The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
DMSO
Posted by Jay (Altoona, Fla) on 06/02/2008
★★★★★
I found that DMSO was also excellent for curing Poison Oak and Ivy. I imagine a combo of DMSO and H202 would dry it up in very short order.With DMSO the drying up of the blisters starts immediately as does the cessation of itching. As a child my rashes would be so bad that I would have to get shots to dry it up. Calamine Lotion, oatmeal baths, etc were all ineffective and did little more than offer a small degree of temporary relief.
DMSO
Posted by Justice (Texas) on 06/19/2020
DMSO will cause the garlic smell and taste withOUT any garlic being applied with DMSO. It's very common, and most people who use DMSO will notice this very quickly. So we'll people who come around them if they're using at long-term.
However, you must be careful with DMSO, as it does act as a carrier and a crosses the blood-brain barrier.
Anyting small enough to be carried into the body using DMSO as a carrier, can cross the blood-brain barrier and cause severe damage or even death. There are no documented cases of this happening, but it can happen.
When using DMSO nothing should come in contact with that area for 2 hours prior in 2 hours after application. Unless it is something that you are intending to cross the blood-brain barrier and be carried into the body using the DMSO.
Please be extremely well-versed, well educated, in what you are doing, if you are going to use DMSO as a carrier for anything else. Research credible scientific resources, and don't try whatever you read on the internet.
Over the Counter
Posted by Shannon (Conway, Arkansas) on 07/08/2010
★★★★★
I got a poison ivy rash all over my arms about 2 years ago when pulling weeds out of my backyard. It was horrible. It took almost a month to get rid of it. I had huge blisters all over my forearms and even strangers would ask me what kind of "accident" I had been in. I went to the doctor 3 days in a row to get steroid shots and he prescribed loratidine (allergy med) and some kind of ointment that didn't help with the itching, an antibiotic to prevent a staph infection, and prednisone (steroid). I had already gone through a bottle of calamine but it never really helped. The only thing that brought me any relief was scalding hot water and zanfel. I would put it on in the shower and afterwards my blisters/rash would look worse because the blisters would swell and drain but the relief from the itching would last about 8 hours which was awesome.
For the person that said that their rash seemed to be spreading after using it, mine did too. But it wasn't from using zanfel. My doctor told me that as bad as I had it, it's in my bloodstream now and could pop up anywhere. I had a small rash show up on my shoulder, thigh, and midsection a week after seeing him.
I'm sorry for those of you that have it as bad as I did. I don't wish that misery on anybody. I highly recommend the zanfel for itch relief. Good luck=)
Rubbing Alcohol
Posted by Debbie (Pensacola, USA) on 03/29/2008
★★★★★
A cotton ball or Q-tip saturated in rubbing alcohol will get rid of poison ivy. The alcohol is a solvent that will dissolve the waxy substance left on the skin by the poison ivy vine. Apply as needed. From personal experience, I can truly say that this feels really, really good on that itchy skin and works in just a couple of days.
Jewelweed
Posted by Mama To Many (Middle, Tennessee, Usa) on 06/10/2013
If you can't get Jewel Weed, try some of the other things on the poison ivy page here at Earth Clinic... some really good ideas there that are easily available.
Also, I have a teenage son who has had severe poison ivy many times over the years. He has had to take steroids for it numerous times. However, this summer he has been exposed a few times and has only had mild cases. Perhaps it is because he is super careful, but I think some other things have factored in as well. A few years ago he had bad asthma. Over time we were able to get him off all prescription and over the counter drugs and inhalers. We found for him that if he took Nettle Leaf powder capsules (3-4 capsules 2-3 times a day) and a Quercetin Capsule twice a day, he no longer had trouble with asthma! If allergy symptoms increased a bit (this always set off his asthma, as did any sickness) he would take a few extra quercetin and nettles capsules.) He took this daily for a year or more. I think it actually helped to heal him. Now he just takes it as needed. But since Nettles can be used for skin rashes, I always have him take some if he has been exposed to poison ivy or if he has a little bit. All that to say, taking nettles capsules or drinking Nettle tea (at least a quart or two over a day) may help a lot, too and it is very safe.
