Does Vicks Vaporub Work for Toenail Fungus

Vicks, also known as Vicks Vaporub, is a product that was developed by Lunsford Richardson back in 1905 as a salve to give relief to his children.  The product was actually named after his brother-in-law Dr. Joshua Vick.

Vicks is a product that can be found in many households and has been for decades. It is primarily used by people suffering from colds and congestion and is directly associated with the image of a Mom rubbing it on their child’s chest before going off to sleep.

However, Vicks has also become directly connected with toenail fungus and the claim that it can help you to get rid of this annoying problem.  It is still up for some debate as to how well it works but there are plenty of comments around the web that suggests in does work.

One such comment was found on Tipking.Co.Uk and was from a reader who said Vicks was recommended by her doctor:

I HAVE HAD NAIL FUNGUS ON TOE AND FINGER NAILS. I HAD THEM ABOUT 3-4 YRS NOW. I TRIED MOSTLY EVERYTHING. I EVEN TRIED WHITE IODINE. I HAD NOTHING. SO MY DOCTOR SAID TO TRY VICKS. IT HAS BEEN ABOUT A WEEK AND ALL MY NAILS ARE GETTING DARK. I HAVE NOTICE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THEM. I WOULD TELL EVERYONE TO TRY THIS.

In fact, some users have claimed that they discussed various options to get rid of toenails fungus with their doctors and several of them actually recommended that they try Vicks to get rid of the fungus.

The main active ingredients in Vicks are Camphor, Eucalyptol, and Menthol, and most of these are for dealing with coughs. However, it is believed that the inactive ingredient Thymol is the key in fighting against nail fungus.

Thymol has been around for hundreds of years and its antibacterial properties have been recognized by several different cultures during that time. The ancient Egyptians used thymol in their process to mummify bodies and the Blackfoot Indians used it for skin infections and small wounds.

Thymol is known as a biocide and is documented to have strong antimicrobial properties. Is this the reason Vicks may work to inhibit the growth of toenail fungus?

One of the main reasons why consumers have been willing to try Vicks on toenail fungus is that it is not overly expensive. You can get a pack of 3 for about $12.00 on Amazon and that price makes it worth the test.

Some of the drawbacks to using Vicks is that the product is known to have a very strong smell and that could be an issue. Also, Vicks can make your skin and feet excessively moist and that can also cause problems for some people.

In addition to the issues mentioned above, another common complaint was that Vicks turned toenails a dark brown or black color. It was hard to tell if this was part of the healing process or an unwanted side effect.

Ultimately, Vicks was not formulated for toenail fungus but it may work on select cases. If you are looking for a non-prescription type remedy for nail fungus, tea tree oil based products have been proven effective.