Kitchen-Pantry Remedies for Poison Ivy

A regular victim of botanical abuse, WSJ's About the House columnist Wendy Bounds discusses home remedies for poison ivy.

More from the Wall Street Journal:

[carolinemiller]

An old logger told me to put Dr. Tichenor’s mouthwash on it. I’d never heard of the mouthwash, but found some at a grocery store. It’s mainly peppermint oil. I’ve found it does help dry it up faster, and the rash isn’t as severe when used quickly after exposure.

[rianethomas]

I have found a cheap, easy, DIY solution for when you've already been exposed and have started to react to the PI oil. Whenever I realize I've got a PI rash coming on, I start drinking beet juice. Trust me, as weird as it is, I wouldn't do it if it didn't work, and this remedy has been working for me and my family for three years. If we are paying attention and catch it early enough, sometimes the blisters don't even form. You can drink beet juice from the canned grocery store beets, or make your own fermented beet kvass. Either works. Hope this helps anyone who has already got the poison ivy reaction started.

[Michael-kxim]

baking soda and water
make a paste and really dry it out and no itch

[terryhites]

I loved the no so subliminal use of the New York Times for protection 🤕🤕

[LateBoomer]

Not helpful but funny and took my mind off the itch for about 3 minutes. LOL

[susanmiller]

Drink a bottle of fruit pectin at the beginning of poison oak season. (It is the stuff you use if you are making jelly.). It tastes awful, but I used to spend a lot of the year itching. It seems to work for me.

[jdog]

Also apparently potatoes in a paste can help with poison ivy too

[thehumanexperience]

You’re funny, specially the part where you say no one wants to read the New York times

[cibbykrell]

I helped my granddad clear a fence line on his farm as a kid of about 12. He then burned the debris. The poison ivy I got in my lungs and on 33% of my body was hellacious. Repeated Cortizone shots by the family doc eased the symptoms and eventually led to complete relief. On more than one occasion, my mom (a nurse as well as a country girl) used gasoline on the worst of the blistering areas.

[richliberati]

Baby diaper cream ( zinc oxide) helped me more than prednisone / sulfa drugs and every thing else ( baking soda, epsom salt, cold soaks, all the topical creams, calimine, etc. I was covered from eyelids all down to my ankles. The itching was unreal.

[ywcbzqt]

Always wash with soap but most importantly wash with a wet wash cloth and scrub and rub everywhere. It works. Tools too.

[jenniferreiser]

Baking soda and Himalayan salt make a paste . I have it right now from my dog and it takes it away in like two days the itch and blaster away and drys it up like no one’s business!

[noanyobiseniss]

Wow what timing, I just ate watermelon a few minutes ago for the first time in years!

[bradboisvert]

Go to the beach ocean water and sun drys that right out

[PokeEnjoyer]

None of that works I tried the baking soda and it just burned and made it worse

[kichigan]

Nothing was working for me until accidentally sprayed Repel Miskito Repellant. I'm talking about the itching.

[courtnymeserve]

My skin gets EXTREMELY red when I am infected with poison ivy :( hope this works to get rid of it before school :D I also heard that saltwater helps...can someone give me a definite answer?

[mreugene]

prednisone 20mg tablet 3 times a day it will start working in 3 hours or less

[clevelandstreetpreachers]

Organic maple syrup helps relieve strong itches

[moralesnancy]

Hi my father works in landscaping. He has a remedy he uses with exposure to poison ivy. Since he is constantly exposed to it. All you need is 2 ingredients car gasoline mix Stihl engine oil. Apply it to affected area on skin. Before and after. Hope it helps.