Herbal Remedies for Poison Ivy

If there is one thing that keeps people out of the woods, it is the fear of getting a rash from Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). So it’s good to know that there are both ways to avoid getting a reaction, and that there are many natural remedies in case you do get the itchies.

The typical rash is caused by an allergic reaction to a chemical called urushiol, found in the sap of the plant. The urushiol is found not just in the leaves but in the whole plant, including the stems and the roots – which is why you can end up with a rash in the winter. In fact, the roots have up to 10 times as much urushiol as the leaves, so digging out the roots can cause an even stronger reaction than brushing against the leaves. Not everyone is reactive, but if you are one of those lucky people who don’t react, don’t push it! Some people develop a sensitivity to the plant over time.

Understanding that Poison Ivy plays a role in the natural environment has really helped me have a better relationship with the plant and treat it with respect. As opposed to many of the plants called weeds, this plant is native to the U.S. and it plays a role in the forest ecosystem. It only grows in areas where there’s been a disturbance – roads or trails built, trees cut, or other disruptions to the natural environment (usually by humans). This plant grows as a way to keep us out until the young plants can grow up and not get trampled, kind of like a “No trespassing, area under construction” sign.

Some people call this plant “Sister Ivy” instead of Poison Ivy because, in the words of an herbalist friend, “If you call a plant poison then it’s going to be poison.” While you can still get a rash even if you don’t know what to call it, I do believe that it is a good first step in creating a better relationship with this vine that guards the young woods.

Preventative Treatment

The first part of any strategy is prevention, and the first step is knowing what the plant looks like. You may have heard “leaves of 3, let it be” but there are lots of plants with three leaves (or in this case, leaflets because it is one leaf divided into three parts). There are wild strawberries, clovers, and Jack in the Pulpits to name a few.

Poison Ivy (photo above) may look shiny when the leaves first unfurl, but then it turns the same green as other plants so that’s not always a sure sign. It is a vine with what look like hairy stems but are actually aerial rootlets that dig into a tree in order to climb, and it can also vine along the ground or stick up a couple of feet into the air. The three leaflets have wavy edges that are different almost every time, and the leaflet in the middle has a stem while the two leaflets on the side don’t. The area where the three leaflets meet has a red dot too. Virginia Creeper and Box Elder are two similar-looking plants that are perfectly safe to touch but don’t have these characteristics.

Post-exposure Treatment

If you know you’ve been exposed but haven’t broken out in a rash yet, this is the time to act. Urushiol is an oily substance, so immediately wash your hands with strong soap such as dish soap or castile soap to break down the oils as soon as you get back inside. Also be aware that if you have pets that go outside, they can carry the oil on their coat, which can get on you. Be sure to wash not just your hands but also your clothes too, which can carry the oil.

This is a great time to use Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), a common woodland plant that can sometimes grow next to Poison Ivy. (See photo below.) The easiest way to use it is to mash up the leaves and stems and apply this to the affected area. This is basically just juicing it in your hand, but to preserve it for later use, you can run it through a juicer or (easier for most of us) throw it in a blender with some water, blend it up, then filter out the plant material. This juice can be used as is and will keep refrigerated for 2-3 days, or it can be preserved by freezing it in ice cube trays for later use. You can also add an ounce of isopropyl alcohol to every 2 ounces juice to keep it shelf stable for a year or so. Some people preserve Jewelweed by extracting it into witch hazel.

Treatment of the Rash

If you have already broken out in the classic red and itchy bumps, it’s not too late! There are still plenty of good remedies that will help. Don’t eat spicy food during this time because it brings more blood to the surface of the body and will cause more itching. Some people recommend showering in cold water so the hot water doesn’t cause the oil to penetrate deeper, but I don’t think this is necessary. Just be careful about itching too much; one of the main dangers is when itching breaks the skin because then an infection can start.

If the bumps start getting weepy, you can use herbs to dry it out. One easy one to get is Witch Hazel extract. Just the extract you commonly find in drugstores will help, but I often get the alcohol-free version that Thayers makes. Or you can make your own extract by steeping leaves and twigs of this common tree in some rubbing / isopropyl alcohol for a few weeks then straining it out. Some herb companies extract jewelweed in witch hazel while some use alcohol to extract both witch hazel and jewelweed in one place (see below for resources).

Oak bark is another great astringent to dry it out, made as a compress. To do this, make a tea of the bark, then soak a cloth in it and apply it topically.

One of my favorite herbs to treat the rash is Gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa), an Aster family plant that is fairly common in the western half of the United States. There are over a dozen species of Grindelia in the U.S. and all of them are medicinal as long as the flower heads are sticky. It is these resinous flower heads that are used in medicine, are harvested before fully open when they look like a small cup of white juice.

I have often recommended a tincture of Grindelia dropped onto the rash and let sit for a few minutes before washing off (if desired). Just by itself it is amazing, and sometimes I combine it with a tincture of Sassafras root, which also seems to help with the rash. Interestingly, one species of grindelia, Grindelia robusta, is one of the main ingredients in Tecnu Extreme, a common over-the-counter Poison Ivy remedy. But why buy all those other chemicals when Grindelia is what you really want?

One last home remedy is a salt water bath. Salt might break down the oil but it definitely dries out the weepy rash, and if you can go swim in the ocean then that is ever more helpful. Just be aware that if there are any rashes that have opened up that a salt water bath could really hurt, so an oatmeal bath might be a better and more soothing choice.

Here’s to letting go some of the fear of the outdoors and sitting with plants, as knowledge gives us courage when used with respect. There are dozens of home remedies for Poison Ivy out there – what have you found helpful? The comments will be open for a few weeks and after that, just email us with what you have found helpful.

Additional Information

I asked herbalists in my area what they used for Poison Ivy, or had suggestions about how to preserve Jewelweed more effectively. Some ideas included extracting fresh Jewelweed in Witch Hazel, using a Jewelweed soap, and one person said they had had great success using Peppermint essential oil topically. Here is a list of a few of the products they suggested. Neither the Blue Ridge School or Pine’s Herbals has any vested interest in any of these products, just passing on recommendations.

Chickweed and Jewelweed Soap (Four Elements)

Sister Ivy Spray (Spiral Roots Sanctuary)

Poison Ivy Spray (Red Moon Herbs)

Itch B Gone Spray (Cindi’s Sacred Garden)