Right now my oldest is dealing with the awfulness that is poison ivy. On her TOES! Flip-flops and woodsy areas don't always mesh well, even if it is in the middle of a city, during a festival, on a well-trodden foot path. Poor thing!
So we thought with summer starting, now would be a good time
for a post on poison ivy! If you’re anything like us, you spend a lot of time outdoors. And if you’re one of the unlucky 50% of the population who is allergic to poison ivy, then you have a good chance of having to deal with the itchy ooziness of it at some point this summer.
Here’s what you can do if you’ve been exposed:
The first line of defense is to heavily rinse the area with water immediately.
Then rinse with rubbing alcohol.
Do not use a washcloth or it will just spread the urushiol oil all around. Urushiol oil is the toxin in poison ivy & oak that causes the blistery, itchy rash on your skin.
Next, you have a few options. Keep trying until you find one that works.
1) Drying agents: use until the oozing stops.
*Calamine lotion (Zinc & Iron Oxides together)
*Zinc Oxide (think baby bum ointments/some sunblocks)
*Witch Hazel
*Baking Soda
*Colloidal Oatmeal
2) Oral Medicines: an added measure for if the itching gets awful.
*You can try Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine maleate)
*or Benadryl (diphenhydramine hydrochloride)
~~~just remember both can make you VERY sleepy!!~~~
**edited to add - what worked best for us this week was frequent foot soaks in warm water & baking soda and spraying the rash with a white vinegar & water mix. Great tip from my sister-in-law!
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