Hello Everyone!
Welcome to the hottest time of the year, and also the time of year where our children are off playing in the woods while we are gardening in the yard. Well atleast that is what’s happening at my house! With gardening and jungle play we get the all to well known POISON IVY. Now if you are like me, Poison Ivy is obnoxious but not debilitating. However if you are like my husband, you are probably headed to the ER and calling out of work. No matter how poison ivy affects you, chances are IT DOES. Roughly 85 percent of the human population is sensitive to Urushiol which is the oil in poison ivy that causes the itchy rash. Poison Ivy is my husband’s Kryptonite. One little spot turns into a full body rash and my manly husband is whining like a hungry puppy and begging for prednisone.
I would like to take a second to let all my readers know that I am not entirely against pharmaceuticals, I think there is a time and a place for them. However, I also think that if they can be avoided, they should be. There are TONS of alternative ways to treat poison ivy BEFORE going after the steroids. Some of which I will talk about below. However, if the alternative remedies do not help enough getting medical attention is important to keep your mind body and soul happy and healthy!
My go to poison ivy treatment is apple cider vinegar. It’s a little smelly at first, but you’ll get used to it, and you probably wont care if it gets you the relief you are looking for. Apple Cider vinegar does two things to help the rash, first is create a toxin pulling effect which draws the poison (urushiol) out of you skin and literally dries out the rash. Secondly apple cider vinegar contains tannin which lowers an inflammatory response or reaction. I take a tri folded paper towel and dip the end in a cup of apple cider vinegar and then wipe the wet portion of the paper towel on the rash 3-4 times a day.
Some people prefer a better smelling option like essential oils. There are 3 Essential oils that I have known to be anti inflammatory which can help in treating a poison ivy rash. Lavender is my favorite, rose and geranium are also anti inflammatory. The best way to use an essential oil for treatment of poison ivy is to add a few drops to a cold compress and place directly on the rash. Essential oils can be found in a lot of places like amazon, walmart, or your local health food store but you want to make sure you buy a therapeutic grade oil to avoid a skin reaction. Always check with a health care professional before using essential oils as they can have adverse reactions on other medical conditions you may have.
The last remedy that I will list, (though there are many more) is Echinacea. This super plant is one of the ingredients in my Bee Well Honey because…well its super. Echinacea is an immune booster first and foremost and also has been used to treat way more diseases and ailments then I can list. Well I could list them, but you would probably be so bored you’d stop reading and, that’s not really my goal here. When it comes to poison ivy echinacea can be taken as a supplement or as a tincture. You can take the supplement orally or dilute the tincture and put it on the rash directly with a cold compress several times a day.
I hope you never get poison ivy, but chances are you will and when you do I doubly hope that this article helps you survive the 2-3 weeks with minimal suffering. Thank you again for your continued support!
Lots of Love,
Mrs. Farminsteadical
Farminsteadicals 