Eucalyptus Oil

This should get you started at least... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus_oil.

Remember that Vick's doesn't really open air ways, it's just something you can smell when you can't smell anything else. Basically, it's just a comfort.

Below is an block of info from wikipedia. Eucalyptus is a lot more than just a comfort, it is a very effective anti-inflammatory...

Because of its pleasant spicy aroma and taste, eucalyptol is used in flavorings, fragrances, and cosmetics. It is also an ingredient in many brands of mouthwash and cough suppressant.

Eucalyptol has been demonstrated to be capable of reducing inflammation and pain. It has also been found to be able to kill leukaemic cells.

Cineol was shown to be an effective treatment for Nonpurulent sinusitis in a placebo controlled trial. Laryngoscope. 2004 Apr;114(4):738-42. PMID: 15064633 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] 76 patients per treatment group were assigned to cineole or placebo. The dosage of the active ingredient was two 100-mg capsules of cineole three times daily. Symptom scores were significantly reduced in the cineole group. The mean values for the symptoms-sum-scores in the cineole group were 6.9 +/- 2.9 after 4 days and 3.0 +/- 2.8 after 7 days, and in the placebo group, 12.2 +/- 2.5 after 4 days and 9.2 +/- 3.0 after 7 days. Treated subjects experienced less headache on bending, frontal headache, sensitivity of pressure points of trigeminal nerve, impairment of general condition, nasal obstruction, and rhinological secretion. Side effects from treatment were minimal.

In a 1994 report released by five top cigarette companies, eucalyptol was listed as one of the 599 additives to cigarettes. It is added to improve the flavor.

It is one of many compounds that is attractive to males of various species of orchid bees, who apparently gather the chemical to synthesize pheromones; it is commonly used as bait to attract and collect these bees for study. ^[1]

Susie Bagwell is an expert on essential oils, she is sure to have your answer. Her website is www.iloveoils.com and her email is susie@iloveoils.com