Do you remember the last time you had poison ivy?
I was in seventh grade. Mary Willen and I decided to roast marshmallows in my parent’s fireplace; it was a crisp autumn evening in idyllic Reisterstown, Maryland. We climbed a tree out back to get branches long enough to work. The next day I got a phone call from someone that sounded like Mary with marbles in her mouth, the only thing I could make out was, “poison ivy”.
The week that followed we both ended up with poison ivy everywhere. I won’t get into detail but let’s just say it was in places where the sun doesn’t shine. We both missed a week of school and had to be medicated. That said, if you get a really bad case of poison ivy, go to the doctor and do what is medically necessary to heal.
I have not had poison ivy since then, until now.
Toxicodendron radicans, commonly known as poison ivy, is a poisonous North American plant that is well known for its production of urushiol, a clear liquid compound found within the sap of the plant … Wikipedia
Honey Body Products to Soothe Poison Ivy
I was working on the farm clearing away debris from the blackberry plants and that must be where it happened. Nothing over-the-counter provided relief. I was about to go to the doctor when my “honey” looked at my oozing sores and suggested that maybe I had MRSA.
I had just published a blog on apitherapy and the effects of honey on MRSA and figured what the heck?!
Off I went to the tub, pulled out my Honey and Lavender Soap with Pumice, and gently sudsed up my skin. In addition to a light scrubbing with the pumice soap, I used our Honey Body Scrub and let the honey work its magic. It was soothing.
This milk, honey, and oatmeal bath can also be very helpful. Oatmeal is comforting and soothing on irritated skin, and poison ivy rashes are no exception.
Anyone of our bath soaks can also help ease the itch, any itch, even dry-skin itch.
Always remember, “Leaves of three, let it bee.“
I got poison ivy a couple of summers ago and it drove me nuts. The itching and redness didn’t go away for weeks. I will try your suggestions next time (hopefully there won’t be a next time!).
I hear you! It was a couple weeks before I started treating this– It kept me up at night! Crazy! The soap was great!
The next time you have poison ivy, try this. Get a bottle of bleach (or Clorox) and put it by the bathtub. Draw yourself a very, very hot bath. A hot shower will not work. A lukewarm bath will not work. Hot. Get in the tub and scrub the affected areas with a washcloth and soap. When you can’t stand the heat anymore, stand up, pour bleach in your cupped hand and rub the affected areas with the bleach. The bleach will feel cool and soothing. Don’t be stingy with the bleach. It will never itch again. If you get any itching, try again later with more heat, scrubbing and bleach. The marks will heal at the same rate and they will be ugly, but they will not itch.
Thanks Russ, I appreciate that you wrote to share! I’m a little spooked about bathing in bleach, but I will take your advice if this happens again! All my best, kb