Hope you find relief soon!
Jewelweed
Posted by Jay (Orlando, Fl) on 06/11/2013
★★★★★
Externally applied DMSO will cure your rash.
Vitamin C Paste
Posted by Ann (Albany, NY) on 11/16/2007
★★★★★
I had poison ivy for the first time a couple years ago. It was sooooo incredibly itchy, I could barely stand it. After looking on the net, I found' a remedy from a lady dr. She said to make a paste of Vit.C powder (just add water). Apply and let dry. I can't swear that it did the trick immediately, since I'd suffered with the rash for several days by then, but it surely helped!
Vinegar, H2O2, Lavender Oil
Posted by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) on 01/04/2007 391 posts
★★★★★
The toxin resinous oil called Urushiol, can actually be detoxified by several ways. With the resins you can remove, or neutralize it nevertheless.
First start simple and wash the effected area with a strong detergent to remove the resin. When it is removed and the rash, is no longer reducing, you go to the next step of removing which is vinegar which will remove the other part of the resins.
How it is done is to grab a towel and try dabbing several times with vinegar, for example, to remove the resins. Try different areas of the towels that are clean and keep repeating until they are all removed. What vinegar does is it detox it and remove the oil. Rubbing alcohol will also work but less effectively than a vinegar.
Finally, after this is done several times, get the 3% hydrogen peroxide. It must not be weaker than 3% otherwise it will not neutralize the by oxidation of the resins.
The peroxide will cause drying, but it will also dry out whatever resins left over. So with a towel, this is rubbed with a 3% hydrogen peroxide several times, and find a new clean area of towel and do it repeatedly. The peroxide will neutralize what is left.
Finally, when it is done about 5-10 times, we apply this with lavender oil, 2-3 times liberally so that the oil will neutralize the toxin resin. Peppermint oil might further reduce but not necessary unless it is still irritating what is left of the rash and most resin at this stage should be removed.
The secret I think lies in the number of applications for it to work, which must be done for half a day, at one hour apart, at least. The reason why some antidote don't work is improper understanding of the mechanics of resinous oils on the skin.
Preparation H
Posted by John (Solon, Ohio) on 11/29/2006
★★★★★
how to cure poison ivy fast: Use the red tube of Preperation H your poison ivy will disappear in 24 hrs. You want to buy the cream Preperation H which really works great on all sorts of stuff besides poison ivy.
Preparation H
Posted by Kat (Mooresville, NC, USA) on 08/13/2008
★★★★★
To John: I tried your remedy first because it was supposed to work in one day. You weren't lying! I am really impressed, but I couldn't find one with red on the tube so I bought the Wal-Mart brand max strength. People this worked for me.
Salt
Posted by Wraiththirteen (North Augusta, South Carolina) on 04/08/2010
★★★★★
I had poison ivy all the way up both of my arms, it was so bad my hands were swollen open. I had gotten all the over the counter products at walmart that said that they helped stopped the swelling and nothing even helped the itching. When I found this site I went through all the cures and came to this one, and since the only thing that I had was salt and I had a lot of it I put it on my arms and hands. By a few minutes I had relief, heck it flatly felt good. I could feel it drawing the poison out, and within two days it was all pretty much gone. although I have a warning to go with this. The salt will make a mess. but it is well worth it.
