Unexplainable – "Mi Vickicito"

Host: Julia Longoria
Date: March 30, 2026
Producer: Vox Media
Episode Theme:
A personal and cultural exploration of the mysterious, near-mythical powers of Vicks VapoRub, seen through the lens of Julia Longoria’s Cuban grandmother’s lifelong relationship with “Vickicito.” As Julia prepares to depart Unexplainable, she revisits one of her first radio stories—a surprising blend of family, history, immigration, and a blue jar of eucalyptus jelly that means far more than its label suggests.

Episode Overview

The episode offers an emotionally resonant, humorous, and touching account of Julia Longoria's investigation into her grandmother's devotion to Vicks VapoRub—affectionately called “Vickicito.” What begins as an inquiry into quirky family habits unfolds into a deeper story about comfort, scarcity, memory, and the Cuban-American experience. The episode also marks Julia's bittersweet farewell to the show.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Julia’s Good-Bye and Introduction

• [01:11] Julia announces this is her last episode (at least for now) and introduces her grandmother as “irreverent, intelligent," defying expectations well into her 80s.
• She recalls discovering multiple jars of Vicks in her grandmother’s room, the affectionate nickname “Vickicito," and her puzzlement at her grandmother's enthusiastic devotion to the ointment.

2. The Many Uses (and Myths) of Vicks in Cuban Culture

• [04:18] Julia calls her grandmother (mixing English and Spanish). Grandma immediately declares:
  • "Every time that you have, like, a sore throat or feel like you are coughing... Vicisito es bueno paratodo. Vicks is good for everything." – Grandma Julia [04:36]
• Uses listed:
  • Chest rub for cough (per the label)
  • Sore knees and muscles (still on the label)
  • Toe and fingernail fungus (off-label)
  • Strengthening nails (“You think it makes your nails stronger?” — “Yeah.”) [05:18]
  • Hair conditioner (!):
    “Before you shampoo your hair, Vicks VapoRub as hair conditioner.” – Julia, surprised [05:35]
  • Hand and foot cream
• The 'Vicks-smell' in the bathroom became a family joke.

3. Vicks as Cultural and Historical Touchstone

• Julia explores her grandmother's Cuban origins and how Vicks connects her to the past.
  • Grandma doesn’t usually like to discuss Cuba or the Revolution.
  • Vicks use started in her Cuban childhood. [06:20]
• Powerful moment: The product becomes a bridge into sensitive family history, acting as a “foot in the door” to conversations about Cuba, which previously felt inaccessible.

4. The Vicks-Cuba Connection & Cold War History

• [11:05] Julia dives into the connection between Vicks and the Bay of Pigs invasion (1961).
  • After the failed invasion, Cuban prisoners were ransomed for $50 million in food and medical supplies—including Vicks VapoRub.
• Julia and Grandma discuss:
  • The trauma and scarcity after the Revolution (“You go to the groceries and was nothing. It was a very, very hard time.” — Grandma Julia [14:23])
  • The huge lines when new medical supplies (like Vicks) arrived [14:34]
  • Creative use when other products weren’t available (hand cream, conditioner, fungus treatment)

5. Scarcity Breeds Creativity, Memory, and Comfort

• Grandma began trying Vicks for everything because there were no hand creams or lotions (“Then I find out when I use it for my kids and, oh, my skin, you know, my hands look soft. And I said, oh, it's good for the skin, too.” [14:47])
• Quote:
  – “If it's good for your hands, you have to be good for your feet too. So I thought to use [it].” – Grandma Julia [15:58]
• The “everything” solution was born of necessity—a theme echoed in immigrant stories.

6. The Emotional Resonance of Routine and Scent

• Julia reflects that the smell of Vicks transports her back to her childhood and experiences with her grandmother (“Vicks takes me to my origins, a place of comfort and silliness and joy.” [17:00])
• Quote:
  – “All this time, the stuff has been bringing her back to her own beginnings, to her own pink room, the place where she learned what comfort is.” – Julia [17:20]

7. Closing Moments: Sensory Memory

• [18:10] A tender moment: Grandma, alone in the studio, opens a jar of Vicks and inhales deeply.
  • “Oh, I love this. I love these.” – Grandma Julia [18:13]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Vicks’ Versatility
  – “Vicks is good for everything.” — Grandma Julia [04:36] – “Grandma, you used to put it in your hair?” — Julia, incredulous [05:32]
• On the Cuban Revolution
  – “It's really scale right away, everything disappear. You go to the groceries and was nothing.” — Grandma Julia [14:23]
• On Surviving Scarcity
  – “Then I find out when I use it for my kids and, oh, my skin, you know, my hands look soft. And I said, oh, it's good for the skin, too.” — Grandma Julia [14:47]

Timestamps & Key Segments

• [01:11] Julia’s goodbye and episode setup
• [04:18] Grandmother’s belief in Vicks as a cure-all
• [05:35] Vicks as hair conditioner revelation
• [06:20] Early memories of Vicks in Cuba
• [11:05] Historical interlude: Bay of Pigs and the Vicks ransom
• [14:23] Scarcity, hardship, and improvisation in Cuba
• [17:00] Sensory nostalgia and emotional comfort
• [18:10] Off-mic: Grandma quietly enjoying her Vicks

Tone & Style

The episode balances humor with deep emotion, juxtaposing quirky family anecdotes with weighty historical context. Julia’s voice is warm, reflective, and gently self-deprecating, often using familial Spanglish and direct translation to blend cultures. Grandma Julia’s warmth, pragmatism, and matter-of-fact resilience saturate every answer.

Conclusion

"Mi Vickicito" weaves together the science of comfort, the legacy of exile, and the alchemy of household rituals, all through the foggy shimmer of a blue glass jar. Listeners come away with a new appreciation for the hidden histories within everyday items, and a moving portrait of how immigrant memory and improvisation shape family life.

A loving, unsentimental farewell to the show—and a small, unforgettable argument for asking your elders about their own "unexplainable" traditions.