| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Grammygail |
Posted - May 27 2010 : 07:56:52 AM
I have a serious problem with poison oak. Next to impossible to work in my yard here in Tennessee without coming in contact with this itchy little weed. A friend of mine washes off with bleach water as soon as she comes in from the yard to remove the oil of this plant. I have tried this and it seems to help somewhat but I still manage to end up with a patch on me somewhere.
Does anyone have any natural ideas for soothing the itch or healing remedies? I try to protect myself from it when working out and try to rid our yard of it, (we live in a woodsy area). Trying to protect my grandkids who love to be outside is difficult too.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Itching in Tennessee,
Farmgirl Sister #61, Gail |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Tammyb |
Posted - Mar 29 2011 : 05:53:24 AM
We use a product by Hylands - homeopathic - that is drops.
Actually keep a bottle in the bathroom and one in the truck so my guy can get started once he leaves the woods. We also keep a bottle of blue dawn dish soap - only time it is used - in the shower to wash off with once we get home. Takes the oils off the skin and hair. Sounds crazy I know but it works for us. Feel better soon.
Tammyb
Live to leave a legacy
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| CMac |
Posted - Mar 26 2011 : 6:57:51 PM
Jewel weed grows around creeks and moist places in wooded areas. I've always heard that it is best to use the newest lightest green growth on the plant. It will ooze a clear thick liquid when broken at the stem. I've used it straight from the plant when backpacking. It is very soothing and I think the rash heals faster.
Something else to consider when avoiding getting a rash is our pets. If you have a pet that has contact with the plant they can give it to you. Any solutions for this besides frequent baths for the pets?
Also don't forget your shoes and shoe laces. I like muck boots and the crocs that are solid ( no holes in the toes) or rubber garden shoes cause I can wash them. The crocs can go right in the washer with the clothes.
By the by, poison ivy and ticks are already out here in Middle TN.
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
| cottagefarmgirl |
Posted - Feb 08 2011 : 09:12:18 AM
Calendula oil is a wonderful natural first aid remedy. Wash the area well first though. A health food store owner told me that she read that it heals so quickly that it can heal dirt into wounds. I believe it since I started using it. My husband uses it on fever blisters as well.
Another homeopathic remedy is Rhus Tox (it can be used for poisonous plant rashes or fever blisters). May or may not be exactly right for you but worth a try and safe. I have a well-worn homeopathic first aid book that I use all the time. Hope this all helps.
Cathy |
| OneHippieChick |
Posted - Feb 08 2011 : 02:19:38 AM
I had a very bad reaction to Poison Ivy when I was a child - missed an entire week of school from it. I have a homemade soap that I made with Calamine lotion for just such problems. I'm going to try and make another batch, but use Calamine lotion and Benedryl added together and see how that works out or if it helps at all. I've also made some "mud" soaps using Dead Sea clay which is supposed to be great for healing problems with the skin. If anyone is interested in these, I could sure send some small samples and let you try them. Just shoot me an email!
Also, my mom had good luck with covering the rash with light bandages. This seemed to clear things up pretty fast.
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Susan ~ Farmgirl Sister #1978
Fiber artist, spins, knits, crochets, sews, weaves, quilts, soap maker, as well as various beauty products and some natural cosmetics
Working on getting my Etsy website and blog up and running - stay tuned!
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| kathyjane |
Posted - Feb 07 2011 : 8:28:16 PM
We use Fels-Naptha laundry soap on poison ivy. driesit up in a matter of a couple of days.
Kathy Jane
Farmgirl #2565 |
| Grammygail |
Posted - Jun 23 2010 : 12:54:33 PM
Melody,
Your soaps are wonderful!!!!!! Forgive me for taking so long to get back to you. I have been trying them all out!! I am going to send you an order at a later date, want to use these now. The oatmeal soap really helped with soothing my grandkids bug bites and such. But like I said, they are all fantastic!!
Thanks again,
Farmgirl Sister Gail |
| mayamade |
Posted - Jun 22 2010 : 6:20:54 PM
also jewel weed is easy to recognize because the flowers "explode" when you touch them. thats the reason that one of jewelweeds names is "touch me not"it isnt growing up here yet either. maybe someone is a different zone would be willing to barter some dried or fresh it should make a difference (you can use the dried for a salve or soap, or you can dry the fresh for a salve or soap.) |
| Sourceress |
Posted - Jun 22 2010 : 12:43:49 PM
For those looking for the jewel weed - if you Google "jewel weed" you'll find lots of sites with info and pictures, which will help you identify it in the wild. Like Maya said, it tends to grow near poison ivy and oak - isn't that convenient! It's not flowering yet in our area (northern Maryland, up in the mountains) which makes it a little more difficult to find, but once it flowers, there's no mistaking it - those pretty little orange flowers stick right out and shout "Here I am!"
