This may suppress the further growth of poison ivy rash. After you have had contact with poison ivy, let the affected part sit under running cold water. This initial reaction is very soothing and relaxing. Water may draw out some of the urushiol staying on the skin and drain it out. Cold water reduces inflammation, so you should feel burning and itching.
Try to sit for at least 10 minutes in water.
Applying a soap may help to lower the chances of developing blisters. So, if you know you have contacted poison ivy, rush home and wash the skin with soap and running water.
"If you are outside, try to find a source of clean, natural water. This could be a lake, spring, river, or a pond. Bathe the rash in cool water. "
( Photo Courtesy: austinevan )
3. Apply an ice pack ( Greatest relief from poison ivy )
Get some crushed ice, keep it in a pack and apply over the poison ivy rash. Use a gentle dabbing motion over the blisters. Ice provides tremendous relief from itching and burning sensation. The reddish or pinkish blisters are somewhat diminished after some time of application.
4. Apply coffee to the rash
Make some extra strong coffee and apply it over the blister. It should help with the inflammation. Coffee helps to diminish the blisters slightly. If it sends some relief, apply it multiple times a day.
Coffee contains some anti-inflammatory properties which is beneficial in a poison oak. Apply coffee using a cotton ball.
( Photo Courtesy: wagdy )
5. Apply Aloe Vera Gel
Do not apply packaged Aloe Vera juice that is obtained from the market. Use a fresh Aloe Vera leaf, cut it with knife and gently rub over the affected skin area.
Ingredients
Aloe Vera
Directions / How to use
Pick a leaf of Aloe Vera plant ( large leaf is better ). Cut it with a knife and dab the oozing gel right on the rash. Do not smudge it around or the urushiol can spread. Keep it on the blister only.
( Photo Courtesy: kevin-prichard )
6. Sea Salt
Mix sea salt in water to form a paste and then apply it on the blistered region. It can reduce the size of blisters.
Sea salt is excellent at reducing swelling. It makes the rash drier, preventing it from weeping more. Sea salt extracts urushiol out of the rash and provides significant relief.
" Sea salt can also be applied in apple cider vinegar in similar manner."
( Photo Courtesy: 11939863@N08 )
7. Mineral water bath with Epsom Salt
Make a warm water bath containing rock salt and Epsom salt in high concentration. Dip the affected body part in this water for long time.
This bath should be used few hours after the poison ivy rashes appear. This precaution is taken to ensure that the urushiol does not spread and cause more damage.
Why it works ?
Epsom salt helps to reduce itching and swelling. It has a nice effect on all symptoms of poison ivy, even the pain. You can also add other salts like rock salt, sea salt and Himalayan salt.
8. Witch Hazel liquid
Apply a witch hazel liquid extract on poison ivy rash using cotton ball. It is strongly antiseptic, antiinflammatory and very soothing. Witch hazel relieves itching, pain, swelling and redness. It is astringent and makes skin taut, so that blister starts healing.
9. Sour Milk
Take some raw milk and add lemon to it. The milk turns sour and curd like. Now, apply this milk over the affected region. It works better if the milk is cooler. It would feel very soothing on the burning rash.
10. Banana Peel ( The inside of it )
A simple yet highly reputed remedy for the most troublesome itching. Poison ivy is very itchy. It is very tough to prevent yourself from itching and scratching the blisters. But that is what the blister needs to spread. One can get over the terrible itching by applying the inside of banana peel on rashes.
11. Calendula Tea
Prepare a cup of strong calendula tea. You can also use any combination tea which has calendula in it. Dip cotton balls in this tea when it cools down and slowly apply on the poison ivy rashes. It feels immensely soothing and relaxing.
Calendula has powerful
antiseptic properties and it is soothing on skin.
( Photo Courtesy: dalbera )
12. Cucumber Slices ( for the burn )
Splash some cooling cucumber on your burning rashes. Cucumber is very cooling. The burning sensation subsides for a few hours after applying, so it needs to be reapplied.
Just take 1/2 inch slice of cucumber and place it on the poison ivy rash. Keep it there for as long as you like.
"Similar effect is produced by watermelon rind which is cooled in a fridge. "
( Photo Courtesy: paul_a_hernandez )
13. Paper Birch Tea
If you have birch trees in neighborhood, then a brilliant poison ivy treatment can be performed using them.
Ingredients
Twigs of paper birch tree
Directions / How to use
Get clean twigs of paper birch. Break them sections about 1 inch in length. Put in a big pot of boiling water. Let it steep for some time, like 10 minutes. A birch tree is prepared. Let it cool sufficiently and then apply it on poison ivy rashes using cotton balls.
