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
Elizabeth Ours
Great post! I’ve never had poison ivy, but my fellas get it often! I have Pinned this post for future reference and I hope to make up some of this salve soon! Thank you!!! 🙂
Blessings,
Elizabeth
Jamie (@va_grown)
We love those Aveeno single use packages. I keep them around all summer. They are also great for soothing sunburns, eczema, and out-all-day itches. Our kids love to crawl in the grass, play in the woods, etc. but they come home scratched up, with bug bites, sweaty, and around here sometimes even sandy. An oatmeal bath is just the ticket. I also find that we can use one package and starting with the littlest, just keep adding more hot water to the same bathtub to use 1 oatmeal soak up to three times.
Toni
Hi Jacqueline,
Love the picture of you and your dad. I don’t get poison ivy, but I’ve doctored my husband’s mishaps with it for 41 years. He takes rhus tox now, and doesn’t get the rash, but I used to make a soothing soap for him using jewelweed. He loved it. You’re right, the flowers are beautiful.
Have a wonderful day!
Rhoda Kindred
I love the picture of you and your siblings with your dad. We love to use Shaklee Basic H2 on Poison Ivy. If wash in it right after touching it – it will keep us from getting it. If you already have Poison Ivy, you can put the Basic H2 on it and it will dry it out and keep it from itching and spreading and will heal faster!
Renee
LOL wish I had this last summer. LOL DH got into some,and had it ALL over him .
Thank you, I am going to make some of this up.
Blessings,Renee
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Jacqueline….I’ve never had poison ivy, thank you Lord, but I’m glad you shared this information. I have tweeted and pinned it for those who will find it very useful. Oh, and I love! the picture of your dad and you/siblings/friends. Just sweet. Have a blessed day friend.
Renee
SUPER helpful post! Thanks soooo much!
Erika
Wonderful timing! Our new home has poison ivy and while we hope to eventually get rid of it I am glad that I can at least be prepared- just in case! Thanks!
Erika
Wendy Mitchell
Wow, if only you had posted this a little more than a month ago! I had poison ivy rash all over my face, eyelids, all over my arms… I ended up on prednisone. Then I did it again 2 weeks ago. That time I think that the oil was on the cat’s fur. I REALLY have to save this. lol
Wendy
I forgot to ask: Does anyone know where I can buy a jewelweed plant? We don’t have any growning here that I can find, even though most websites state that it grows in conjunction with poison ivy.
Jacqueline
Wendy, I don’t know where you can buy one, but what about checking out a seed source? It may be worth a shot. It is also often in a wet spot or around the bank of a creek or stream…that is where the spot I mentioned is. I hope you find some or a source!
Jedidja
Thanks for the tips. very interesting! With plantain (goose grass) can you also
create your own cream that healing, soothing works.
Karen
I just recently found a small poison sumac growing in my yard. I made sure that I had long pants and long sleeved shirt on and a pair of washable (silcone) gardening gloves. I cut the sumac into sections with a pair of loppers and stuck them into a large garbage bag (NEVER burn poison ivy or poison sumac it can irritate the lungs). After taking care of the garbage bag, I immediately removed all of my outer clothes and washed my hands. Then I threw my clothes into the washer. I didn’t have any problems and all while I was handling the sumac, I was careful not to have it touch my clothing. I would do the same thing if I was removing poison ivy.
Jacqueline
This is excellent advice, Karen! I have found the same thing for us. And, don’t get distracted and itch yourself! Haha! When I worked in the OR, it seemed every time I had gloves on and was sterile, I felt a tickle and had to fight the urge to itch 🙂 Take time to was the doorknobs, too!! That was a problem for us one summer and we kept getting it, but couldn’t figure out why!
Melissa Horton
Hello! Can you please email me the amount of clay to use in this recipe for poison ivy cream? We have it growing in random patches in our wooded yard–and so far, no one has been in it, or at least not had a reaction to it. But I’d love to have this on hand should someone need it! I have clay–but how much do I use? 🙂 Thanks!
Jacqueline
Melissa, I just revised the whole recipe portion to address your question. See the note* It should explain it better…just remember it isn’t exact and you can adjust according to your needed amount. I included ‘Start with’ amounts! Blessings 🙂 Hope that helps you!
Kathryn
I had a terrible case of poison ivy last year and tried all sorts of remedies to no avail. I finally read to soak a cloth in apple cider vinegar, lay it on the irritated spot for 2 minutes, then wash with dish soap. It worked! The article said that the oil from the plant cannot be dissolved with regular soap, so the cider vinegar breaks it down. I think this year, I’ll just try to stay away from it.
Jacqueline
I think Dawn dish soap is very grease-cutting and would break down the oil. It is what I wash my hands in if I get into PI!! I will also try the vinegar since I have it on hand. Great idea! Thanks, Kathryn 🙂
Tiffanie of Truly Skrumptious
The easiest and cheapest solution we’ve found for my husband’s bouts, is old fashioned, Fels Naptha laundry soap. You shower with it and wash your clothes with it by shaving it into the load of contaminated clothes. It strips off the oils, which is the part you need to worry about irritating and spreading. It works EVERY time!! You can usually find it on the laundry isle. It’s harsh, which is why it works, but since you aren’t using it continually, it’s fine.
Jacqueline
I have heard Fels naptha works well… I should have added it to my list! Thanks, Tiffany!!
Deborah
#5 must be what my grandfather called a “Touch me Not” Plant…that’s what he used in the North GA mountains 🙂
Nabila Grace
Oh I don’t get along with Poison Ivy 🙁 I have made some salve that if I even get anymore I will quickly put on it. Do you think clay is better then salve?
Kathleen
Rule of thumb, or as is said these days ” life hack “: one hour from time of first exposure
Be washing with dawn dish soap, three times! Works also for chiggers on feet/ lower legs when ones been out in the dew to water, weed, etc. and enjoy early mornings!
Glenda
Mullein salve will also help. I LOVE all the other wonderful tips here and will add them to my notebook! Thanks!!!
Jacqueline
I love mullein, but did not know this! Thank you for sharing that!! God bless you, Glenda 🙂
Deniseinark
Linked to this article on my FB page. Couple of other things to consider: regular impatiens bedding plants are in the same family as jewelweed. Haven’t had any to try at the same time as I was broke out, so I don’t know if they have the same properties. Certainly couldn’t hurt to run out to the garden and pick a few, crush them up, and apply them to see if they would work.
The other thing is that I watched a video this weekend where the guy was explaining the importance of scrubbing with a wash cloth in addition to using a good strong detergent.
I used to think that I wasn’t allergic because I’d never broken out. Then one spring it all changed. However, in thinking back, that was also about the time I started getting insanely dry skin and switched to 2x weekly full showers and only ‘pits and privates’ the other days. Now I wonder if my nightly showers had been protecting me all along.
Helen Fern
I’ve never had poison ivy (Knock on wood) but if I ever do I’m trying your remedies!! Thanks for sharing on the DIY Party!