Poison Ivy

Poison ivy produces urushiol oil,
causes the rash to appear.
It's washable.

She's a subtle lady, until she gets under your skin. You may see her a thousand times, and never know it's her. Of course, I'm talking about toxicodendron radicans, not Uma Thurman.

If you've ever come down with a case of poison ivy, you know how tricky it can be to get rid of the stuff. I'm here to arm you with knowledge (and a few weapons) to prevent the start and spread of an allergic rash.

Wash yourself and everything you have touched since contact. If you are aware within 5 minutes of contact, you can probably avoid the rash altogether. You have about half an hour before the urushiol oil (sounds like a sushi sauce) soaks in and starts a reaction on your skin. In order for poison ivy to spread, you have to keep touching the oil. Washing all clothing and bedding will prevent its apparent "spread."

A life-saver for heat rash
and poison ivy. I carry it, and it's
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Once you do this, you're not contagious. You can concentrate on managing any rashes that appear. Scratching can cause infection, but it won't spread the urushiol, which stimulates your skin into developing an allergic rash. The good thing about allergic rashes is that we can use my favorite 999 ointment. With Chinese herbs and some immune suppressors, you get deep, cool relief within seconds. Stubborn rashes clear up within 48 hours using this ointment.


You can find more fun facts about poison ivy at the Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac Information Center.