The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Salt
Posted by Tammy (Wellston, Oklahoma) on 11/09/2006
★★★★★
Salt cures Spider/Insect bites, poison ivy. Last year I had a spider bite on my inner thigh. At first it was just a small red bump, but then it grew into what looked like a ring worm. A week later it was the size of a tennis ball and the center of it was a infectious white and itchyyyy as poison ivy. I showed it to my family in India via web cam, she knew immediately what to do. Said just wet it, pour table salt on it and let it sit for at least 20 min. After about one minute it began to burn some, nothing unbearable, although i only let it stand for about 5 min as I'm a big baby. It WORKED!! Dried it up in a matter of days. Since then, I have done this remedy for a number different insect bites, even have done on poison ivy and same result. A few days of doing this once at night cleared it. You can literally feel the salt drawing out the poisons.
Banana Peels
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 08/08/2008 490 posts
Hello Rosie, with all due respect to the medical field and Wikipedia, I disagree that it can't spread from the fluid in the blisters. Anyone who has ever had a good case of it will probably side with us. When you haven't been outside or petted the pets who have, and the stuff is still spreading a week or more later, it has to be from the rhus in the blisters that got inside the skin to cause the blisters to begin with. I also remember a roofer say that after initially breaking out with poison ivy one night, that after working on a roof throughout the next day and sweating up a storm, he found the poson ivy was gone after that. So apparently you can sweat it out, the same way it entered the skin to begin with. Now for the best thing I have found for this infernal itchy poison ivy, if you have a Dollar Tree or Deal's store go look in the hand lotion, shampoo section for a product put out by Fruit of the Earth called E or Vitamin E with Naturals. It comes in several different ones, but the yellow gel one is the one that I find stops the infernal itching and starts drying it up after the third time of applying it. You can probably find it in health food stores but probably not as cheap as at the above stores. It makes no claims at being anything other than a lotion or gel, but boy do I love this stuff. Just put it on the rash and reapply each time it starts itching again. The naturals in it are like chamomile, comfrey, burdock, etc. If you recognize the plant and know when you have come in contact with it, that's even better. If you go in, wash off, then get good old Apple Cider Vinegar & wet a wash cloth in it and thoroughly wipe everywhere that you think touched it. The acid of the vinegar titrates the alkali of the rhus and you don't break out (I think you probably have to do this within an hour or two of exposure though).
EC: Joyce, to prove the point that poison ivy can't spread from the liquid, in June a very confident friend (whom I thought had to be suffering from temporary madness) scratched open some of the new poison ivy blisters on my arm and rubbed the liquid all over his arm. I was certain he would get a rash, but Nay, he never did. Nor did my poison ivy spread and I am terribly allergic to the plant!
Deirdre
Baking Soda and White Vinegar
Posted by Spikey58 (Peterborough, Ontario, Canada) on 01/05/2012
★★★★★
I have used baking soda and water and made a paste. It really works I and I could imagine how effective it would be with vinegar added. The biggest thing for me anyways is the relief from the itching especially at night. I found it tolerable at least with no itch. Great advice
Baking Soda and White Vinegar
Posted by Patsy (Kentucky) on 05/17/2013
★★★★★
Thank you for the baking soda and vinegar advice for poison ivy... I was so desperate, buying everything OTC and no relief. Almost instantaneously, the paste worked. Thank you!!!
Bark of an Oak Tree
Posted by Scott (Asheville, Nc) on 06/26/2010
It works because oak bark is high in tannins. No DMSO is produced by making a tea from bark.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by DK Clausman (United States) on 07/09/2019
★★★★★
Poison Ivy Rash Around the Eyes
How you may ask. Well we have an outside cat who when inside likes to jump on my lap when watching TV. I rub my eyes unawares at the time that the cat has been though the stuff. Waking up in the morning with one eye nearly swollen shut…bummer. My wife swears by the All Terrain Poison Ivy/Oak Bar.
I washed with cold water and allow the lather to remain on the affected area for 1-2 minutes, or as long as I could stand before it began to seep in my eyes. I felt immediate relief after using the soap and the washed area is squeaky clean.
