Poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac are wild plants that thrive in many wooded parts of this country. They all produce a resinous compound called urushiol. People who get this chemical on their skin frequently develop a contact dermatitis that is maddening, with a rash and itching that just won’t quit. The suffering can be intense. Is there a way to stop the suffering from poison ivy?
Preventing Suffering from Poison Ivy with a Wash:
Q. I have been using Tecnu for years to control poison ivy. It removes the poison ivy oil completely when it’s used after contact with the plant. It also helps dry up the rash if I haven’t washed with it after contact, though I don’t know why.
Some people use Zanfel for their poison ivy rash, but I have found that it is pricey. It costs about ten times more per ounce than Tecnu.
Removing Urushiol to Stop Suffering from Poison Ivy:
A. Zanfel Poison Ivy Wash and Tecnu Outdoor Skin Cleanser help remove the urushiol oil from exposure to poison ivy, oak or sumac. If used promptly after contact, these washes can prevent the itchy rash that normally results.
A barrier cream such as IvyX can be applied before going outside. It should help protect the skin from urushiol and make it easier to wash off.
The sooner you remove uroshiol after contact with poison ivy or poison oak, the better the result. Alcohol may be used to wipe off urushiol before it causes a reaction. Best of all, of course, is to avoid it in the first place. Remember the simple guidance: “Leaves of three, let it be.”
Correcting the Record:
Recently we answered a reader’s comment about using witch hazel to ease the itch of a poison ivy rash. We suggested a few other products that might also be useful.
In response, we received this detailed correction.
“Every year you write a column about poison ivy, and you do not have your facts straight. As the author of Itchy Business: How to Treat the Poison Ivy and Poison Oak Rash, Prevent Exposure and Eradicate the Plant, I would like to offer a few clarifications.
“Prevention: There is no such product as Ivy Block. The Ivy Block you’re probably thinking of was discontinued.
“Ivy Shield Pre-Contact Solution by Continental Research Corporation is a new product, having been released only in February. It is very similar to IvyX Pre-Contact Solution by CoreTex, which has been around for over a decade. Both are based on polyquaternium. CoreTex uses Polyquaternium-12. Continental Research Corporation uses Polyquaternium-11.
“Cleaning: Never use soap. Ever. Detergent only. Detergent has surfactants that encapsulate the urushiol [the irritating oil from poison ivy] and lift it to the surface so it can be rinsed away. Outdoors people know to take a ‘blue shower’ with Dawn Dish Detergent after being in the woods. Dawn is by far the best at cleaning urushiol from skin.
“After a few hours post- exposure, you must upgrade to solvents like rubbing alcohol and Outdoor Skin Cleanser by Tecnu. A few hours beyond that, use scrubs like Zanfel.
“Rash treatment: Hot water can work, but most people use water that is too hot and spray that is too forceful. It should be warm and gentle and the heat slowly ramped up. Ice water also works. Both confuse the nerves causing itch and relieve the sensation for a few hours.
“Moderately alkaline compounds also confuse the nerves, which is why magnesium salt baths and milk of magnesia work well. Vegetable poultices like cucumbers and chamomile and most other herbal teas are alkaline.”
Thanks to Amy Martin for sharing her expertise above and in her book. [The People’s Pharmacy is reader supported. When you buy through links in this post, we may earn a small affiliate commission (at no cost to you). ] Sometimes, though, professional assistance is required.
One reader reported this experience:
“I had poison ivy several weeks ago after pulling some vines which had not leafed out yet. (I know what poison ivy looks like when it’s leafy!) It was a mild case on my wrist (where the gloves and long sleeve shirt did not meet). I was treating it with Ivy-Dry and it seemed okay. A few days later I sat outside in the sun with my book. Big mistake! The rash got worse and started to spread. Poison ivy blisters were randomly popping up all over. I had to cry Uncle and go to a walk-in clinic for a course of steroids.
“A park ranger friend swears by Dawn dish detergent. He always washes with Dawn to get rid of the oils after a day in the field.”
You’ll recall that Dawn Dishwashing Liquid is also what author Amy Martin recommends for removing urushiol. Of course, the best way to deal with poison ivy is to avoid it in the first place. No doubt our reader would have done so if the leaf triplets were showing. But even vines without leaves can do a lot of damage.
Clothing should be removed carefully and immediately laundered so that urushiol on clothing does not cause a rash on later contact. Urushiol can persist on surfaces such as garden tools or shoes and cause trouble for as long as five years.
A Solution for Poison Ivy Rash:
Another reader offered this about using Zanfel to ward off suffering from poison ivy:
Q. I read in your column about using banana peel on a poison ivy rash. There’s a product out there that beats anything I have ever tried for my severe bouts of poison ivy.
Zanfel is a mixture of soaps that has an affinity for the urushiol oil that causes the rash. One day I got a few spots on my cheek from cutting weeds and used Zanfel as directed. The itching stopped for six hours after use, and the rash was gone in about six days; normally the poison ivy rash remains for 14 to 16 days.
Zanfel to Wash Away Urushiol:
A. The maker of Zanfel maintains that it is able to break the bond that urushiol makes with skin so that the irritating oil can then be washed off. If you live where poison ivy, oak or sumac is abundant, it certainly makes sense to keep either Zanfel or Tecnu on hand. Use it promptly upon coming in from outside. We’ve always heard that ordinary soap also works if used soon after exposure. Now having read the praise for Dawn (which has a permanent perch next to the kitchen sink), we’ll make that our go-to.
Tell us how you avoid suffering from poison ivy in the comment section below.
