Absorption through the feet

A friend forwarded me an article today about a natural cure for children's night-time coughs. I have blogged previously on the dangers of over the counter cough medicines but her email reminded me to blog about a natural remedy I've been using. The product line I endorse contains a "Sports Rub" which is non-petroleum based but similar to more commonly known products rubbed on children's chests. Scientists at the Canada Research Council discovered that if you rub something on your feet the body quickly absorbs and utilizes it. It works 100% of the time - test it yourself with a bit of raw garlic (you will taste it in about 20 minutes). I've found using the Sports Rub has been extremely effective in managing coughs and colds and a bonus "side effect" has been that it fixed a fluid retention problem I've had in my ankles after years of sitting at an office desk! And because there are no petroleum-derived ingredients or propylene glycol in the rub, I don't need to worry about the associated health risks. Why avoid propylene glycol or petroleum derivates? There's lots of information about this, but the main reasons I avoid them are because propylene glycol has been linked to kidney and liver damage, respitory irritation and nausea. Petroleum-derived products have been linked to estogen dominance which affects hormonal balance, cancer risk and fertility. I will post specifically on these issues another time. I also found an interesting post about other potential dangers such as camphor absorption in young children, another reason to be very cautious about any over the counter remedy in babies and to check, check, check those labels!