Using ACV via dabbing with a cotton ball provided some longer term relief from future itch.
I diluted the ACV 1:1 with water as full strength burns the sensitive skin on the face. The swelling went down the same day and I can see out of the swollen eye. To address the dry, scabbing skin around my eyes, I applied a controlled and careful amount of Desitin Skin Protectant. The itch is gone though I still have some discoloration a few days later.
Salt
Posted by Katydid (TX) on 05/03/2019
★★★★★
This wasn't as easy as Bobby made it sound, but it did work for me too.
I tried putting salt on the latest bout of poison ivy. I wet my skin, added salt and waited ten minutes, but it didn't sting.....and didn't work at all. But then I thought, what if it has to be stinging to work? So I scrubbed the poison ivy bumps until I had flat skin. Then, because that probably released all that oil to go elsewhere, I scrubbed with Goop (no water, just goop), then took it off with paper towels. THEN I wet my skin and put salt on. Yea, that stings. I didn't bother with olive oil, since I had raw skin. I put antibiotic ointment on it; any over the counter cheap brand will do.
But the salt worked, which was amazing since I've never been able to get Goop alone to do anything. Let the salt sit on there the full ten minutes. I had large and small patches to do, and it works best on the ones you catch early. It works on older ones as well, but there is more scrubbing involved and this method may scar. I would NOT use this on children; the ice water method kills the itch for hours and doesn't hurt. For me the salt method didn't just kill the itch for hours, it eliminated it for good. The roughed up skin healed in a few days, and ta-da, no more poison ivy! But I may have a scar on my ankle where the worst of the ivy was. I personally don't care, it was worth it not to suffer PI for a few weeks. But something to consider if you're going to try this.
Ice Water
Posted by Katydid (TX) on 02/28/2019
★★★★★
Thank you for the ice water suggestion! I've tried many things for poison ivy and this is now my absolute favorite. Nothing else has stopped the itch immediately. THANK YOU! Side note; no way would I be able to stand ice water for two minutes. So that probably should vary person to person. For me somewhere around 45 seconds to a minute was good enough to keep the itch at bay for a few hours. And the swelling went down and has stayed down.
Benadryl
Posted by Sue (Charlotte, Tn) on 11/12/2018
★★★★★
I make sure to give my kids a dose of benadryl at night when they have poison ivy. I think it helps reduce the reaction and helps them to sleep.
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Mellie (Farmington, Maine) on 07/04/2017
★★★★★
Wash area where poison ivy rash is and apply Tea Tree Oil. My only remedy, works every time.
Homeopathic Prevention
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn) on 04/15/2017
HI U NCDORTHY,,,,,,,,, as all know I's slow, but your post went over my head. What was in those drops? For some reason, your post made no sense. I have a feeling that the drops contained the poison ivy juice itself. Maybe not, but the last time I posted about eating tender poison ivy leaves to get immune from poison ivy, I got beat about the head and shoulders severely.
I think you will help all by explaining this situation a little better, otherwise, I still say eat tender poison ivy leaves for immunity.
Your buddy===ORH======
Clay
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn.) on 07/18/2016
HI U MAMA,,,,,,,,,,, told you several years ago that chewing on young poison ivy leaves will get you immune. Do you not buy into that solution? Guess you just want to treat the problem. Allopathic vs Integrative. Huh!
=======ORH=========
Clay
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn.) on 07/30/2016
HI U MAMA TO MANY,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, my integrative Doctor uses homeopathic methods to address what he finds wrong with me. The chewing of young poison ivy leaves is of the same principle. He is so successful that I'm going to chew the young leaves of poison ivy to prove this point. We all know that is the principle behind all vaccines. You just get enough that your body builds up an immune system to combat the bad guy.
In your last post you said that the Gov. would rightly put you in jail if you used the method I suggested. I think you had no solution, so that was your response. So let's see if I go to the ER or if I am now immune to poison ivy when I chew a little leaf or two.
Some folks talk the talk and some walk the talk. We'll see. ===========ORH===============
Fels Naptha and DMSO
Posted by Saundra (Michigan) on 06/22/2016
I tried a baking soda with vinegar( it will foam up) mixed to a thick paste which is used as a scrub to remove the oil. It was markedly improved the next day and began to dry up.
