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Perfect for cold and flu season, use these Homemade Vicks Soother Tablets to clear your stuffy nose and relieve sinus pressure naturally. This is the original Vicks Soother Tablets recipe online and uses natural essential oils to help relieve head colds without chemicals.
Do you remember the commercials for the Vicks Vapor shower tablets thingies? You’d put one of the disks in your shower, and voila thanks to the vapors in it, you’re magically healed, your cold is gone, and your face is shockingly free of snot.
I always used to watch the “Noxema girl” splashing water on her face in those commercials and wondered how she was able to wash her face without being completely overrun with boogers.
I’m the only one? Yes? I’m stuck in the ’90s? Ok, moving along then…
What Ingredients Are In Homemade Vicks Soother Tablets?
- Baking soda
- Arrowroot powder
- Water
- Rosemary essential oil
- Lavender essential oil
- Eucalyptus essential oil
Please note, you will NOT see cornstarch in this recipe for a very specific reason. Cornstarch is horrible for clogging drains and is a plumbing nightmare!
The oils I buy from Plant Therapy have worked well for me, are affordable, and available on Amazon. I do not sell essential oils and am not part of any MLM organization. If you have an oil brand that you prefer, please feel free to use those!
Is There a Kidsafe Version?
Yes! The main essential oils in these Vicks Soother Tablets are not safe for kids under 12. If you have younger kiddos, Plant Therapy makes a Kid Safe Sniffle Stopper. Use 30 drops of that in place of the lavender, rosemary, and eucalyptus oils.
Can I Just Use Vicks?
My preference is always for a natural version of anything I am using for my health, which is why I use the essential oils. If oils are not in the cards for you, sub in 4 tbsp of Vicks Vapor Rub for the essential oils.
If you have kids under two, please make sure you use Baby Vicks Vapor Rub.
Can I Use Herbs Instead of Oils?
Yes, but you will need a large amount to replace the potency of the essential oils. You would want to use 2 tbsp (chopped) of each herb.
Can I Use Fragrance Oils?
I would not use them. Essential oils have medicinal properties, whereas fragrance oils are just there to give you the scent.
How Do I Use Shower Soothers?
You will want to place one on the floor of your shower. If you put it in the direct spray of the shower it will likely dissolve more quickly but give you a more intense hit of the oils.
Alternatively, you can put it in the direct spray while your shower is heating up, and then scoot it over to the side when you jump in. Or walk in, because jumping into a slippery shower seems kind of beetle-headed. I mean, you’re already stuffed up, why risk a concussion?
How To Store Shower Soothers
If you’re using them for yourself, throw them in an air-tight container and toss them in a cupboard or bathroom closet. If you’re gifting them for friends or family, an 8 oz jam jar with a ribbon tied around it would be cute!
How Long Do Homemade Vicks Soother Tablets Last?
Without herbs added to the mix, the shower soothers will last indefinitely. However, the strength of the essential oils will fade in a month or so. To store longterm, you can make them without the oils and add 2-3 drops of each oil just prior to using.
How to Make Soother Tablets
*Detailed and printable recipe card is available at the bottom of the post
In a mixing bowl, combine baking soda, arrowroot powder, water, and 15 drops of each of the lavender, eucalyptus, and rosemary essential oils to the mixture. Stir until the mixture forms a thick paste. Pro tip: it should be thick and viscous and with some water remaining on the top.
Scoop the paste into a muffin tin lined with muffin cups or a silicone muffin tin.
Bake at 250 degrees until hardened – about 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can set them out overnight for 12-18 hours.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Your soothers may still be a bit squishy after baking. They should harden as they cool. If you use silicone muffin tins, the bottom of the tablets may be sponge-like. That’s totally normal.
- If you leave your shower tablets out overnight to harden, please keep them in a safe place away from pets.
- A silicone muffin tin (always available at thrift stores!) makes it super easy to remove the shower tabs once cooled. If you want to use a traditional muffin tin, definitely use a cupcake liner. However, you may still have a hard time removing the tab from the liner. I love these compostable cupcake liners because nothing sticks to them!
Variations
- Feel free to add a little food coloring if you want to jazz up the appearance of these shower soothers.
