While researching deceptive erectile dysfunction advertisements, I recently encountered an especially bizarre ad on an adult website.

It showed an explicit image with one vague message:

OLD TRICK STILL WORKS

The ad did not identify the “trick,” explain how it worked or reveal what was ultimately being sold.

Its purpose was simply to make viewers curious enough to click.

After following the advertisement and recovering its deleted landing page, I discovered that the supposed secret was an “11-second Vicks VapoRub trick” allegedly capable of fixing impotence and premature ejaculation in seven days.

The page attributed this discovery to an unnamed doctor, claimed that more than 157,000 men had already used it and warned readers that the pharmaceutical industry did not want them to learn the truth.

It provided no credible evidence supporting any of those claims.

Quick Answer: Does the Vicks VapoRub Trick Work for ED?

There is no credible evidence that Vicks VapoRub treats erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, low libido or problems with penis size.

According to the official Vicks VapoRub drug label in the National Library of Medicine’s DailyMed database, VapoRub contains camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol and is labeled as a cough suppressant and topical analgesic.

Its listed uses are temporary cough relief when applied to the chest and throat and temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain.

Erectile dysfunction is not a listed use.

The archived advertisement appears to have used the familiar Vicks name as a hook to move men into an anonymous sales funnel.

My verdict: The so-called Vicks trick for ED is an unsupported marketing claim, not a hidden medical breakthrough.

How I Tracked Down the Deleted Vicks Trick Page

Clicking the advertisement sent me to: helthshowprogram.com/horse

When I attempted to examine the destination, Chrome displayed an ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE message because the website was no longer sending any data.

A dead website does not prove an offer was fraudulent.

Domains expire, websites break and advertising campaigns end.

However, temporary and disposable-looking domains are common in questionable male-enhancement funnels.

When one page stops working, a similar campaign can be relaunched elsewhere under a different name.

To find out what the advertisement had been promoting, I entered the URL into the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine.

Archive.org showed two captures from July 14, 2026, including one that preserved the page’s headline and written sales pitch.

What Did the Vicks VapoRub Advertisement Claim?

The archived page carried this headline:

“The VickVapo Trick They Don’t Want You to Know About – Fix Impotence and Premature Ejaculation in 7 Days with the 11 Seconds Vaporub Trick!”

The strange wording and inconsistent use of “Vick,” “VickVapo” and “VapoRub” appeared on the original page.

According to the advertorial:

• One hidden cause was supposedly responsible for 94% of impotence problems.
• A “well-known and renowned doctor” had allegedly discovered the solution.
• The Vicks trick supposedly took only 11 seconds.
• It allegedly increased blood flow immediately.
• More than 157,000 men had supposedly used it.
• It supposedly worked regardless of age or existing health conditions.
• Pills and surgery would allegedly fail to correct the “real” problem.
• The pharmaceutical industry supposedly wanted the discovery suppressed.
• Visitors had only a few minutes to act.

The page did not identify a clinical study, medical journal, research organization or named doctor supporting any of these claims.

Why This Vicks Trick Advertisement Is Not Credible

The page contains many of the same tactics found in other deceptive male-enhancement campaigns.

The supposedly famous doctor is never named

The advertisement refers to a “specialist doctor” and later calls him a “well-known and renowned doctor.”

Despite supposedly being well known, he is never identified.

The page provides no name, photograph with verifiable credentials, medical license, hospital affiliation, university position or published research. Readers are expected to trust the authority of a mysterious doctor they cannot investigate.

If a physician had genuinely discovered a household method capable of fixing most cases of erectile dysfunction in seven days, it should be possible to identify the physician and review the supporting evidence.

The statistics appear without sources

The advertorial claims that a single hidden problem causes 94% of impotence cases and that more than 157,000 men have used the technique.

No source is provided for either figure.

There is no clinical trial, survey, customer database or research paper explaining where the numbers came from.

The page also fails to explain how it determined that the trick takes precisely 11 seconds or produces results within seven days.

