Use a Home Remedy for Poison Ivy Rash

You can use a home remedy for poison ivy rash to relieve the itchiness. Some poison ivy home remedies even aid in healing the rash.

If you are looking for a poison ivy home remedy, you or someone close to you probably already has broken out with the rash so it is too late for prevention. Even so you still need to know how a poison ivy or poison oak rash happens.

Poison ivy grows in eastern Canada, the United States, and in the mountainous areas of Mexico. The common rule of thumb for recognizing it is almond shaped "leaves of three" but this is not always the case. There can be more leaves and the leaves are of course absent during the winter months. A similar plant is poison oak with oak shaped "leaves of three" which grows west of the Rocky Mountains.

Poison ivy and poison oak have an oil called urushiol in the sap. When this oil gets on the skin it causes bumps to form which turn into blisters. It is one of the itchiest rashes you will ever experience. The rash usually appears within 12 to 24 hours of contact and it can take up to two weeks for it to completely heal.

The rash is not contageous in that you cannot get it from touching someone who has it. However, the oil itself is easily spread. The oil may be on clothes, camping equipment, fishing equipment, garden tools, or on the fur of animals who have brushed against the plant. If you have the oil on your hands you can spread it to anything you touch and someone else can pick it up from touching the same thing. If the oil is on the bottom of your shoes or boots and you walk into the house, it will be on the floor or carpet for anyone including babies to pick up when they sit or crawl across the floor.

Water inactivates the oil even without soap. If you know you have come in contact with poison ivy, rinse off everything you think touched the plant. Even rinsing off the skin that was in contact can reduce the severity of the rash if you do it quickly enough - within ten minutes. You can also rinse off with rubbing alcohol. Don't swab with a cloth or cotton. Just pour the rubbing alcohol over the area. Also, launder any towels or cloths used to keep from spreading the oil.

Poison Ivy Home Remedies

• The old standby home remedy for poison ivy is Calamine Lotion. It has been used for years but most people agree that its affect is limited. It does take the edge off the itch and aids in drying up the blisters. When I was growing up I almost always had at least one friend who was covered in pink Calamine Lotion at some point during the summer months.

• Apple cider vinegar is good for relieving the itch of poison ivy. Swab the affected area with a cotton ball soaked in ACV several times a day. Read more about the Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

• Dab aloe vera gel on the rash several times a day. Aloe vera is an anti-inflammatory and is good for rashes as well as burns. You can either use the gel in a stalk from the plant itself or find a good aloe vera gel at a health food store. Benefits of Aloe Vera Juice / Gel

• To help dry the blisters of a poison ivy rash, add a cup of oatmeal to a bathtub of warm water and soak in it. You can also add baking soda to the water.

• Another old home remedy for poison ivy is rubbing the area with the inside of a banana peel.

• Calendula speeds up the healing of all kinds of skin conditions including poison ivy. You can find commercially prepared lotions and salves containing Calendula and sometimes they also contain Goldenseal which is a plus. Learn more about Calendula Flower.

• You can get relief by using Goldenseal both topically and internally. Dab the infected area with liquid goldenseal extract and also take goldenseal tablets. Read more about this amazing herb at Benefits of Goldenseal.

This last bit of advice is easier said than done. Don't scratch the rash. Scratching won't spread the rash but it will keep it from healing and the itch just becomes worse. Also, if your case of poison ivy is severe, forget using a home remedy and see your doctor.