DMSO
Posted by Deedii (California) on 10/13/2015 1 posts
Thanks!
Remove Oil with Towels
Posted by Timh (Ky) on 09/15/2015 2048 posts
M: Back in my days of working and exploring the wilds of rural Ky, if ever by accident had a minor or major exposure to poison ivy, a quick trip and swim in the creek did the job for the exposed skin in particular, maybe even with the exposed clothes on as well, given a hot summer day and enough time for drying. Recently, I have found spraying rubbing alcohol on the affected area, as quickly as possible, quite successful.
Also, as a warning, the roots & vines are also saturated with the poison. My last severe exposure was from cutting thick vines off trees and I didn't recognize the bark of p.i. vine grazed my arms ... until ... too late.
Dave's Poison Ivy Test
Posted by Dave (Fountain Inn, Sc) on 09/02/2015
EXPERIMENT WITH POISON IVY
I'm experimenting with what I think is the formula I heard over 50 years ago to make oneself resistant to Poison Ivy.
I heard this from a Cherokee source. I do not know if it is authentic or not as a proven method. I am obviously proceeding with great caution.
First: I have dried PI leaves....about 40 leaves.
Second: I took a pinch of the dried leaf and rubbed in on the inside of my wrist. I washed my hands but left the wrist untouched. If any itching or PI evidence had showed up on my wrist I would have immediately used my anti PI remedies to stop progress. I use Borax to clean the infected area...repeated...then use bentonite clay topically and internally.
If no negative results from the "wrist" sensitivity test emerges...and it did not... I then take a very small amount again...about half the size of my fingernail...and put that in my mouth. I do not swallow. I just let the brief exposure in my mouth stay for less than 10 seconds.
No reaction to that "mouth" test also. So far so good.
Next I will take a whole leaf and put in hot water and steep.
Again, I will first apply the liquid to the wrist.
If no reaction to that will do a "mouth test" using the steeped liquid...about a teaspoon full and spit out after ten seconds. If no reaction to that...
The REAL test begins...and hopefully what will begin the "immunization" test.
WARNING...I AM NOT RECOMMENDING THIS FOR ANYONE. THIS TEST IS ONLY FOR ME. I MAKE NO CLAIM THAT IF IT DOES WORK FOR ME IT MAY NOT WORK FOR SOMEONE ELSE WHO IS MORE SENSITIVE TO POISON IVY THAN ME.
Next: I will drink a teaspoon of the PI tea. This is the beginning of the real test. The idea and theory is that by ingesting a degraded amount of the PI poison the body might build a resistance to the poison.
So....gradually....over the next few months I will drink tiny amounts of the tea to test the theory.
AND THEN...next summer...
You guessed it....I will intentionally expose myself to Poison Ivy.
I fully expect to get the rash....that is, I do not think this experiment will work.
So why am I doing this? Because I am tired of wondering if the old remedy I heard from a Cherokee Indian...55 years ago is a myth.
Thus I am my own test body. Guinea pig.
Stay tuned...I may be reporting back in 9 months just how stupid I am. Note...I will only touch the poison ivy leaf to my hand next summer... and be prepared to immediately act if the rash begins.
Dave's Poison Ivy Test
Posted by Rebel (Somewhere Usa) on 09/02/2015
Dave's Poison Ivy Test
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn) on 09/02/2015
HI U DAVE, , , , , , , , that is wild and strange. But let me tell you a story of a fellow who was in my chelation group here in East Tn. He declared that if you chew young poison ivy leaves then you will be immune to the plant forever. His wife crossed her heart and said that was true. I get it, but am a chicken to do this. It's suppose to be the homeopathic way. All you need is a little dose.
I don't understand it, but my chelation doctor cures lots of folks with homeopathic methods. About a year a go a high dollar world sales woman picked a parasite problem in Indonesia and all the Atlanta doctors had no clue. My doctor uses the same system that Hulda Clark used only now it is computerized. His test showed that she had a parasite and he treated that and now she's good to go. She's a good looker and sweet smeller and the doc is smitten. She handles him like a little puppy dog. You don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Guess the solution is not to grow old.
