Oof

[Tramp]

Sinus pain relief.

Almost fell over laughing at the cheek of this blend. It is indeed sinus pain relief (a few days to late in my case, but am all better now) at any rate in the imp this is pure Vick's Vapor Rub. An eye opening menthol that made my day. Am almost looking forward to my next headcold now.

[keltic]

'Oof', thank goodness this blend does work. i feared i was down for the count yesterday after fighting my sinuses all week, and now had finally entered migraine from sinus land. yes, it is a bit menthol, just like that famous teal-green jar but this is a good thing. because it cut right through the pain in my cheek and around my eye, and let me concentrate on making the pain go away. i beat the migraine, and with my little imp at my side at work, i was able to keep the sinus pain at bay. this morning, it's a new day, with just the slightest hint of pressure under my cheek.

 

oh yeah, there is a bottle of this on my next order for sure!

[Blood onmy hands]

I'm torn about using 'Oof'. Does it work? Yes, just as well as (and other people have mentioned) Vick's Vaporub. A cold menthol. Sinus clearing and bright. My mother actually loves this smell and has stolen my decant to wear as a personal perfume. I just don't know if I could justify paying $25+ for a bottle when a jar of Vicks is so much cheaper and lasts me a long time on its own.

 

I'm glad this is available in bath bomb form though, because I can imagine this being a great scent to bathe in when you're feeling stuffy and sick. I ordered one of the fizzies and wish I had it to bathe with right now, actually.

[PilotKitten]

The new panacea blends have sort of disappointed me. Well, they seem more like single notes than blends. Oof just smells like menthol/eucalyptus. Others have hit the nail on the head with the Vicks Vaporub comparison. I can go to Walgreens or anywhere and get a jar of this for much cheaper, so I don’t think I’d ever spend the money for a bottle of Oof.

[ivyandpeony]

My little imp (and bath fizzie) of Oof have been lifesavers this past week while I have been feeling sick. This stuff really works for painful sinuses - I swear I can feel the irritated membranes being soothed, calmed and shrinking up almost instantly when I hold that little wand up to my nose.

 

The average American probably can't smell menthol and/or eucalyptus without thinking about Vicks Vapor Rub, and I am no exception - but to me this is also quite different from Vapor Rub and similar products.

 

Oof smells much more herbal and green than any commercial product I have tried. I have always found them harsh and eye-watering. I wonder if there's some juniper and anise in Oof, because I get a little whiff of gin and a slight licorice smell from it too, once that first nostril clearing wave has dissipated a bit. (Juniper would make sense for its detoxifying benefits and lymphatic stimulation, as would fennel, which also detoxifies and can help you relax without getting too sleepy.) I appreciate that there are no ingredients other than essential oils, meaning I can use it in a diffuser, make a sachet of it, etc. and that it isn't in a greasy petroleum jelly base that I hate to put on my skin.

 

With the number and variety of colds and sinus issues I have, I am definitely ordering a bottle of this with the next update. It's one of the fastest-working and most effective Panaceas I have tried.

[emzebel]

I love my little impsie of Oof...just a whiff and it helps open my sinuses and eases pain and pressure like nobody's business and it is ever so much more pleasant than anything I could go buy at CVS.

 

While eucalytpus is definitely a dominant note, there is an earthy, herbal naturalness here that is very soothing. And an imp fits wonderfully in a pocket.

[minnalavender]

This is good stuff - and the timing of its arrival is wonderful! Three of us have head and chest colds. With a dab beneath each nostril Oof immediately opened our sinuses and helped us breathe.

 

I agree with the reviewer who preferred it over pharmacy sinus salves because there's no petroleum greasiness to contend with. An imp is also the perfect discrete way to transport and use it.

 

Good stuff! I love the Lab so much for creating things that make us feel so much better.

[hackess]

Citrus menthol - more calming than Vicks and MUCH stronger. It's SO fantastic. I applied some after a night at a smoky bar so I could clean the smoke out of my sinuses - it definitely helped me breathe clearly again! I need to get more of this!

[grrrlennyl]

at first: super-strong eucalyptus.

on: tons of menthol and eucalyptus. crazy-strong. however, it managed to immediately soothe my sinuses, which is a bit of a miracle.

half an hour later: my headache isn't as intense, but it isn't gone. there's a hint of soft mint after it dries.

overall: this is the type of thing that i need to keep sniffing, but when i do, my sinuses are really, really happy. i'm going to have to put a bunch on a cloth or something and keep huffing it. hehe...

[Emma2403]

My god, it smells exactly like Vicks Vapo Rub (mostly eucalyptus)! But it does work as a sinus relief stuff.

Still, I wouldn’t want to smell like that if I don’t have a serious cold.

 

I might still consider a bottle because, hey, it works!