Specific numbers can make an advertisement sound scientific, but precision is not proof.

Without a verifiable source, “94%” is no more meaningful than saying “almost everyone.”

It promises one remedy for several different problems

The headline claims that one Vicks trick can fix both impotence and premature ejaculation.

The body copy adds increased libido, improved blood flow and better overall sexual performance.

Erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation are different conditions.

A person can experience one without the other, and each can have different contributing factors.

The page avoids those distinctions and instead combines several common sexual concerns into one frightening problem.

It then presents a simple household product as the universal solution.

That is a classic miracle-cure formula: broaden the list of problems so the sales pitch applies to as many people as possible.

It dismisses legitimate causes of ED

The advertisement tells readers to forget what they have heard about erectile dysfunction being connected to age, lifestyle or testosterone.

It claims that one “real cause” has been hiding in plain sight.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases explains that ED can have many different causes.

These include conditions affecting the blood vessels, nerves or hormones, along with certain medications, mental or emotional issues and lifestyle behaviors.

Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, obesity, low testosterone and nerve damage are among the possible contributing factors.

There is no single hidden cause that explains every man’s symptoms.

By encouraging visitors to dismiss recognized causes, the advertorial makes its mystery solution sound more important than an actual medical evaluation.

It uses embarrassment and relationship fears

The sales copy claims that millions of men are suffering from low libido and depression while being cheated on by their wives.

That statement does not explain how VapoRub affects erectile function.

Its purpose is emotional.

The advertiser is connecting ED with humiliation, rejection and infidelity so that worried readers feel compelled to click.

Instead of calmly presenting evidence, the page attempts to make visitors afraid of what might happen if they do nothing.

The countdown timer creates artificial urgency

The page repeatedly states:

“Only 02:00 left – secure your spot!”

There is no explanation of what the visitor is securing or why information about a household Vicks trick would disappear after two minutes.

The timer appears to be a pressure tactic.

It discourages readers from researching the claims, checking the alleged doctor’s credentials or considering whether the offer makes sense.

Legitimate medical information does not normally become unavailable because someone failed to watch a video before a countdown reached zero.

The pharmaceutical conspiracy replaces actual evidence

The page claims that the “greedy $30 billion pharmaceutical industry” would hate for men to discover the trick because it would threaten drug-company profits.

This type of conspiracy claim gives the advertiser a convenient answer for every missing piece of evidence.

Why is there no published study?It was supposedly suppressed.

Why do doctors not recommend the trick?

They supposedly do not want patients to know.

Why is the discovery absent from recognized medical sources?

The industry is allegedly protecting its profits.

The conspiracy story does not provide evidence that Vicks treats ED.

It merely attempts to make the lack of evidence look suspicious.

The FDA statement is highly questionable

The footer says:

“These statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.”

Nothing on the page identifies an FDA evaluation of the 11-second Vicks trick, its alleged success rate or its sexual-health claims.

The sentence is also suspiciously similar to the familiar supplement disclaimer stating that claims have not been evaluated by the FDA. On this page, the word “not” is absent.

Whether that resulted from a mistake or something more deliberate cannot be determined from the archived page.

Either way, the statement creates an impression of regulatory review that the advertiser does not substantiate.

Does Vicks VapoRub Help Erectile Dysfunction?

Vicks VapoRub is not an established treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Current VapoRub labeling lists camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol as its active ingredients.

The product is intended to suppress coughing when applied to the throat and chest and temporarily relieve minor muscle or joint aches when applied to the affected area.

The label does not state that VapoRub:

• Produces or maintains erections
• Treats erectile dysfunction
• Delays ejaculation
• Raises testosterone
• Increases libido
• Enlarges the penis
• Treats prostate problems

Menthol and camphor can create noticeable cooling, warming or tingling sensations on the skin.

A strong sensation might be interpreted as increased circulation, but tingling does not demonstrate that an erection problem has been treated.

Erections involve coordinated activity involving blood vessels, nerves, hormones, muscles and psychological signals.

The proper approach depends on what is causing the problem.