Keep us informed on your experiment.
=========ORH==========
Turmeric and Nettle
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee, Usa) on 07/13/2015
★★★★★
Last night my son could not sleep because of the intense itching on his legs from bug bites and poison ivy. (Occupational hazard - he does lawn care.) He told me about it today. He said, "I got up and took a boatload of nettle and turmeric and put anti-itch salve on my legs and it helped a lot! " I laughed and asked exactly how much a boatload was. He said about 6 nettle capsules and 6 turmeric capsules. I love that he knew what to do and didn't have to wake me up. :)
He knows that Turmeric is a great anti-inflammatory and will help itching of poison ivy and bug bites. Nettle is great for allergic responses. Both herbs are blood purifiers.
~Mama to Many~
Breast Milk
Posted by Tuli (Redding, Ca) on 07/02/2015
★★★★★
If you are lucky enough to get poison ivy while still breastfeeding like I was, your milk will help the itch! I had an outbreak on my arm and tried many things, then I remembered that breast milk is good for all kinds of things. So when it would itch I would just squirt a little into my hand and rub it on the rash. It took away the itch as soon as it was on my skin. I bet this will work on husbands and children too.
Goldenseal
Posted by Mama to Many (Tennessee, US) on 03/28/2015
★★★★★
One of my sons had poison ivy on his forearm this week. It was painful (his poison ivy manifests with pain and not itch) and was beginning to ooze. He had been ignoring it and after a poor night sleep was wanting to be more aggressive in treating it.
He was going to be working outside and didn't want to deal with poultices or salves or anything. I thought about how I used Goldenseal powder to dry out a newborn's umbilical cord. I had some homemade Goldenseal tincture that I had been making. So we put some in a small spray bottle. Because it was an alcohol (vodka) base, it did sting when it hit the broken skin, but that passed quickly. The Goldenseal worked very, very well to dry up the poison ivy! He would reapply every 2-4 hours if he was home.
At night, I used goldenseal root powder, turmeric powder and oregon grape root powder mixed to dry up the "ooze" the first night. I sprinkled it on liberally, covered with a piece of old sheet, and attached the sheet to the arm with an old sock top. In the morning, he rinsed it off and we sprayed on more Goldenseal. He had slept much better.
It took a few days for his arm to heal up, but there were times in the past when his poison ivy took weeks to heal up, so I was pleased.
Internally, I had him taking Vitamin C (1 gram a couple of times a day), nettle leaf capsules and turmeric capsules (8 of each of those a day.)
One of my little boys had a few poison ivy blisters on his foot. The skin was not broken. We tried the goldenseal tincture spray. It did not sting and even after a couple of hours he could see improvement.
Goldenseal is an expensive herb. Supposedly, Oregon Grape Root will work as well, but I haven't tired that yet. I may make some tincture up and try that and see. I am sure I will have more opportunities this summer to try it out!
~Mama to Many~
Nettle Leaf
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee, US) on 08/28/2014
★★★★★
One of my teenage sons was weed wacking poison ivy and ended up with a rash on his arms. It was not severe, just enough to be an irritation for a couple of weeks and then he mentioned it to me.
I fixed him a quart of very strong nettle leaf tea. He drank it that afternoon and the rash stopped bothering him and healed up quickly. Here is how I made the tea:
1/4 cup dry nettle leaves
2 Tablespoons peppermint leaf (only for flavor, can omit if you do not like peppermint or don't have it on hand.)
Pour 1 quart water that has been brought to a boil over the leaves. Let sit for an hour or two. (No longer on heat.)
Strain out the leaves. Sweeten as desired.
For a stubborn case of poison ivy, this tea would be ideal to drink daily until the rash is gone. It may be a stand alone treatment or would go well with anything topical that you tried.
We have seen nettles taken internally to work very well for all sorts of allergic reactions, from seasonal allergies, to hives, to skin reactions to jalapeno peppers. Nettles is also very nutritious. It is considered to be safe for children, pregnant and nursing mamas. I always keep a large supply in my herb cabinet!
