Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Poison ivy and poison oak, poison sumac in the same family contain an oil (urushiol) that causes you to get an itchy rash. If you get a rash from direct contact with poison ivy or one of its relatives, you can try the following methods to reduce the effect and eliminate the rash.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Immediate treatment

1. 

   Wash the skin. Timely cleaning of your skin is an important step so you need to rinse your skin with clean water within 1-2 hours of exposure to poison ivy, as soon as possible. If you know you've been exposed to poison ivy, you should immediately go to a stream or lake to get water. Rinse skin exposed to poison ivy with cold water and take care to avoid touching the skin rash. Find a source of water as cold as possible because cold water helps tighten pores in the skin, wash away urushiol oil instead of letting the oil seep into the body. Do not use hot water at this time as hot water dilates pores, allowing irritating oils to enter the body and leading to a more severe allergic reaction.
   • If you come into contact with poison ivy near the beach, you can rub it with a little wet sand and soak it in seawater.
   • Avoid taking a full body bath to wash away the toxic oil, as this will spread the rash to other parts of the body.

2. 

   
   
   Dab some Isopropyl alcohol. Washing your skin with cool water is the first thing to do when you think (or know) you've come into contact with poison ivy. After washing with cool water or if clean water is not available, you can pour some Isopropyl alcohol onto a cotton ball and dab evenly over the skin rash. Applying alcohol to your skin can help keep the toxin from spreading and prevent the rash from getting worse. Take this as soon as possible to prevent the rash from spreading.

3. 

   
   
   Wash off with detergent. The toxin from the poison ivy is an oily form and cannot be completely removed with water. Therefore, you should use dish soap that can dissolve oil to wash the affected area. Dishwashing liquid will help prevent the spread of toxins and reduce a rash.

4. 

   
   
   Apply ice. Closing your pores will prevent the skin from absorbing the toxic oil. You can apply a cold compress or an ice pack to the rash to tighten pores. This can also help soothe the area with blisters.

5. 

   Remove contaminated clothing. Touching clothes with the oil of the poison ivy can cause the rash to spread to other parts of the body. Therefore, you need to take off any clothes you were wearing when you have a rash and wash it immediately (wash separately from other clothes).

6. 

   Crush some Jewelweed. If you are outdoors, look for Jewelweed, which usually grows near poison ivy and is a natural remedy for poison ivy. The Jewelweed tree is a leafy, low-lying shrub with yellow and orange bell-shaped flowers. Crush some leaves to make a paste, then apply it to the affected area. Leave it on for as long as possible and apply a new layer of mixture as the old mixture dries. advertisement

Method 2 of 2: Home treatment after exposure to poison ivy

Materials in kitchen cabinets

1. 

   Make a baking soda mixture. This popular kitchen ingredient helps to absorb toxins in the skin and soothe the rash. Mix baking soda with a little water to make a paste, then dab it on the affected area. Wait for the mixture to dry, then rinse it off with cool water. You can do this several times per day until the rash disappears.

2. 

   Wash with vinegar. Vinegar has many miraculous benefits, including helping to heal a rash caused by poison ivy. You can use regular vinegar or apple cider vinegar to pour it on the rash. Wait for the vinegar to evaporate. Or, you can pour the vinegar on a cotton ball and dab it on the rash so that the vinegar gets into the correct contact with the rash.

3. 

   Use cold coffee. Make a regular cup of coffee and let it cool or refrigerate it. Pour coffee water on the rash or use a cotton ball. Coffee contains an acid that has anti-inflammatory effects, thereby soothing the rash and reducing redness.

4. 

   Take an oatmeal bath. Oats have long been used as a skin soothing agent and can be added to baths for a relaxing soak. You can buy bath oats or puree a regular cup of oats and fill the tub with warm water. Soak in oat water for about 20 minutes to relieve itching caused by the rash.

5. 

   Take a bath with tea water. Put 6-8 bags of black tea in a hot tub. Black tea contains tannic acid - an anti-inflammatory that soothes the rash caused by poison ivy.Soak in tea for about 20 minutes for best results.

6. 

   Use dish soap, followed by oats. Rinse skin exposed to poison ivy with Dawn Dish dish soap or another brand that dissolves the oil. Rinse skin with warm water, followed by cool water to close pores. Next, apply some witch hazel juice to the skin after it dries. Then, pour the oats into a knee-high sock and tie the sock tightly. Dip the oat-stuffed socks in hot water. After a few minutes, you can remove the socks, squeeze out the water, and apply it to the affected area. Oats help to dry out the skin, and this method is also very effective. advertisement

Ingredients in medicine cabinet

1. 