Evidence-based treatment for erectile dysfunction may involve addressing the underlying cause, making lifestyle changes, receiving counseling, using prescription medicines, using injectable treatments or suppositories, trying a vacuum erection device or, in certain cases, undergoing surgery.

The appropriate treatment depends on the cause and the individual patient.

Rubbing a mentholated cough ointment on the penis is not equivalent to diagnosing or treating the cause of ED.

Is It Safe to Put Vicks VapoRub on Your Penis?

I would not recommend following online instructions that tell you to apply Vicks VapoRub to your penis.

The official label says the product is for external use and directs consumers to use it on the chest, throat, muscles or joints.

It also warns against using it in the nostrils, by mouth, on wounds or on damaged skin.

The genitals are not identified as an application area.

The National Capital Poison Center notes that Vicks VapoRub can cause redness and skin irritation.

In rare cases, skin exposure may also cause an allergic reaction such as a rash or hives.

Applying it to sensitive genital tissue could potentially result in:

• Burning or significant discomfort
• Redness and irritation
• Contact with the urethral opening
• Irritation of recently shaved or damaged skin
• Transfer to a sexual partner
• Exposure of sensitive mucous membranes

A burning or cooling sensation should not be confused with an improvement in erectile function.

Someone who develops unexpected or serious symptoms after using VapoRub should remove the product and seek situation-specific advice from a healthcare professional or Poison Control.

What Is the Vicks and Baking Soda Trick?

The phrase “Vicks and baking soda trick” is being used in online advertisements and social-media posts that claim mixing Vicks VapoRub with baking soda creates a home remedy for erectile dysfunction or weak erections.

However, it is not a recognized medical term, and there does not appear to be one standardized or medically accepted Vicks trick recipe.

The wording is also used online for unrelated household and shower remedies, so not every search for Vicks and baking soda necessarily concerns sexual performance.

In the context of ED advertising, however, the phrase is commonly presented as another supposedly secret alternative to prescription medication.

The archived helthshowprogram.com advertisement investigated in this article did not mention baking soda.

Its visible sales copy referred only to a vague Vicks VapoRub trick.

The baking-soda version therefore appears to be a related variation of the same viral marketing theme rather than the exact method promoted on the recovered page.

Does Vicks VapoRub and Baking Soda Work for ED?

There is no credible evidence that combining Vicks VapoRub and baking soda treats erectile dysfunction, increases penis size or reliably improves erections.

The official Vicks VapoRub label identifies the product as a cough suppressant and topical analgesic.

Its listed application areas are the chest, throat, muscles and joints, and erectile dysfunction is not one of its labeled uses.

Recognized ED guidance from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases does not include Vicks, baking soda or a mixture of the two among established treatments.

Menthol and camphor may create cooling, warmth or tingling, but a noticeable skin sensation does not prove that blood-vessel, nerve, hormonal or psychological causes of ED have been corrected.

Poison Control also notes that Vicks VapoRub can cause redness and skin irritation.

Applying it alone or mixed with baking soda to sensitive genital tissue could therefore cause discomfort without providing any established sexual benefit.

For those reasons, I would not recommend following an online Vicks and baking soda recipe or applying the mixture to the penis.

What Is the Mullein Leaf and Vicks Trick?

“Mullein leaf and Vicks trick” is another phrase appearing in Bing’s suggested searches.

Once again, the archived advertisement did not mention mullein.

It showed no mullein ingredient, recipe or explanation of how mullein would supposedly affect erections.

This may be a separate home-remedy trend that search engines have associated with the broader “Vicks trick” topic.

Regardless of how the phrase originated, combining mullein with VapoRub does not establish that the mixture treats erectile dysfunction.

Search volume shows that people are curious about a method; it does not show that the method works.

What Was the Advertisement Really Trying to Sell?

The archived page appears to have been the first step in a longer marketing funnel.
Its main image instructed visitors to tap to learn the trick, while the text repeatedly told them to watch a video before time ran out.

The page concealed the identity of the final product or offer.