Banana Peels
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 08/08/2008 489 posts
Hello Rosie, with all due respect to the medical field and Wikipedia, I disagree that it can't spread from the fluid in the blisters. Anyone who has ever had a good case of it will probably side with us. When you haven't been outside or petted the pets who have, and the stuff is still spreading a week or more later, it has to be from the rhus in the blisters that got inside the skin to cause the blisters to begin with. I also remember a roofer say that after initially breaking out with poison ivy one night, that after working on a roof throughout the next day and sweating up a storm, he found the poson ivy was gone after that. So apparently you can sweat it out, the same way it entered the skin to begin with. Now for the best thing I have found for this infernal itchy poison ivy, if you have a Dollar Tree or Deal's store go look in the hand lotion, shampoo section for a product put out by Fruit of the Earth called E or Vitamin E with Naturals. It comes in several different ones, but the yellow gel one is the one that I find stops the infernal itching and starts drying it up after the third time of applying it. You can probably find it in health food stores but probably not as cheap as at the above stores. It makes no claims at being anything other than a lotion or gel, but boy do I love this stuff. Just put it on the rash and reapply each time it starts itching again. The naturals in it are like chamomile, comfrey, burdock, etc. If you recognize the plant and know when you have come in contact with it, that's even better. If you go in, wash off, then get good old Apple Cider Vinegar & wet a wash cloth in it and thoroughly wipe everywhere that you think touched it. The acid of the vinegar titrates the alkali of the rhus and you don't break out (I think you probably have to do this within an hour or two of exposure though).
Bark of an Oak Tree
Posted by Scott (Asheville, Nc) on 06/26/2010
It works because oak bark is high in tannins. No DMSO is produced by making a tea from bark.
Vinegar, H2O2, Lavender Oil
Posted by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) 391 posts
★★★★★
Oh by the way, a traditional remedy for poison ivy is jewel weed (touch me not), but it is not easy to get, this is why a vinegar, alcohol, detergent, and lavender are a bit easier to find, and hence the remedy are geared on convenience.
Also, Ordinary vinegar works the best. Most supermarket vinegar will work. An antidote for jellyfish poisoning is vinegar, but then it is also antidote for toxic alcohol (methanol), aspartame, splenda, etc. Vinegar works by detoxification and it is in fact actually anti-histamine, anti-inflammatory, to most toxic oils. That I found out quite by trial and error.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by DK Clausman (United States) on 07/09/2019
★★★★★
Poison Ivy Rash Around the Eyes
How you may ask. Well we have an outside cat who when inside likes to jump on my lap when watching TV. I rub my eyes unawares at the time that the cat has been though the stuff. Waking up in the morning with one eye nearly swollen shut…bummer. My wife swears by the All Terrain Poison Ivy/Oak Bar.
I washed with cold water and allow the lather to remain on the affected area for 1-2 minutes, or as long as I could stand before it began to seep in my eyes. I felt immediate relief after using the soap and the washed area is squeaky clean.
Using ACV via dabbing with a cotton ball provided some longer term relief from future itch.
I diluted the ACV 1:1 with water as full strength burns the sensitive skin on the face. The swelling went down the same day and I can see out of the swollen eye. To address the dry, scabbing skin around my eyes, I applied a controlled and careful amount of Desitin Skin Protectant. The itch is gone though I still have some discoloration a few days later.
Salt
Posted by Katydid (TX) on 05/03/2019
★★★★★
This wasn't as easy as Bobby made it sound, but it did work for me too.
I tried putting salt on the latest bout of poison ivy. I wet my skin, added salt and waited ten minutes, but it didn't sting.....and didn't work at all. But then I thought, what if it has to be stinging to work? So I scrubbed the poison ivy bumps until I had flat skin. Then, because that probably released all that oil to go elsewhere, I scrubbed with Goop (no water, just goop), then took it off with paper towels. THEN I wet my skin and put salt on. Yea, that stings. I didn't bother with olive oil, since I had raw skin. I put antibiotic ointment on it; any over the counter cheap brand will do.
But the salt worked, which was amazing since I've never been able to get Goop alone to do anything. Let the salt sit on there the full ten minutes. I had large and small patches to do, and it works best on the ones you catch early. It works on older ones as well, but there is more scrubbing involved and this method may scar. I would NOT use this on children; the ice water method kills the itch for hours and doesn't hurt. For me the salt method didn't just kill the itch for hours, it eliminated it for good. The roughed up skin healed in a few days, and ta-da, no more poison ivy! But I may have a scar on my ankle where the worst of the ivy was. I personally don't care, it was worth it not to suffer PI for a few weeks. But something to consider if you're going to try this.
