Love the discontinued Vicks shower melts? Make your own homemade Vicks shower tablets! This recipe is without citric acid and uses vapor rub giving your shower the eucalyptus smell that is perfect for those of us who suffer from allergies or sinus pressure.
This Homemade Vicks Shower Tablet tutorial is NOT sponsored by Vicks and contains affiliate links.
Are you wondering why were shower soothers discontinued? Me too! I used those things all the time. I loved putting in a shower soother when I took my morning shower. It filled the bathroom with eucaplytus and it cleared out my sinuses when I had allergies or a cold. I almost cried when they stopped making them. Then I thought, why not make homemade Vicks shower tablets for myself.
So I did.
Homemade shower soothers are easier than you might think to make at home. There are a bunch of different ways and different ingredients you can make them with. I have made orange shower soothers, pepermint, and lavendar shower melts, each with their own purpose. So far these homemade Vicks shower tablets are my personal favorite.
We always make sure we have these and our homemade cough drops on hand for the cold and flu season.
Homemade Vicks Shower Tablets
Yields: 8-12 (depending on size of mold you use)
Supplies:
- Your favorite silicone mold (this is the one I used)
- 3 Tablespoons Vicks Vapor Rub
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 5-6 Tablespoons water
- Blue and green soap colorant
Directions:
1. In a medium mixing bowl, add the cornstarch, vapor rub and 4 Tablespoons of water. Stir well to mix the ingredients.
2. Drizzle 3-4 drops of the blue and the green soap colorants into the mixture and stir until you achieve your desired color.
3. If the mixture still seems too dry, add more water as needed (up to 6 Tablespoons) until a thick paste forms. 
4. Transfer the vapor rub paste into your silicone molds, filling up to the top of each mold. 
5. Freeze for 2 hours to allow the shower steamers to harden.
*Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container or plastic Ziploc bag. I keep mine in the freezer until ready to use. (Updated to add that you should most certainly keep them in the freezer so they don’t soften)
How to Use your Homemade Shower Soothers
Place one vapor rub melt on your shower floor and allow the hot water to run over it. This will activate the vapors from the Vicks rub to cause a steam in your shower that will help ease a cold or congestion. ENJOY!
* Please note that if you do not have a bath mat in your shower, the floor of the shower could become slippery when in use. Please use caution.
If you love bath bombs, be sure to try out our homemade lemon bath bombs. They smell so fresh and are perfect for a pick me up!
Homemade Vicks Vapor Tablets
Ingredients
- Your favorite silicone mold
- 3 Tablespoons Vicks Vapor Rub
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 5-6 Tablespoons water
- Blue and green soap colorant
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the cornstarch, vapor rub and 4 Tablespoons of water. Stir well to mix the ingredients.
- If the mixture still seems too dry, add more water as needed (up to 6 Tablespoons) until a thick paste forms.
- Drizzle 3-4 drops of the blue and the green soap colorants into the mixture and stir until you achieve your desired color.
- Transfer the vapor rub paste into your silicone molds, filling up to the top of each mold.
- Freeze for 2 hours to allow the shower steamers to harden.
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying of full recipe to any social media is prohibited.
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Courtney says
Are these safe for kids to you?
Mom says
I wouldn’t use them in the bath, but in the shower, I personally would use them with my older kids.
Rebecca Varner says
My vics vapor disc started melting after i took them out of the freezer any idea why this might have happened? Please help i really need this to work for me as my son is always sick poor baby was a premature baby and is now 24 but stays sick with bronchitis all thru the year this will definitely help! Thank you in advance for answer my plea!
Mom says
It sounds like there is too much moisture in the disks. Next time try adding more cornstarch. Do you have a lot of humidity where you live?
Crystal says
Are these bombs safe for wells and septic systems? We live in the country and worry about clogging up the systems…..
Darlene Walsh says
These don’t really smell in the shower and leave the shower floor very greasy. Better off using essential oils instead of the Vicks
Also, they NEED to be frozen, it’s not really optional they are too mooshy to store otherwise.
Mom says
I’m sorry you had this experience. It is a good thing to add that the floor of your shower might get a little slippery from the Vicks and to be extra careful, I will add this to the post. Thank you for this feedback.
Vicky Campbell says
Whenever I make these I add a few drops of eucalyptus to make it stronger because we have a large bathroom. I use the vicks for babies because it is cheaper and all natural (plus safer for my daughter). I put them in a little dish near the drain so they don’t make the shower slippery. I do not add food coloring and they work great.
Mom says
Thank you, these are great suggestions!
Terri Freson says
Can’t wait to make Vicks Vapor melts…. Plus, to see you other great posts!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!
Mom says
Thank you!
Happy New Year to you and your family too!
Peggy Alves says
Soap coloring is this food coloring
Mom says
No, there are soap coloring dyes. You can also leave this out.
Libna says
Since they have to be frozen do you think they might travel well? I want to gift these to my boyfriend but we live in different states. I’d have to ship them to him.
Mom says
Unfortunately, they probably wouldn’t travel well.
Janie says
Could I use baby powder instead of cornstarch?
Mom says
I would not recommend it.
Kayla says
I just dont get it… I made them and I hardly smelled them at all. All it did was make my shower floor greasy and now I have to clean it. Im so discouraged because I was going to give them as gifts
Katherine says
Do I have to use soap colorant
Mom says
No, that is optional it just turns the tablets blue.
Betty H says
I made these tonight. They smell wonderful just making them
Thank you for the recipe
Mom says
Thank you for your feedback. I hope you enjoy them!
Nicki Meadows says
Do u have to use the soap color stuff that’s the only thing I dnt have
Mom says
No, that is optional.
Kimberly H. says
Made these for the first time this morning – used lavender Vicks Vapor Rub…they came out perfect!
Mom says
I love the idea of using lavendar!
BeeMW says
Do you need to use the colouring for the melts?
Mom says
No, it is optional.
Salama says
Thank you so much I am gonna try it . This is very new to me
Kathleen says
Thank You very nice !
Nykie says
I decided to try this but when mixing the water into the Vicks and corn starch it didn’t look anything like your pictures, it was more like pancake mix.. part of it stayed watery and underneath was really hard clumping up, I only put in a tsp of Vicks and the corn starch and started adding the water and it immediately started clumping. Not sure where I went wrong but I’ll try again
Madalyn says
Mine did too. You just had to work it through with your hands. I hope you try again. 🙂
Maude says
When in the freezer will the smell get into your food that’s in the freezer?
Steve says
It didn’t work at all. I followed the directions and it gave me clumps of Vicks in a thin slippery liquid. Nothing mixed at all.