Why it works ?
Paper Birch has salicylates which turn into salicylic acid which has beneficial effect on skin.
( Photo Courtesy: kelehen )
14. Turmeric and Bentonite Clay Paste ( Awesome remedy for poison ivy )
This is by far the best home remedy for poison ivy. It has got tremendous healing and poison extracting properties which really kills the rash at its roots. And it also prevents scars, which is great, cause we don't want any scars which are remnant of a poison ivy.
Ingredients
Turmeric powder
Bentonite Clay
Directions / How to use
Add equal parts of turmeric powder and bentonite clay. Add sufficient water to make a thick paste. It should be sticky, not flowing. Then apply it over the poison ivy rash in a
thick smudgy layer. A thick layer helps clay to perform capillary action to draw out toxins from skin. Turmeric is supreme anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and healing agent. Keep it for many hours, possibly overnight. By morning, when you wash it off , there should be considerable reduction in poison ivy rashes.
" Turmeric is great for numerous skin conditions. But, be cautious with your clothes and hair , as it is strong dye. It stains everything yellow, even hair."
Another way to use turmeric if you do not have bentonite clay.
Turmeric in Lemon paste: This is a remedy which works in a series of skin conditions. Take a fistful of turmeric. Add a few drops of lemon juice to make a paste. Apply this over the rash and surrounding region. Turmeric is strongly anti inflammatory and it can really help in faster healing.
15.Toothpaste and Salt
Mix toothpaste and salt keeping salt more in the mixture. Keep enough toothpaste to make it a paste. Apply it on the poison ivy rash. The menthol in toothpaste provides a cooling sensation. Salt draws the poison.
16. Oatmeal and Clay Paste
This is also a nice remedy for poison ivy.
Ingredients
Oats
Bentonite Clay
Directions / How to use
Crush oatmeal and mix it into bentonite clay to form a powder. Add some water to get a paste. Apply generously over the poison ivy rashes and relax. Wash it after 4 hours.
17. Herbal remedies for poison ivy
There is a saying which tells that in most cases, a remedy for poison ivy lies close to the plant. Some of the herbal remedies for this horrible conditions are -
- Touch me not plant : This beautiful plant can heal an allergic rash from poison ivy. The treatment is simple if you the plant in the garden. Just pluck a leaf from the Touch me not plant and place it over the rash. It is also known as jewelweed or balsam.
- Leaf of a banana plant : Placing a part of the huge leaf of banana may help to reduce poison ivy rash.Other plants of banana family ( Musa ) are called plantain. The leaves of plantain are excellent for poison ivy rash.
18. Potato to tame the burning sensation
Potato takes up the heat of burning skin and cools
the skin. This brilliant property of potato helps to reduce swelling in the blister.
Apply a paste of mashed raw potato on each blister, avoiding other skin area. Let it stay there for many hours. When you remove it, do not scrape it off. Just wash in cool running water.
Swelling and redness should be reduced.
Caution : A commonly advised remedy for poison ivy is household bleach. It may be used in small concentration. But, bleach is harmful for skin. It is generally not a good idea to use bleach on poison ivy, so skip it.
Poison Ivy plant is quite dangerous. If the plant touches eyes, inside of ears and sensitive body parts, then one should promptly seek medical help. It is a serious matter. The rashes are really very painful, burning like anything and the worse thing is the itching. Poison ivy is not contagious, but it can spread from anything which still has urushiol on it. This can be clothes or belongings in most cases. Sometimes, pets may spread the poison ivy. This also applies to
poison oak and poison sumac rash.
How to identify poison ivy ?
It is easy to identify a plant at home, but in the wild it becomes a very tough task. A simple rhyme can come to rescue - " leaves of three, let it be ".
You can avoid getting a poison ivy by applying bentonite clay before moving for hiking or trekking or whatever. It prevents the urushiol from entering the skin.
For poison ivy at home, you can identify and eliminate it by using gardening techniques. Or you can contact a gardener nearby.
It is an allergic reaction. So, it can affect some people and really have no effect on some others. One is faced with a pertinent question. The plant is so common in America. What was the remedy that Ancient Americans used to get rid of poison ivy rash ? Well, there are a few answers. However, there is little evidence of the potency of some herbs in treatment of poison ivy. A good idea is to educate kids about the plant, let them see and then train them to avoid the poison ivy plant.
