Treating Poison Ivy,
Oak and Sumac

I hope that treating poison ivy is not part of your next camping trip!

Since avoiding poison ivy is better than treating poison ivy, I'll teach you how to recognize the plants so you can stay away from them.

If worse comes to worst and you do get a rash from poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac, I'll tell you what to do about it.

Why do these plants make us itch?

Although poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac are completely different plants, they all have an oil called urushiol on their leaves and stems.

In most people, urushiol causes a rash which can range from mildly itchy to excruciatingly painful.

Think you are immune to urushiol?

Think again! Even if you have contacted the oil in the past with no reaction, you may react to it in the future.

Since poison ivy is the most common of the three plants, I'll speak here of treating poison ivy - but all of this information applies to poison oak and poison sumac too.

Identifying poison ivy

The best approach is to avoid poison ivy completely. Then you'll never need to know about treating poison ivy!

Sadly, poison ivy identification is not simple. There are many varieties of poison ivy - and they all contain urushiol.

Types of poison ivy plants

Poison ivy can be

a shrubby plant that carpets the ground

a vine-like plant that climbs up trees and posts

an upright plant that can grow up to 3 feet tall

Color of the leaves

Depending on the type of plant and the season, the leaves may be

dark green

bright green

bronze-green

reddish-green

wine-red

Shape and size of the leaves

The leaves may have smooth or jagged edges.

They might be largish or smallish or in between!

Poison ivy habitat

There's no easy answer to that, either.

Poison ivy can grow in the open or in the woods.

It can grow in a moist or dry area. It can grow in sand or in a swamp!

Help! I'm confused!

With all of that variability, how can I possibly identify poison ivy?

The best way to identify poison ivy is to look carefully at the leaves

No matter their size, they will be sort of oval in shape.

Each leaf is made of three leaflets.

The stalk of the middle leaflet is longer than the stalk of the leaflets on the sides.

I think that the best idea is just to avoid any plant with clusters of three leaves! Since a poison ivy rash can be extremely miserable, it's better to be safe than sorry!

Did you know that poison ivy is related to the mango plant? For more interesting information about the poison ivy plant, click here.

Preventing poison ivy rash

If you must be in an area where there may be poison ivy, consider using a pre-contact product like this one. It provides a barrier against the oils.

You can purchase this Pre-Contact Gel HERE on Amazon.

Poison Ivy Pre-Contact Gel

If you touch poison ivy

If you think that you may have touched poison ivy (or urushiol oil from any source) you need to remove the oil from your skin immediately, before it has a chance to penetrate. Here's how:

Best

Immediately wash the affected area with a poison ivy removal product.

Tecnu is said to be very effective at removing urushiol. You can use it on your skin, your pets, and your tools. You can even add it to the washing machine to remove the oil from your clothing.

If you have already contracted a rash, Tecnu can provide relief from the itching and pain.

You can purchase Tecnu Skin Cleanser HERE on Amazon.

Domeboro gets enthusiastic reviews not only for relieving poison ivy rash, but for speeding up healing of wounds.

CLICK HERE to read more and purchase.

Don't have such a product on hand? Use rubbing alcohol. If you don't have a bottle of alcohol handy, get the alcohol swabs from your first aid kit and swab the affected area. 

Don't have alcohol swabs either? Wash the area with beer or another alcoholic beverage.

Next best

Immediately wash the affected area with lots and lots of cold water.

You want to flush the oil away completely, not just move it around, so be sure to use lots of water.

Don't use hot water, which will open your pores and let in more oil.

Treating poison ivy

The bad news

If worst comes to worst and you do contract a rash, there is nothing you can do to speed up your healing.

The rash has to run its course, which can take up to two weeks.

The good news

You can reduce the itching and pain. Here's what to do for treating poison ivy:

Step one

apply cool compresses (cloths soaked in cool tap water or Epsom salt water) or

rub an ice cube gently over the rash or

soak in a lukewarm oatmeal bath

Step two

let your skin air dry

Step three

Apply

calamine lotion or

a paste of baking soda and water or

a poison ivy relief product or

a home remedy

Poison ivy relief products

Poison ivy soap

Marie's Original Poison Ivy Bar helps prevent and provide immediate relief from poison ivy, oak and sumac rashes. This 100% natural soap bar does not contain any artificial ingredients, dyes or scents.

Customers report that the soap works immediately and effectively treats poison ivy.

CLICK HERE to read more and purchase.

Cortisone Cream

This 1% Hydrocortisone cream is a stong itch medicine that you can buy without a prescription. It isn't suitable for children under 2.

You can buy this cream HERE on Amazon at a great price.

Homeopathic remedies

An all-natural homeopathic solution for itching, redness, blisters, and swelling caused by poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. It is safe for all ages.

Some people find that taking this remedy regularly during poison ivy season can prevent poison ivy rashes completely.