Announcement: Open for normal business hours
June 23, 2022
Figure 1: green poison ivy leaves
Figure 2: Reddish-brown poison ivy leaves
Figure 3: Red poison ivy leaves vining up a tree
Homeopathic Treatment: Rhus Tox pellets are used orally for poison ivy rash. 30C potency taken 1 to 6 times daily is a typical dosage. Take as needed – if the symptoms flare, take a dose. 200C or 1M potency can be used for more severe cases. A dose is 3-5 pellets dissolved under the tongue. Take on a clean palate, at least 15 minutes away from food or drink (other than water). Alternatively, you can use Hyland’s Poison Ivy and Poison Oak Relief tablets. This product contains Rhus Tox along with two other homeopathic remedies that target common symptoms of poison ivy rash.
Topical Creams and Sprays: Castle Remedies carries several natural options for topical relief. Quantum’s Itch Nix Gel contains a combination of herbal extracts, essential oils, and B vitamins in a soothing aloe vera base. Tecnu Rash Relief Spray combines the antihistamine diphenhydramine with herbal extracts of plantain, grindelia, tea tree oil and white thyme oil. Herb Pharm’s Soothing Oak and Ivy Spray contains menthol with herbal extracts of sassafras and grindelia. Some people find relief with topically applied Lavender essential oil – just make sure it’s diluted properly. You can add 15 - 20 drops of Lavender oil to ¼ cup aloe vera gel for a nice DIY topical.
Oil Removal: It’s important to wash away poison ivy oils thoroughly and quickly. Castle Remedies carries two Tecnu products for this purpose. Tecnu Outdoor Skin Cleanser is a gentle, milky non-foaming cleanser that can be used on skin, tools, pets, clothes, and shoes. Tecnu Extreme Poison Ivy & Oak Scrub is a bit heavier duty and can be used to exfoliate and scrub oils off the skin. We highly recommend having these products on hand. If you must go purchase them after exposure, it’s probably too late to prevent a rash.
Know When To Get Help: Seek immediate medical attention if (1) the rash covers a large area of the body, (2) if the rash is affecting eyes, ears, nose, throat, mucus membranes, or genitals, (3) if poison ivy smoke has been inhaled, (4) if the rash is not improving.