Are you ready to learn about my tried and true poison ivy remedies, all natural (both already on the market and my homemade ones)? Ones that work?
My dad never got poison ivy! He would rip it out for the family and the all neighbors with his bare hands…but never once did he get it!
On the other hand, we 4 children got horrible cases from our faces to our ankles and never have lost the tendency to “just one look at it and start itchin”!
This is my ‘iron man’ dad who never got one case of poison ivy! That’s me in the back with the white barrette. Here is his story if you have a minute: Understanding Dad: His Childhood, the Dutch Resistance & Finishing Well
I have discovered (over the years and through research) some simple ways to nurse the victims of this horrible, unbearable, miserable, agonizing, and yes, maybe even sleep-depriving infirmity.
Things That Really Work:
1.) Drink red beet juice! Just boil fresh beets from the store (add some sea salt) until softened and drink the juice. My 2 sons have been doing this for years! Beets are a powerful blood cleanser and prevents poison ivy from becoming a systemic case requiring steroids! It doesn’t need to be beet kvass.
2.) Eat raw local honey ~ just as it is has been shown that regularly eating 1 tsp. – 1 Tbsp./day of local raw honey can lessen the effects of local pollen-driven allergies, so some believe that local honey can lessen the severity of a case of local poison ivy before you even get it. Build up some immunity during the summer in a totally non-pharmaceutical way.
3.) Clay and essential oils~ I have made a variety of lotions and drawing poultices since our children were little. They were all clay-based with one or more essential oils. Peppermint may seem an unlikely essential oil for PI, but the menthol it contains relieves much of the painful burning and itching that accompanies the rash. Lavender is very calming to the skin helping with itch and the nervousness it causes.
Directions for My Poison Ivy Clay-based drying remedy
- any good clay (draws out toxins) such as Bentonite or green clay … just enough to make a paste that is not too stiff and not too runny. Start with 1-2 level tsp. and add more clay for larger amount.
- Add an equal (1-2 level tsp.) or smaller amount of softened virgin coconut oil and mash out any blobs of clay till it’s a nice consistency.
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt (antiseptic and preservative) Start with 1/4 tsp. and work up…aids in drying up the blisters
- 8 drops essential oil of lavender (a preservative) (Start with 8 drops…)
- 4 drops essential oil of peppermint (Start with 4 drops…)
- You can also add a few drops of essential oil of rosemary and/or tea tree to a small amount to dab on bites, splinters, or acne that might be infected.
- Label and date your container. It should last for years!
- If the area is extensive, apply thinly and evenly under a wrap of stretch gauze so it doesn’t wipe off on clothing or sheets. For smaller areas, I also cover lightly with a gauze pad and tape.
- Change once a day or after soaking in an oatmeal bath (see below).
*Note: making a clay-based remedy is not an exact science. The most important thing is that the ingredients are in proportion to get the texture you want. If you need a lot of coverage for a serious case, use more clay, add coconut oil gradually, and don’t be afraid of adding a little more of the other ingredients; if it is for a small jar to daub on irritating spots, use the minimums listed above. God has blessed us Mamas with some amazing intuitive powers! All these ingredients are totally safe, so experiment and have fun!
Mix together until creamy. Store in a small glass container in the refrigerator. Apply as needed to poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, sores or insect bites. This lotion works quickly and effectively, and it is very cooling. PS I switched over from using water to coconut oil. It works better and doesn’t flake off.
4.) The homeopathic rhus tox~ take 30C or 200C potency of Be Gone® with Rhus toxicodendron and follow directions on product. This is a wonderful product! You can stop dosing when relief begins and only redose if symptoms again worsen.
More Tried and True Remedies For Poison Ivy
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5.) Colloidal oatmeal baths~ For more widespread cases, oatmeal baths are a time-tested aid. Many old-timers also like to add 1 cup of Epsom salts to hot-as-you-can stand-it bath water. It is 100% magnesium sulfate…very calming to mind and body, and helpful before bedtime to relax the itching.
You can purchase Aveeno colloidal oatmeal in a box of single use packages. For those of us into preparedness, it is nice to have a small supply on hand kept in a zip-lock bag to prevent moisture and moths. It has a very long shelf life.
6.) Burt’s Bees Poison Ivy Soap~ This wonderful soap contains Jewelweed to help relieve itching and irritation. Wash the affected area with the soap, rinse, then wash again and leave the lather on your skin and let it dry for long-lasting relief. This stuff flies off the shelves for good reason!
The bar has a masculine scent (pine) w/o chemical perfumes.
7.) Jewelweed is an old Native American Indian herbal remedy that works by counter-acting with the chemicals in plants that cause irritation. If you find it in the wild, you can brew the chopped leaves of Jewelweed in boiling water until you get a dark orange liquid. Strain the liquid and pour it into ice cube trays. When you have a skin rash, rub it with the jewelweed cube, and you will be amazed at its healing. It will keep for a year frozen.
If you have a wet spot, you could grow jewelweed. It needs bog-like conditions. I located some seed here.
I found a small patch a half mile from our home and hope to make a salve with it soon. Isn’t it pretty?
8.) Avoid poison ivy in the first place~ Both our sons had to perform in an important piano recital on day 4 of a severe case of PI. They were using hatchets on huge vines while making a tree fort in a giant oak tree. At their ages, they should have known better!! It taught them a lesson they will never forget! Poison ivy leaves turn red in autumn.
“My son, do not forget my teachings, and keep my commands in mind, because they will bring you long life, good years, and peace.” ~Proverbs 3: 1-2
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