Spending time outdoors comes with great perks like fresh air, sunshine, and exercise, all of which are fantastic for your health. But there’s a downside too—you might encounter things like poison ivy. If you’ve ever come across it, you know it’s a real nuisance, but the good news is there are natural ways to deal with it.
Poison ivy can look like a vine, shrub, or ground cover and can pop up just about anywhere, like fields, woods, riverbeds, and roadsides—all over the U.S. except for the Southwest, Hawaii, and Alaska. You can usually spot it by its thin, shiny leaves in groups of three, which is why people often say, “Leaves of three, let them be.” It’s a handy tip to teach kids so they can recognize and avoid it.
The plant’s trouble-making agent is an oil called urushiol. It’s all over the plant—in the roots, leaves, and stems—and can easily get on your skin from clothing or pet fur. To protect yourself while exploring nature, wear closed-toe shoes, tall socks, pants tucked into socks, and long-sleeved shirts. These precautions are also helpful against ticks and other pests.
If you end up with a red, itchy rash after being outside, you might have encountered poison ivy. Here’s what you can do. Immediately wash the area with cool water and soap if you think you’ve touched it. This might prevent or reduce a rash.
Taking a soothing bath can help relieve a poison ivy rash. You can add specific ingredients to your bath to help with the itch. While calamine lotion is frequently suggested, you can also make your own anti-itch cream using natural ingredients like bentonite clay and essential oils.
When your body encounters poison ivy, it releases histamines, which lead to that itchy, red rash. To combat this, you might want to try an oral anti-histamine. If you prefer to skip over-the-counter medication, consider these natural herbs with anti-histamine properties. You can take them as a supplement, drink them as tea, or add strongly brewed herbal tea to your bath for soothing relief.
Baking soda can calm the skin and restore pH balance. You can either put it in a bath or make a paste with water and apply it to the rash. Similarly, apple cider vinegar can help restore skin balance. Use it in a bath or dab a cotton ball soaked in it onto the rash.
Aloe vera is famous for soothing sunburns and other skin conditions. You can create your own aloe vera gel from fresh leaves to ease the itching and help heal the rash. Essential oils can be part of your natural remedy toolkit too—just add a few drops of lavender or tea tree oil to your bath, or make a poultice with water, apple cider vinegar, and essential oils like lavender, tea tree, and peppermint. Avoid using tea tree and peppermint on young children or pets.
Jewelweed is another great option as it’s known to reduce histamines and soothe skin irritation. You can mash the fresh leaves and apply them to the rash or use a pre-made salve from jewelweed-infused oil if fresh plants aren’t available.
Acupuncture might help too by balancing the body and reducing inflammation, which can help clear up a rash and its symptoms. If you have access to a good acupuncturist, it might be worth booking a session after exposure.
To stop the spread of urushiol, avoid scratching the rash, which could open the skin to infection. Be sure to wash any clothes or shoes that might have come in contact with the plant, and consider washing your pets as well to prevent further spread.
Natural remedies usually work well for poison ivy, but if you experience severe symptoms, it’s important to seek medical help promptly.
Lastly, don’t forget—some advice here is reviewed by medical professionals but always check with your doctor for personal medical concerns. Have you battled poison ivy before? Share what has worked for you or pass on these tips to a friend who might need them.
