Vapour Rub - Natural Chest Balm 50mL
Seven Australian botanicals in a Castor Oil and Carnauba Wax base. Kunzea, Peppermint Gum and Eucalyptus to help clear a stuffy nose, without the petroleum jelly or the synthetic menthol hit.
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Most vapour rubs are built on petrolatum, or petroleum jelly, with synthetic menthol and camphor doing the work. It is effective and it is cheap, and it is also the reason a lot of parents hesitate before putting it on a toddler’s chest at two in the morning. Ours starts from plant oils and waxes instead, and gets the cooling from the botanicals themselves.
Why you’ll love it
Eucalyptus and Peppermint Gum where you need them.
Suitable from 12 months on the chest, feet before that.
Castor Oil and Carnauba Wax instead of petrolatum.
Low odour on purpose, which is why kids tolerate it.
Chest, neck and back before lights out.
A 50mL tin, plastic free, no leaks in a nappy bag.
Ours or a mainstream rub
| Zea Natural Vapour Rub | Conventional vapour rubs | |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Castor Oil and Carnauba Wax | Usually petrolatum |
| Synthetic menthol or camphor | None | Typically both |
| Strength of the hit | Gentle and low odour | Sharp and strong |
| Vegan | Yes | Often not |
| Packaging | Plastic-free tin | Usually plastic |
| Australian botanicals | Kunzea, Peppermint Gum, Lemon Myrtle | No |
| Made in Australia | Yes | Varies |
Worth being straight about it: if you want the sharp menthol hit of a conventional rub, this is deliberately gentler. That is the trade for no petroleum and a formula you can use on a toddler.
What’s inside
Castor Oil, Carnauba Wax, Kunzea Ambigua Oil, Peppermint Gum Oil, Eucalyptus radiata Oil, Nerolina Oil, Rosemary Oil, Peppermint Oil and Lemon Myrtle Oil. Naturopathically formulated, 100% natural and vegan.
Free from synthetic fragrances, parabens, petroleum, synthetic menthol, camphor, sulphates, artificial colours, preservatives and petrochemical derivatives.
See the ingredient glossaryTwo separate eucalypts, not one. Eucalyptus radiata is the gentler of the eucalyptus oils, which is why it is the one chosen for a family formula, and Peppermint Gum brings the cooling note.
Kunzea ambigua, plantation-farmed as well as wild harvested in Tasmania. It is the reason this rub smells like the Australian bush rather than a chemist shelf.
A plant oil and a plant wax doing the job petroleum jelly usually does: holding the botanicals against the skin and releasing them slowly. It is also what makes the balm soft enough to spread on a small chest.
When to reach for it
Chest, neck and back when a cold has settled in.
A small amount on the chest and under the collarbones.
When the sinuses are the problem, not a virus.
Onto the soles of the feet for a gentler effect.
From 12 months on the chest, low odour and no sting.
The months where one of them always has something.
A tin in the bag for dry cabin air and stuffy hotels.
Some customers use it on cold mornings before heading out.
What customers tell us
★★★★★
“A little on my husband’s throat each night before bed greatly reduces his nighttime problems with sinus and coughing. He was always reluctant to use the vapour rubs generally available, but loves this one (and so do I).”
Nancy C. · Toowoomba, QLD · Verified buyer
★★★★★
“I have found all Zea products to be great and especially like this rub. A little goes a long way and it so effective. Would not go anywhere without it.”
Judith · Sydney, NSW · Verified buyer
Five-star reviews left by verified Judge.me buyers of this product, quoted as written. Individual experiences differ from person to person.
Complete the winter kit
The rub handles the chest. These are what customers keep alongside it for the rest of the cold-season cupboard.
For the raw nose and chapped lips that come with it.
$24.95
A steamy soak on the days everything aches.
$29.95
Our hero cream for the aches a cold brings with it.
$34.95
For the nights the coughing is keeping you up.
$19.95
Targeted relief with no mess on your hands.
$19.95
For the sick-day couch and the calmer bedtime.
$88.00
Zea began in 2016 as a family market stall in Tasmania and we are now Australia’s only Certified B Corporation in natural pain relief, donating 1% of all sales to the planet. This rub was naturopathically formulated for our own families first, which is why the odour is low, the base is plant oil, and the strongest thing in it is a eucalypt.
From the creators of Australia’s favourite Kunzea products
Questions, answered
Massage a small amount onto the chest, neck and back as needed. Most families use it as part of the bedtime routine during the cold months. External use only, and avoid eye contact.
It is suitable for children from 12 months when applied to the chest. For babies under 12 months, apply it to the soles of the feet instead for a gentler effect. Patch test first, keep it out of reach of children, and stop using it if any irritation occurs.
No, and that is deliberate. There is no synthetic menthol or camphor in it, so the sensation is gentler and the odour is lower. If you are used to the sharp hit of a mainstream rub, this will feel milder. What you get in exchange is a plant-oil base with no petroleum and a formula gentle enough for a toddler.
Castor Oil and Carnauba Wax carrying Kunzea Ambigua, Peppermint Gum, Eucalyptus radiata, Nerolina, Rosemary, Peppermint and Lemon Myrtle Oils. 100% natural and vegan, with no petroleum, paraffin, synthetic menthol, camphor, parabens, alcohol or sulphates.
Petrolatum is a petrochemical by-product. It works as a barrier, but it is not something we want in a product going onto a child’s chest every night. Castor Oil and Carnauba Wax do the same carrying job from plants.
Plenty of customers do, when the problem is sinuses rather than a virus. It is the same application: a small amount on the chest and neck.
A little goes a long way, which is the most common thing reviewers say about it. A 50mL tin will typically see a family through a season of use.
Yes. It comes in a plastic-free tin, which can be rinsed and recycled or reused.
Choose your pack above and the discount is applied automatically at checkout. There is no code to enter: 5% off 3 or more, 10% off 5 or more eligible Zea products.
Shipping is free on Australian orders over $75. Orders are dispatched from our Australian warehouse.
Free shipping on Australian orders over $75 · plastic-free tin · made in Australia. Choose your pack and we will get it on its way.
Choose your packThis product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. External use only. Avoid eye contact. Patch test before use and discontinue if irritation occurs. Keep out of reach of children. If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional.
Natural Vapour Rub 50mL