[GypsyRoseRed]

I guess the real proof of the pudding is in the eating, right? Well, I hate menthol smells and only keep a jar of Vick Vaporub in for when my little girl has a cold. At the January will-call, I got frimped an imp of Oof which I thought about swapping away, but then I thought that I should probably keep it just in case because I didn't want to swap it for any of the other Panaceas.

 

I am SO glad I kept it. My 3 year old has her first sinus infection, and after 3 weeks, it's just gotten worse and worse. The humidifier filled with Vicks at night didn't help. A dollop on Vicks in the bath just smelled sickeningly menthol and made her eyes burn, as well as making the tub slick - a huge no-no. Vicks rubbed on her chest and temples didn't help (all of this of course in conjunction with decongestants and antihistamines that the pediatrician prescribed). No matter what, she was just full of snot.

 

Oof really helps her, and it's wonderful that it doesn't smell so eye-wateringly menthol. She loves it. We've put a few drops in her bathwater (what I wouldn't give to get my hands on a couple of Oof bombs right now) and on her pillow, and it seems to have helped her be able to rest. Don't know how it works, but it does. Of course, I wouldn't reccomend anyone using this or any of the other Panaceas on small children without using extreme caution and *of course* you do so at your own risk, but I'm personally glad I did. It gave her a little relief, and for that reason I'm going to buy a bottle and keep it in the medicine cabinet.

[shellyshells]

Oof, this is a "comfort" smell to me. I don't know why but it really relaxes me, it reminds me of a calming menthol/eucaplyptus cloud. I also detect a hint of an herbally citrus but it is faint and in the background. I like it uhhh-lot!

[angharad]

Wow. Menthol. I've not had any issues with being stuffed up lately, but with the weather constantly changing my sinuses have been acting up, making my head feel like it's about to explode from all the pressure. This morning was bad. This morning was very bad. Stupid weather.

 

Anyway, I dabbed a tiny bit of Oof just underneath my nose. The menthol was not as overpowering as I'd expected when I sniffed it in the imp. I didn't pay much attention to the scent itself after that, but I did notice the pressure in my head slowly letting up. I put on Oof around 11:00, and by the time I left for lunch I felt fine. I'm definitely holding on to this, and I'm almost hoping for a chance soon to try it out on a stuffy nose.

[yeahbutnobut]

Oof

 

In the imp: it's the oddly warm-cool medicinal eye-watering nose-clearing scent of eucalyptus! This also reminds me of Vicks. (I don't have a cold right now but my throat has been sore all day…maybe I'll be needing the Oof soon.)

Wet on skin: still reminds me of Vicks, but more like natural eucalyptus.

Dry on skin: powerful eucalyptus and menthol with a warm undertone. I think I smell juniper at the back, maybe some pine or fir-an evergreen note, for sure. It might be wintergreen, come to think of it. Now it smells a little less like Vicks and more like a healing blend of essential oils, the ultimate natural cold remedy. It does make my eyes a little tingly, but not as intensely as Vicks, and smells cooler and greener than Olbas (which is a little spicy). This would work wonders as a steam inhalation scent.

After a while: the eucalyptus burns off very fast, leaving a faint hint of juniper, wintergreen, and something almost reminiscent of swimming pools-yes, I know, it's strange, but I rather like that faint chlorine scent, so it's not bad. Then I realise that I can also smell a hint of tea tree in here, that antiseptic and cooling scent which always reminds me of my teens, when I uses tea tree products to try to get rid of my acne. Like the other Relief oils, the scent fades very fast.

Verdict: when I get colds, my sinuses don't usually feel the brunt of it, but my nose does. Thank goodness this scent is one which could be used for both-it smells decongestant and really feels like it is working. It's gentler than Vicks, but I think it is just as effective. Like the other Relief blends, this isn't one to simply sniff, this is one to apply on a tissue, around the nose and throat and chest, and to a bowl of steaming hot water or an oil burner. The scent is predominantly eucalyptus, with hints of wintergreen and evergreen and juniper underneath. The scent doesn't last but while it does, I can feel it working (even if I don't have a cold). These new Panaceas are very effective blends! I'm not getting a bottle of this until I run out of Olbas and Jabberwocky (my current cold-busting blend), and I'll have to retest this again when the need arises (hopefully not soon though!) to see if this really can help with that nasty clogged up nose I get when I'm ill.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? yup. I'm always catching the latest cold that goes round, so this one's definitely a keeper.

[supremegoddessofall]

Interesting. It's like pretty Ben Gay.

[jmchau]

I really like this. The mint/menthol is great and really opens the head. I can't say it made the pain go away, but it did lessen it.

[hkhm]

imp: menthol and eucalyptus. very strong. i can see this easily clearing up any sinus troubles.