Unfortunately, the surviving archive does not clearly reveal the final supplement, seller or payment page.

I therefore cannot responsibly accuse a specific product or company of being behind the campaign.

What can be documented is that the page:

• Used an explicit mystery ad to attract clicks
• Borrowed the name of a familiar household product
• Presented unsupported claims as medical facts
• Invoked an unidentified doctor
• Used unverifiable statistics
• Pressured visitors with a countdown
• Attempted to move them to another stage of the funnel

That is enough to characterize the page itself as deceptive.

This same general structure appears repeatedly in male-enhancement advertising: a shocking ad leads to a supposed discovery story, an unnamed expert reveals a secret, accepted treatments are dismissed, and the visitor is pushed toward a video or product.

I’ve personally seen it countless times, with the most recent one being the Kevin Costner ED Pill scam that I broke down here.

This type of marketing is not isolated to the male enhancement pill niche, by the way.

I routinely come across fake ads like this for weight loss products, like the Dr. Oz weight loss gummies expose we did here.

The FDA separately warns that numerous products promoted for sexual enhancement have contained dangerous hidden ingredients and may be falsely presented as supplements or all-natural treatments.

That does not prove the unknown product behind this particular Vicks page contained a hidden drug, but it is another reason to be cautious with anonymous ED offers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Vicks VapoRub trick?

The phrase refers to online ads and home-remedy claims suggesting that Vicks can improve erections, delay ejaculation, increase libido or enlarge the penis.

There is no recognized medical Vicks trick for erectile dysfunction.

Does Vicks VapoRub help erectile dysfunction?

There is no credible evidence that VapoRub treats ED.

Its labeled uses involve cough suppression and temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain.

How do you use Vicks VapoRub for erectile dysfunction?

There is no medically supported method for using Vicks to treat ED.

I would not follow anonymous instructions that involve applying it to the penis.

Can you mix Vicks and baking soda for ED?

There is no evidence-based Vicks-and-baking-soda ED recipe.

Baking soda was not part of the archived advertisement, and adding it does not turn VapoRub into a proven sexual-health treatment.

Does the Vicks trick make your penis bigger?

No credible evidence shows that Vicks permanently increases penile length or girth.

Cooling, warmth, redness or tingling are temporary skin effects—not tissue growth.

Does Vicks help premature ejaculation?

There is no reliable evidence that Vicks treats premature ejaculation.

Irritating or altering sensation in the skin is not the same as safely treating the condition.

Is Vicks good for an enlarged prostate?

Vicks VapoRub is not labeled as a treatment for an enlarged prostate, prostatitis or any other prostate condition.

Why should persistent ED be evaluated?

ED can have multiple causes and may sometimes be a symptom of another health problem.

Diagnosis can involve medical, sexual and mental-health history, a physical examination, and laboratory or other testing.

Final Verdict: Skip the 11-Second Vicks Trick

The “Old Trick Still Works” ad led to a short-lived page claiming that an unnamed doctor had discovered an 11-second Vicks VapoRub method capable of fixing impotence and premature ejaculation within seven days.

The page provided no doctor’s name, clinical research or verifiable evidence.

Instead, it relied on sexual embarrassment, unexplained statistics, conspiracy claims and a countdown timer.

Vicks VapoRub is a cough suppressant and topical pain reliever.

It is not a proven ED treatment, penis-enlargement method or premature-ejaculation remedy.

The Vicks VapoRub trick for ED is not a secret medical cure.

It is an unsupported marketing story designed to persuade men to click deeper into an anonymous sales funnel.

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Author: Rob Miller

Rob Miller founded SupplementCritique.com over 7 years ago, and has been the chief editor ever since. He has a diploma in Advanced Dietary Supplements Advisor, and worked at GNC for 3 years. He KNOWS supplements, both inside and out. Rob currently resides in Jupiter, FL, with his wife of 4 years.  Learn more about him in his Bio here. Follow him on Twitter , Facebook, LinkedIn, or find him on Google +. View all posts by Rob Miller