the summer itch

It's that time of year again; all the plants have finally grown big and green again including the dreaded poison ivy and poison oak. If you're a super-allergic yet also super-outdoorsy person like I am, you probably know what the little buggers look like and can keep away. But for those of you who have trouble picking them out among all the other leafy green things or are just prone to getting poison ivy rashes despite keeping your distance (me included), it's important to know how to keep it from spreading and to treat that ugly awful red itchy rash you get.

(Just a quick image to help you remember what poison ivy/oak looks like. Three leaves rule, with a red stem.)

In my personal experience, the first thing to do once you even THINK that you MIGHT have poison ivy is to wash it off! The oil from the leaves will spread as you tough the area, so washing the oil off will keep if from giving you more itchy patches. There are herbal soaps you can use to wash the area off that are made specifically for these situations, but I just use a grease-cutting dish soap. Just get that oil off your skin! ALSO it's a really good idea to take all the clothes you were wearing when you got the poison ivy and put it all in a garbage bag. Wash these things SEPARATE from your other clothes. You can wash them a second time if you're paranoid.

So now you've washed it off and it's all red and super duper itchy. I hate to break it to you, but it's gonna be itchy for a while. BUT there are some natural remedies to help soothe the redness and itch.

Soaking the affected area in warm water with some baking soda and/or raw oats will help a whole lot. The baking soda helps to heal and clean the area and the oats help to soothe the skin. If it's a larger area, you can soak in a bath and mix a small amount of baking soda with raw oats into a dish rag and tie it into a little ball and just chuck it in the tub with you.

If you really just can't stand the itchiness, there are several all-natural products you can find at a health food type store that relieve poison ivy itch. I suggest something with aloe vera in it (which is also awesome for sunburns).

Try not to scratch the rash as much as possible. If you accidentally break open the rash, clean it with rubbing alcohol and put antibacterial gel on it ASAP. You don't wanna have an itchy AND infected red rash!

Stay away from the three-leafed menace and use as much natural remedies as you can! Be healthy and stay tuned!