 

wet: whoa. MENTHOL and EUCALYPTUS. even in the tiny bit i applied this is quite strong. my sinuses were fine but now they feel even clearer.

 

dry: this fades to something that smells like neither menthol or eucalyptus. kindy minty or piney... sort of like laundry that's been dried in the afternoon sunhine. i think i may purchase a bottle.

[Moribund]

Well, my 3-pack of relief imps got here the other day. And I promptly acquired a nasty head cold. This thing is kicking my ass enough to make me bow out of work for the day (and I -never- do that!). So, trying my new imp of Oof (having already had good success with Grr).

 

The scent cuts through the congestion nicely, without the eye-watering-ness of Vick's (which I've never been able to stand. It makes me sneeze -more- not less). Big winner so far.

 

Then I put some on, wrists, elbows, neck, temples... hoping to slather myself into an Oof fog. No such luck. My skin devours this scent. 5 minutes after application I can't smell it anymore, and neither can my non-congested boyfriend. However, I've got a nebulizer I think I'm gonna put it in. If it works there, definitely going to get a full bottle of this stuff.

[zankoku_zen]

Yes, very much like Vick's VapoRub... but so much better. I've been fighting catching the 'office cold' that is going around, and this was a huge perker upper as I'm sitting in my cubicle. I wasn't sure I'd keep my decant, but I think I will. Cuz I really wanna try it when I'm sick!

 

Very pleased with the Panaceas, esp those geared toward healing/feeling better.

 

ETA: Feb 2009

Sick. With cold. First, I uncorked Oof and let it blast my sinuses. Then I dabbed a little on my upper lip.

 

This stuff works. I think I have the barest sense of smell back...

Edited February 25, 2009 by zankoku_zen

[butcherbaby]

just a very quickie review here.

i sniffed this at will-call last week, where i was inundated with so many scents i couldn't pick out any particular notes in this. it wasn't pleasant smelling and it didn't smell like vicks to me. it did, however, clear out my allergy ridden sinuses almost immediately after taking a couple of deep whiffs. i'll probably get an imp pack til i can afford the bottles, but i did want to mention, that this works.

Edited October 20, 2008 by butcherbaby

[Ravenclaw79]

Herbal menthol ... I've been so stuffed up lately 'cause of the cold and dry air, so I swabbed some onto my neck before I went to bed last night, hoping that it would waft upward. And it did, though the menthol made my neck cold -- but my sinuses cleared nicely. The only thing that bummed me out was that it didn't last -- when I woke up, I was stuffed up again. Still, I may end up picking up a bottle of this at some point.

[Cereus]

Oof is straight eucalyptus with a mint chaser, and the two are actually quite well blended. There is a slight herbal sweetness to them, and that quality combined with the lack of petrolatum means I never get a vaporub vibe from this.

 

My brother loves Oof too, and always asks for a whiff of it [since I usually have it in my clocket] whenever we go out. It is kind of adorable to watch him inadvertently enable his friends when he raves about it. He loves the cooling quality of the mint mixed with the invigorating jolt from the eucalyptus.

 

In all seriousness, Oof has saved me more than the cost of several bottles in the form of antihistamines and cold meds I have been able to forgo since toting it around in a scent locket on a regular basis, especially through allergy season. As a chronic sinusitis sufferer, Oof has, without hyperbole, improved my quality of life.

Edited November 12, 2009 by Cereus

[fairnymph]

Colourless oil. Straight up, super strong Vicks. PURE 100% MENTHOL. I actually have clogged sinuses at the moment and this certainly helps them, even briefly sniffed! Quite medicinal, obviously, but not totally unpleasant.

 

Still incredibly mentholic and wonderfully sinus-clearing, but it's more complex on my skin. The Vicks (i.e. mentholl) is still strongly dominating but there's other stuff in here. I get some sort of a sweet spice that's maybe a little woody, and maybe a tiny bit of sweet orange way, way in the distance? Breathing it in feels wonderful - it really does relieve the sinus pain and is very invigorating. A strong cooling sensation on my skin, the strongest of any Panacea blend.

 

Dries quickly without changing or fading significantly. It's perhaps a little sweeter, but I still can't pin down how. It continues to be verrrrry mentholic and very effective on the sinuses. This is making my skin itch...in fact I seem to have scratched most of it off and need to reapply. Ooh, maybe that was a bad idea. This is now making my skin BURN and it's visibly red. Alas, time for the sink. :\

[ShannonElisabethJones]

Woo, menthol! Definitely cuts through the sinus-glue, lol.

 

I just wish I didn't have to keep reapplying it.

[Gin]

Oof is all menthol-eucalyptus. I've been prone to sinus trouble recently, and this is just what I needed.