Ice Water
Posted by Katydid (TX) on 02/28/2019
★★★★★
Thank you for the ice water suggestion! I've tried many things for poison ivy and this is now my absolute favorite. Nothing else has stopped the itch immediately. THANK YOU! Side note; no way would I be able to stand ice water for two minutes. So that probably should vary person to person. For me somewhere around 45 seconds to a minute was good enough to keep the itch at bay for a few hours. And the swelling went down and has stayed down.
Benadryl
Posted by Sue (Charlotte, Tn) on 11/12/2018
★★★★★
I make sure to give my kids a dose of benadryl at night when they have poison ivy. I think it helps reduce the reaction and helps them to sleep.
Homeopathic Prevention
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn) on 04/15/2017
HI U NCDORTHY,,,,,,,,, as all know I's slow, but your post went over my head. What was in those drops? For some reason, your post made no sense. I have a feeling that the drops contained the poison ivy juice itself. Maybe not, but the last time I posted about eating tender poison ivy leaves to get immune from poison ivy, I got beat about the head and shoulders severely.
I think you will help all by explaining this situation a little better, otherwise, I still say eat tender poison ivy leaves for immunity.
Your buddy===ORH======
Clay
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn.) on 07/18/2016
HI U MAMA,,,,,,,,,,, told you several years ago that chewing on young poison ivy leaves will get you immune. Do you not buy into that solution? Guess you just want to treat the problem. Allopathic vs Integrative. Huh!
=======ORH=========
Clay
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn.) on 07/30/2016
HI U MAMA TO MANY,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, my integrative Doctor uses homeopathic methods to address what he finds wrong with me. The chewing of young poison ivy leaves is of the same principle. He is so successful that I'm going to chew the young leaves of poison ivy to prove this point. We all know that is the principle behind all vaccines. You just get enough that your body builds up an immune system to combat the bad guy.
In your last post you said that the Gov. would rightly put you in jail if you used the method I suggested. I think you had no solution, so that was your response. So let's see if I go to the ER or if I am now immune to poison ivy when I chew a little leaf or two.
Some folks talk the talk and some walk the talk. We'll see. ===========ORH===============
Baking Soda and White Vinegar
Posted by Aristan Garandeau (Ny) on 06/20/2016
★★★★★
The combo of vinegar and baking soda helped a lot!!!! It was worth the amount of pain I experienced!!!
Fels Naptha and DMSO
Posted by Saundra (Michigan) on 06/22/2016
I tried a baking soda with vinegar( it will foam up) mixed to a thick paste which is used as a scrub to remove the oil. It was markedly improved the next day and began to dry up.
Remove Oil with Towels
Posted by Timh (Ky) on 09/15/2015 2041 posts
M: Back in my days of working and exploring the wilds of rural Ky, if ever by accident had a minor or major exposure to poison ivy, a quick trip and swim in the creek did the job for the exposed skin in particular, maybe even with the exposed clothes on as well, given a hot summer day and enough time for drying. Recently, I have found spraying rubbing alcohol on the affected area, as quickly as possible, quite successful.
Also, as a warning, the roots & vines are also saturated with the poison. My last severe exposure was from cutting thick vines off trees and I didn't recognize the bark of p.i. vine grazed my arms ... until ... too late.
Breast Milk
Posted by Tuli (Redding, Ca) on 07/02/2015
★★★★★
If you are lucky enough to get poison ivy while still breastfeeding like I was, your milk will help the itch! I had an outbreak on my arm and tried many things, then I remembered that breast milk is good for all kinds of things. So when it would itch I would just squirt a little into my hand and rub it on the rash. It took away the itch as soon as it was on my skin. I bet this will work on husbands and children too.
Nettle Leaf
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee, US) on 08/28/2014
★★★★★
One of my teenage sons was weed wacking poison ivy and ended up with a rash on his arms. It was not severe, just enough to be an irritation for a couple of weeks and then he mentioned it to me.