   Take an antihistamine. Since a rash caused by poison ivy is an allergic reaction, taking allergy medicine may help. Drugs that contain the ingredient diphenhydramine (such as Benadryl), available in pharmacies in the form of over-the-counter medications, help to reduce itching and prevent the rash from spreading.

2. 

   Apply corticosteroid cream. You can buy over-the-counter steroid creams from pharmacies. This cream helps soothe an allergic reaction that leads to a rash. Apply the cream several times a day for the first few days, and reduce the frequency as the rash subsides.

3. 

   Use Calamine lotion. If the severe itch is unbearable, you can try this popular lotion. Calamine Lotion is recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration for a rash caused by poison ivy, which can be applied to the skin several times a day.

4. 

   Apply anti-itch cream. Anti-itch creams don't break down the oil, but it can keep the skin from scratching, making the rash more widespread. Not scratching the rash is an important factor in getting rid of the rash. You can apply anti-itch cream 1-3 times per day. Anti-itch creams are available at pharmacies. advertisement

Herbal ingredients

1. 

   Use witch hazel. Witch hazel has astringent properties and when applied to the skin, it will help tighten pores and reduce itching. You can use a little witch hazel every day to speed up your recovery from poison ivy.

2. 

   Try tea tree oil. Pure tea tree oil has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce redness when applied to the rash. Tea tree oil can be applied several times a day or when itchy to relieve itching. advertisement

Natural ingredients

1. 

   Use sulfur from betel grass. On the riverbank or stream bank you can find white or blue betel nut grass but it is better to look for white grass. Sulfur will absorb the green color of the grass and turn the grass white. Sulfur is a mineral that can decompose oil from poison ivy. Apply betel leaf grass to the rash 2-3 times a day or when itchy.

2. 

   Apply aloe vera. This cactus-like plant contains a gel that is used to treat sunburn. Aloe vera gel helps reduce the burning-itching sensation, similar to the itch caused by poison ivy. You can either break the aloe plant to get gel or buy a gel from a pharmacy (make sure the gel contains at least 95% of the aloe vera ingredient). Apply a layer of gel to the rash and let the gel soothe the skin.

3. 

   Apply Manzanita leaf tea. This shrub mainly has smooth, red bark and dark green leaves. You can put the leaves in a pot of boiling water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Drain the water and let it cool before applying it to the skin. advertisement

Advice

• If you can't stand the itch, you can mix the oats with water to make a paste and apply it all over.
• Do not pour alcohol on the rash.
• Scratching can make the rash worse. If your child is infected with ivy, you should apply Benadryl or Vaseline cream to the rash and wrap it with a clean bandage. This will prevent your child from accidentally scratching the itch. It is best to do this in the evening but can also be used whenever. The rash will go away after a few days or longer, depending on the severity of the allergic reaction.
• Mix baking soda with water, apply the mixture to your skin, wrap it around with a towel (don't wrap too tightly) and leave on for about 8 hours. This will help reduce the red spots caused by the rash. Alternatively, you can apply hydro-cortisone to relieve itching.
• If your pet comes into contact with a poisonous plant, you should bathe them immediately. Poison oil can get on pets' hair and get on to other objects when it comes into contact.
• Mix 3 teaspoons of baking soda with 1 teaspoon of water and apply to the affected area. Leave the mixture on for at least 6 hours to help remove the red spots caused by the rash.
• If you want to use aloe vera gel, you should apply it to the rash before it itches. Applying aloe vera gel to open cuts can cause irritation and pain.
• You can try applying Zija oil to the rash.
• You can also run hot water over the affected area. This will make it feel great and the itch should go away after a few hours. Take care not to overdo it and avoid burns.
• You can use white gasoline to keep your skin dry.

Warning

• Absolutely do not burn poison ivy. The smoke from burning poison ivy contains toxic oil if it enters the lungs, which can cause serious problems. If you burn poison ivy, see your doctor immediately.
• Most rashes caused by poison ivy can be treated with home remedies, but some serious cases will require medical attention. If you experience the following, you should see your doctor immediately::
  • Rash on the face or genital area
  • Pus discharge
  • Fever over 38 degrees Celsius
  • The rash can last for more than 2 weeks