Vicks VapoRub ointment is a
mentholated topical cream. VapoRub is indicated for use
on the chest and throat for cough suppression due to the common cold or on muscles and joints for minor aches and pains. Vicks VapoRub has also been used to treat
mosquito bites. Users of VapoRub often apply it immediately before sleep. VapoRub was originally manufactured by the family-owned company Richardson-Vicks, Inc., based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Richardson-Vicks was sold to
Procter and Gamble in 1985 and is now known as
Vicks. VapoRub is also currently manufactured and packaged in
India and
Mexico. In the
German-speaking area (the exception of
Switzerland) it is sold under the name
Wick VapoRub. VapoRub continues to be Vicks's flagship product internationally, and the Vicks brand name is often used synonymously with the VapoRub product. People in almost every North American family call it "Vicks".