I started making a basic version of this vapor rub a decade ago for my family. More recently, I started using organic extra virgin olive oil infused with St. John's Wort and lavender as the carrier oil to give this rub some extra soothing oomph. You can see the herbs flowering side by side in this photo of the perennial hedge I've planted around my vegetable plots. I use it just like Vicks' on chest and soles of the feet, for mental relief of mild bronchial night coughing in kids 6+ and adults.
 
Ingredients: St. John's Wort (flowers and leaves), lavender (flower), organic extra virgin olive oil, organic essential oils (eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, and lavender), vitamin E.
 
Use and Storage: The menthol-containing essential oils are what gives a cooling sensation that can help create a feeling of respiratory relief and also have mild analgesic properties (relieving muscle aches or pains). Like with advice on commercial varieties of vapor rub, remember this has no curative properties and definitely shouldn't be used in efforts to manage phlegmatic coughs, asthma, or other respiratory illnesses. Many essential oils, including those with menthol (particularly eucalyptus, peppermint, also tea tree, rosemary, etc) can be unsafe for babies and young children. I did not use this vabor rub for my kids until everyone in the bed was at least 6 years old. Don't put it on anyone's nose or lips, where it could be ingested or absorbed through scrapes. It is solid at room temperature and can be kept in the fridge between uses, to keep it potent. Store away from sources of heat.
 
These products are not intended to diagnose, cure, mitigate, prevent or treat any disease or health condition and have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. Always test a new product on a small portion of skin, before broader application. For medical advice, please consult your care provider.