~Mama to Many~
Nettle Leaf
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn. ) on 08/28/2014
HI U MAMA, this got my attention. When I worked in South Arkansas in the 60's there was a guy who would make a nettle tea and would make you immune to poison ivy. Rumor was that he got this formula from Native Americans.
===OLE ROBERT HENRY========
How to Develop Poison Ivy Immunity
Posted by Rebel (Somewhere Usa) on 05/08/2014
I have been seeing all the post about Poison Ivy and had to rack my brain to find the website that has some info on it. This website has all kinds of information on all kinds of wild plants and a video on
Poison Ivy consumption to become immune to breaking out with the stuff.
http://thesouthernherbalist.com
then click on News Blog and find video on poison ivy.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Judy (Montgomery, Tx) on 09/05/2013
★★★★☆
Poison Ivy: I tried almost everything everyone listed including soaking in borax/hydrogen peroxide and ACV/baking soda. Fels naphtha helped but I've never had it from head to toe. It started on the tail-end of shingles so this has not been the best season... Acv seems to work best, even better than Tecnu Calagel. A combination of Fels +Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap followed by hydrogen peroxide left on to dry and topped with calamine has lasted up to 5 hours before the itching took off like a bat out of hell... Today I stumbled on a quick fix: Windex. Love the spray... Seems obvious due to Apple Cider Vinegar in it.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Tom (Fort Worth, Texas) on 09/05/2013
I came down with a bad case of poison ivy that my go to didn't seem to heal. So used Indian Healing Clay. This is a bentonite clay which is from Death Valley. But most any quality clay will do; clay being used for thousands of years.
Here's how to use it: Two tablespoons or more if the infection is widespread. Use purified water to make the clay into a spread. Apply to affected area. Let completely dry. Wash off. Two hours later do it again. The absorbing action of the clay is pulling the "poison" out of the skin. Next day do the same thing.
While the drying is going on, again use two teaspoons in a large glass of purified water and stir vigorosly: drink. The action of the clay will draw the poison from the body internally. Sometimes a bad case of poison ivy will get to the blood steam, so the consumption orally of the liquid clay will absorb internally. Goldenseal is good but I've found the clay is better. Also consider charcoal tablets as an internal cleanser... if you can't bring yourself to drink the clay in a liquified form.
Banana Peels
Posted by Margo (Santa Fe) on 06/17/2015
★★★★★
After supposedly being immune to poison ivy all my life, I am a bit late to the game (due to sheer denial! ) in battling a large poison ivy rash on my left forearm that has spread a bit to other areas. Thank you for this post, esp the recommendation to try honey. I did this--applied a thin amount over the affected area and covering with paper towel--and, as you said, instant relief! I also put it on the small areas where it had spread to my right wrist and my shin, then covered them overnight with bandaids, and the rash was reduced to almost nothing by the morning. Hot water to rinse it off has also seemed to keep the itch away for hours.
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Leticia (Houston, Texas) on 12/31/2012
I just realized that I forgot to mention that I used FOOD grade diatomaceous earth not the industrial one.
DMSO
Posted by Dak (Detroit, US) on 07/14/2014
Some people have sensitivity to Undiluted DMSO. Diluting DMSO with peroxide and adding coconut oil may help to tolerate the DMSO application.
Milk
Posted by Caroline (Alexandria, Va) on 12/16/2012
1 day into noticing bumbs, our 8 yr. old was in agony over his welts on his wrists and forearm. The doctor couldn't identify it. There were no blisters, some clusters, some welts and all hard raised bumps with redness spread around the bumps in 1/2-3 inch rounds. We thought they may be bites but when the cortisone and prescription steriod didn't work, we suspected poison ivy. It's winter here so not an obvious choice.
Thank you for posting the milk remedy! We tried it since our 8 yr. old will not tolerate stinging remedies. It worked extremely well to get rid of the itching and redness around the bumps--relief was almost immediate, if not w/in a few minutes. The length effectiveness varied quite a bit--from overnight (perhaps he was tired from a basketball game) to only 2 hours. We typically had to reapply with new washcloth every 2-4 hours during the day. The milk was low temp. Pasterized, from grassfed cows, 2%.