I fixed him a quart of very strong nettle leaf tea. He drank it that afternoon and the rash stopped bothering him and healed up quickly. Here is how I made the tea:
1/4 cup dry nettle leaves
2 Tablespoons peppermint leaf (only for flavor, can omit if you do not like peppermint or don't have it on hand.)
Pour 1 quart water that has been brought to a boil over the leaves. Let sit for an hour or two. (No longer on heat.)
Strain out the leaves. Sweeten as desired.
For a stubborn case of poison ivy, this tea would be ideal to drink daily until the rash is gone. It may be a stand alone treatment or would go well with anything topical that you tried.
We have seen nettles taken internally to work very well for all sorts of allergic reactions, from seasonal allergies, to hives, to skin reactions to jalapeno peppers. Nettles is also very nutritious. It is considered to be safe for children, pregnant and nursing mamas. I always keep a large supply in my herb cabinet!
~Mama to Many~
Nettle Leaf
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn. ) on 08/28/2014
HI U MAMA, this got my attention. When I worked in South Arkansas in the 60's there was a guy who would make a nettle tea and would make you immune to poison ivy. Rumor was that he got this formula from Native Americans.
===OLE ROBERT HENRY========
How to Develop Poison Ivy Immunity
Posted by Rebel (Somewhere Usa) on 05/08/2014
I have been seeing all the post about Poison Ivy and had to rack my brain to find the website that has some info on it. This website has all kinds of information on all kinds of wild plants and a video on
Poison Ivy consumption to become immune to breaking out with the stuff.
http://thesouthernherbalist.com
then click on News Blog and find video on poison ivy.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Judy (Montgomery, Tx) on 09/05/2013
★★★★☆
Poison Ivy: I tried almost everything everyone listed including soaking in borax/hydrogen peroxide and ACV/baking soda. Fels naphtha helped but I've never had it from head to toe. It started on the tail-end of shingles so this has not been the best season... Acv seems to work best, even better than Tecnu Calagel. A combination of Fels +Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap followed by hydrogen peroxide left on to dry and topped with calamine has lasted up to 5 hours before the itching took off like a bat out of hell... Today I stumbled on a quick fix: Windex. Love the spray... Seems obvious due to Apple Cider Vinegar in it.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Tom (Fort Worth, Texas) on 09/05/2013
I came down with a bad case of poison ivy that my go to didn't seem to heal. So used Indian Healing Clay. This is a bentonite clay which is from Death Valley. But most any quality clay will do; clay being used for thousands of years.
Here's how to use it: Two tablespoons or more if the infection is widespread. Use purified water to make the clay into a spread. Apply to affected area. Let completely dry. Wash off. Two hours later do it again. The absorbing action of the clay is pulling the "poison" out of the skin. Next day do the same thing.
While the drying is going on, again use two teaspoons in a large glass of purified water and stir vigorosly: drink. The action of the clay will draw the poison from the body internally. Sometimes a bad case of poison ivy will get to the blood steam, so the consumption orally of the liquid clay will absorb internally. Goldenseal is good but I've found the clay is better. Also consider charcoal tablets as an internal cleanser... if you can't bring yourself to drink the clay in a liquified form.
Honey
Posted by Margo (Santa Fe) on 06/17/2015
★★★★★
After supposedly being immune to poison ivy all my life, I am a bit late to the game (due to sheer denial! ) in battling a large poison ivy rash on my left forearm that has spread a bit to other areas. Thank you for this post, esp the recommendation to try honey. I did this--applied a thin amount over the affected area and covering with paper towel--and, as you said, instant relief! I also put it on the small areas where it had spread to my right wrist and my shin, then covered them overnight with bandaids, and the rash was reduced to almost nothing by the morning. Hot water to rinse it off has also seemed to keep the itch away for hours.
