my sidebar because I trust their certified organic products, and their prices are good.

A little about their bulk organic herbs & spices:

"Our promise to you, that the line of bulk herbs and botanicals
offered by Mountain Rose Herbs are...

True certified organic by OTCO
Certified Kosher Through Earth Kosher
Free from irradiation, ozone treatment, sulfites, gasses and other sanitary chemicals
Unsurpassable in color, depth, taste and aroma
Ethically wildharvested when not certified organic
Processed and handled according to strict organic standards
Grown, harvested, processed and handled by fun, knowledgeable and caring people
Lab analyzed for quality, safety and true botanical identity"

So here's what I purchased: a pound of organic eucalyptus leaf($7.00) and one ounce camphor essential oil($5.00).

I am not sure how much of the eucalyptus to add, so I'll begin with a tablespoon at a time, and a few drops of the camphor.

The pound french green clay pictured was for me. I use this for homemade facial masks.

I'll be sure to update this post with my results.

6/22/09 Update: Don't Bother with the eucalyptus leaves in a humidifier! These had no scent at all. The camphor drops on the other hand worked like a charm. I've used it for at least three colds, and I still have quite a bit of the camphor left, so it's a better deal for us than the bottles of Vicks which last only two nights.