We soaked a half of a washcloth then put it on while still dripping, used the other half to wrap around the lower arm and wrist and contain the dripping half. Then gently secured w/ 2 bands of paper tape. He's kept cloths on for the past 36 hours--off for an hour here or there.
Bought some jewelweed in alcohol solution hoping to avoid another night of milk bandage but it didn't work. Perhaps because we didn't have cotton balls? We used bandage gauze and soaked it well. Then dabbed it on as per instruction on the bottle. BTY the solution was made here locally so I'm not sure if you'll find it in your local health food store like we did.
Dear EC--thank you so much!! Have often wondered whether seperating out the remedies suitable for children would help concerned parents finding options quicker as their kid wails in the background.
Over the Counter
Posted by Naturalmom (Minnetonka, Mn, Usa) on 09/23/2011
We finally figured out that my husband has poison ivy. It was difficult to discern because the moment the rash appeared I had him soaking it in a bath mixture of oatmeal, baking soda, lavender and tea tree oil, then covering it with a calendula ointment (by Hylands). It really made the rash look better than it felt because my husband couldn't sleep for several nights due to the severe itch. We finally read about the Tecnu Extreme Poison Ivy Remedy, called Walgreens and they had ONE bottle left ($15... Yikes) but immediately after using it my husband finally stopped itching and slept perfectly last night. The rash appears to look so much better now. We will continue to use it. I should note we put some aloe vera plant on it last night and this morning which is also very soothing.
White Vinegar
Posted by Samm0 (Brevard, Nc) on 09/13/2011
★★★★★
I applied generic white vinegar to any itchy area. The itch and irritation would stay dormant for 4-8 hours. I would say vinegar is 10 times more effective than calimine lotion. And its instantly effective. I had the rash for about a week. Finally I decided to apply Bleach and water 50/50. All of the rash was gone by the next day. I would have used H202 if I read up on EC in time but bleach worked for me. It would burn when dabbing the rash with vinegar and bleach, but above all the vinegar made my poision ivy seem non-existant.
Green Tomato
Posted by Carolyn (Milford, Ct) on 12/26/2010
★★★★★
Green Tomato: Green (unripe) tomatoes contain a compound which perfectly neutralizes the toxin found in the poison ivy plant. It can be rubbed on the skin if you know that you recently came into contact with the plant (and thus absolutely prevent a reaction) or, if you have a full-blown case of the oozing pustules (yum), it can cure them pretty quick. Just cut green tomatoes in half and rub over the affected area. If the sores are already present, do this 3-4 times the first day and once or twice the second day. Just use freshly sliced tomatoes each time. The itching will soon stop and the sores will begin to quickly dry up. I've had people come back and hug me for this tip.
Green Tomato
Posted by Grace (Portland, OR) on 11/14/2022
Hi Carolyn, I see this is a really old post, but in case you or someone else sees this, I'm wondering about eating green tomatoes that aren't just not yet ripe, but underdeveloped. In my enthusiasm for not wasting any of the small hard green underdeveloped tomatoes in the face of frost, I took them all inside and just made a stir fry with them. Then I started worrying--they are nightshades, after all. Do you know if it's ok to eat them in that state, and if not, is there something to counter the toxicity? Foolishly, Grace
Sweating
Posted by Louis (Newton, Nc) on 08/13/2010
★★★★★
I had a bad case of poison Ivy that was crusting with large red sores, and itching badly. It has been spreading and getting worse for about 10 days since initial exposure. Normally, it would have continued getting worse, but I stopped it in its tracks by walking out in the hot sun and sweating alot. I took a 90 minute walk yesterday, and a 90 minute walk at around 11 AM with long pants on in 90 degree weather this morning. It's amazing how within less than 24 hours, the big ugly sores have nearly dissapeared, and pink, healthy flesh has taken it's place. Even the scabs from where I peeled off the crust are flat, soft, and healing quickly! Someone else here mentioned a roofer working all day in the sun and that curing his poison Ivy. Well, I 2nd the sweating in the sun cure. Is it the Vitamin D, sweating out the toxins, or the radiation? Who cares! It works. It's fast, non-toxic, and free.