- If you want to use the essential oils and also use some herbs to make them look cute, add the herbs to the top of the mixture after you have filled the muffin tin. I found out the hard way that pouring the mixture over the herbs results in them turning brown after baking. Your shower soothers may end up looking muddy or moldy. Gross!
- If you have an oil combination that you love, feel free to adapt the recipe to fit your preferences. Peppermint and eucalyptus combined are both great for clearing sinuses and perking you up! If you shower at night and want a calming soother, lavender is great for bedtime. I love Plant Therapy’s Sleep Aid blend.
These homemade Vicks Soother Tablets are wonderful to have around for cold and flu season, and I use them during the four months a year when my allergies are on full display.
MORE HOMEMADE DIY IDEAS
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Homemade Vicks Soother Tablets {Shower Soothers)
Ingredients
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
- 1/3 cup water
- 15 drops lavender essential oil
- 15 drops rosemary essential oil
- 15 drops eucalyptus essential oil
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine baking soda, arrowroot powder, water, and 15 drops of each of the lavender, eucalyptus, and rosemary essential oil to the mixture. Stir until the mixture forms a thick paste.
- Add 15 drops of each of the lavender, eucalyptus, and rosemary essential oil to the mixture. Scoop the paste into a muffin tin lined with muffin cups or a silicone muffin tin.
- Bake at 250 degrees until hardened - about 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can set them out overnight for 12-18 hours. Store in an air-tight container until needed.
- Remove from the paper liner prior to using, and place on the floor of your shower. Breathe deeply, and enjoy.
This post on homemade Homemade Vicks Soother Tablets {Shower Soothers) was originally published in March 2012. I’ve updated it in December 2018 with new photos, details, and instructions. For reference, this is one of the photos from the original post:
How do you store these. I’m anxious to make them.
What a great suggestion for health and well being.
I have allergies and I think this will help a lot.
If I use 1 cup baking soda, how many disks should it make? I used 2 cups and poured it into 12 cupcake tins. I let them bake for 25-30 minutes, and left them to cool overnight. This morning, they just crumbled apart, stuck to the bottom of the tin liner, and still felt slightly damp. So I thought maybe I made mine too thick. I will try again and bake them longer, to make sure they are dry, but I still wondered how many 1 cup (or 2 cups) should make. Or what about adding a small bit of glue or something to help hold them together?
It all depends on how full you fill the cup. I think I got about 8 ish for the amended batch in the original recipe above.
I tried again, this time baking them at 250 for about an hour and a half and they seemed to do better. The ones I baked in the silicon baking cups came out best. The ones in the paper liners were better than yesterday, but not as good as the silicon liners. I still wonder how many disks you should get from each cup of baking soda…
I am so glad that you are using natural ingredients! When I read the title I thought, “Oh no! Doesn’t she know that it’s unhealthy to heat actual Vicks vapour rub?????) I feel better now and I get a lot of people will too when they use your great recipe. 🙂
Except for the once a week cherry Coke I have at my parent’s, I try to keep ingredients as natural as possible! ;-D
These sound great, although I’d probably make them in mini-muffin tins/baking cups because I’m a 5-minute shower kind of gal.
This is genius!! Thanks for sharing love! 🙂 x
I’m happy I found this website. My hubby and I, we have allergies all over the year. My hubby doesn’t take medics anymore cause it won’t work, and for my part, they nearly won’t work anymore 🙁 I was trying to find a solution and I found you, be sure I’ll try some, cause I am a hand-home-made lover ! Thanks
This is so great. I have not been able to find them either and my son loves them. My husbands best friend has sinus issues and is always sticking his head in the shower for a quick steam so I know he will love these.
I am wondering if you could just use the Vicks Vapor Liquid instead of the oils??
Sure!
Totally have to try these! Probably more so with my husband, who is the worlds biggest baby (at least in this house) when it comes to getting sick! I follow him around with medicine like a toddler that just learned to run away. Does he take it? Nope just mopes around “I’m sick”. I need a more “manly” secent than lavender… any suggestions? I wish roses only gave me mirgaines like those who mentioned it about lavender.. I dtop breathing around roses, can’t talk & start to black out…. anyone want to trade?? : )
Lavender has calming properties, so I’m guessing that is why it’s used in Vicks. You could totally just leave it out, or replace it with something manly like sandalwood or maybe if you want something calming you could do camomile? I don’t think it has a strong scent.