Honey
Posted by Sacha (Cincinnati, Ohio) on 06/24/2025
I have the same issue of getting poison ivy from our dogs who must rub up against it. I started squirting hydrogen peroxide on a washcloth (making it pretty wet) and wiping both pups down when they come in and I don't know where they've been outside.
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Leticia (Houston, Texas) on 12/31/2012
I just realized that I forgot to mention that I used FOOD grade diatomaceous earth not the industrial one.
DMSO
Posted by Dak (Detroit, US) on 07/14/2014
Some people have sensitivity to Undiluted DMSO. Diluting DMSO with peroxide and adding coconut oil may help to tolerate the DMSO application.
Milk
Posted by Caroline (Alexandria, Va) on 12/16/2012
1 day into noticing bumbs, our 8 yr. old was in agony over his welts on his wrists and forearm. The doctor couldn't identify it. There were no blisters, some clusters, some welts and all hard raised bumps with redness spread around the bumps in 1/2-3 inch rounds. We thought they may be bites but when the cortisone and prescription steriod didn't work, we suspected poison ivy. It's winter here so not an obvious choice.
Thank you for posting the milk remedy! We tried it since our 8 yr. old will not tolerate stinging remedies. It worked extremely well to get rid of the itching and redness around the bumps--relief was almost immediate, if not w/in a few minutes. The length effectiveness varied quite a bit--from overnight (perhaps he was tired from a basketball game) to only 2 hours. We typically had to reapply with new washcloth every 2-4 hours during the day. The milk was low temp. Pasterized, from grassfed cows, 2%.
We soaked a half of a washcloth then put it on while still dripping, used the other half to wrap around the lower arm and wrist and contain the dripping half. Then gently secured w/ 2 bands of paper tape. He's kept cloths on for the past 36 hours--off for an hour here or there.
Bought some jewelweed in alcohol solution hoping to avoid another night of milk bandage but it didn't work. Perhaps because we didn't have cotton balls? We used bandage gauze and soaked it well. Then dabbed it on as per instruction on the bottle. BTY the solution was made here locally so I'm not sure if you'll find it in your local health food store like we did.
Dear EC--thank you so much!! Have often wondered whether seperating out the remedies suitable for children would help concerned parents finding options quicker as their kid wails in the background.
White Vinegar
Posted by Samm0 (Brevard, Nc) on 09/13/2011
★★★★★
I applied generic white vinegar to any itchy area. The itch and irritation would stay dormant for 4-8 hours. I would say vinegar is 10 times more effective than calimine lotion. And its instantly effective. I had the rash for about a week. Finally I decided to apply Bleach and water 50/50. All of the rash was gone by the next day. I would have used H202 if I read up on EC in time but bleach worked for me. It would burn when dabbing the rash with vinegar and bleach, but above all the vinegar made my poision ivy seem non-existant.
Green Tomato
Posted by Carolyn (Milford, Ct) on 12/26/2010
★★★★★
Green Tomato: Green (unripe) tomatoes contain a compound which perfectly neutralizes the toxin found in the poison ivy plant. It can be rubbed on the skin if you know that you recently came into contact with the plant (and thus absolutely prevent a reaction) or, if you have a full-blown case of the oozing pustules (yum), it can cure them pretty quick. Just cut green tomatoes in half and rub over the affected area. If the sores are already present, do this 3-4 times the first day and once or twice the second day. Just use freshly sliced tomatoes each time. The itching will soon stop and the sores will begin to quickly dry up. I've had people come back and hug me for this tip.
Green Tomato
Posted by Grace (Portland, OR) on 11/14/2022
Hi Carolyn, I see this is a really old post, but in case you or someone else sees this, I'm wondering about eating green tomatoes that aren't just not yet ripe, but underdeveloped. In my enthusiasm for not wasting any of the small hard green underdeveloped tomatoes in the face of frost, I took them all inside and just made a stir fry with them. Then I started worrying--they are nightshades, after all. Do you know if it's ok to eat them in that state, and if not, is there something to counter the toxicity? Foolishly, Grace