My husband has been battling poison ivy for several weeks - he got exposed while he was trimming the hedge, which turned out to have a fairly large and quite mature poison ivy vine growing all through it. We're going to have to get some major protective gear and go in and try to chop it down/dig it out. Until then, we're just trying to avoid it. I second the recommendation to wash the clothes you were wearing when you encountered the poison ivy right away, and without trying to wear them again. When you do, you want to wash them in warm or hot water, not cold. Also, if you didn't realize you had poison ivy right away, and slept in your bed, you need to change your sheets and pillowcases as well (and wash them in warm/hot water, etc.) My husband reinfected himself off the sheets several times before he figured out what was happening and asked me to help him strip the bed and get new sheets. We did that, but didn't realize it was in the pillowcases until a couple of days later, so then I washed those too. Hopefully our experience will save some of you from having to discover the same thing through trial and error!
My husband looked up home remedies for poison ivy on the internet, and he's been scrubbing the affected area with sea salt and apple cider vinegar, and applying some jewel weed lotion we bought at the co-op (which he says isn't very potent, so we're looking for some jewel weed to make our own stuff with - probably going to need to pay a visit to the in-laws; most of their property is wooded, so much more likelihood of finding jewel weed there.) He says the salt and vinegar thing seems to be helping a bit. He got the first round cleared up and then went out to finish trimming the hedge, and, you guessed it, got exposed again. So now we're back to square one again.
To the soapmakers who posted at the beginning of this thread - I'd love to get a bar of your soaps for my husband to try. Would you be willing to barter a bar for a handknit dishcloth or something? I am the Dishcloth Queen! Anyway, I will go back through the messages and backchannel you about that. Thanks!
Good luck to everybody who is battling poison ivy!
Lis
*the Sourceress*
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| levisgrammy |
Posted - Jun 19 2010 : 11:31:16 AM
Just an update and something we found has worked VERY well.
My son did some research and found that if you rub dirt, yes DIRT, on the parts that have broken out or on your hands and arms right after contact it stops the itching. It also removes the poison when you have just come into contact. Of course washing it off will wash the oil away as the dirt scrubs the oils off and they wash away with the dirt. I was just amazed when I found this worked for him. I always thought it was contagious when it was broken open on the skin and maybe touched by someone else. That is not true. Putting the clothes you were wearing in the wash right away is also something that should be done. If you don't know you have come into contact with it as some people don't, then scrubbing the itchy and broken out parts with dirt will work and it takes away the itch and heals quicker.
farmgirl sister#43
"All you need is faith, trust and......a little bit of pixie dust" ~Peter Pan |
| levisgrammy |
Posted - Jun 15 2010 : 08:44:05 AM
Thanks for all the great info gals! My son has poison oak or ivy or something and this is the first time he has ever broken out with it. Never used to. Anyway he has it on his forearms and in between fingers and near his eye. His eye looks a bit swollen.
We've been using calamine but he has to keep it covered when he goes into work as he handles money and they don't want it spreading. It hasn't spread as much as i thought so I am hoping it is a mild case. I have to go do his laundry. I am wearing gloves though as I don't want to get it myself from his clothes.
"All you need is faith, trust and......a little bit of pixie dust" ~Peter Pan |
| mayamade |
Posted - Jun 13 2010 : 2:36:51 PM
jewelweed is a miracle fighter of poison ivy and oak. i love it, it grows right along side poison ivy/oak. i think because the little jewel battles the ivy and oaks.
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| patchworkpeace |
Posted - Jun 13 2010 : 04:04:20 AM
I'm battling poison ivy right now. My dermatologist prescribes me a big tube of prescription cream every year. But I'd much rather use something natural. Since I have a bottle of tea tree oil in my cupboard, I'm going to start with that! Thanks for sharing the tips.
Judy
Success is measured not by the position one reaches but by the obstacles one has to overcome to reach it. Booker T. Washington |
| Grammygail |
Posted - Jun 07 2010 : 5:55:04 PM
Hi Melody,
I received your wonderfully smelling soaps!! I just can't decide which one to try first. So........I am going to open them all!
I use the same old soap all the time so this is going to be a treat.
I will definitely want to order some more for myself and for gifts.
Thanks again Melody,
Farmgirl Sister Gail #61 |
| Grammygail |
Posted - Jun 07 2010 : 07:27:11 AM
Thanks Darlene and Anne for the suggestions for the itchies!
Bug bites are awful around here with the high humidity and all.
They can make life miserable, especially for the little ones.
All suggestions are appreciated and I am sure that other Farmgirls are going to benefit from all of these tips too!
Farmgirl Blessings
Gail |
| HealingTouch |
Posted - Jun 06 2010 : 6:43:24 PM
New to you ladies. My first post. Burt's Bees has a soap that has oatmeal and mint. My husband just saw it on Pennsylvania Outdoor Life tonite. Also you can make a paste with baking soda and water which helps. I get it too and it sure isn't fun. Hope you find something that works for you.
Healing Touch |
| Libbie |
Posted - Jun 05 2010 : 03:51:31 AM
OOOOooooohhhh - I'm one of those folks that the bugs, itchy plants and things love, too - always have been. If all else fails, as it did for my mom when she was trying to keep me itch-free growing up, take an oatmeal bath (a couple of handfuls of oatmeal in a little muslin bag) and rub the oatmeal bag on the itchy parts. Then, give the little one (or yourself!) a little dish of calamine lotion and a q-tip and let them dab it on the itchy parts. If nothing else - it takes the focus off of being itchy! I know that calamine lotion has zinc oxide and a type of iron oxide in it, so if you're sensitive to these ingredients (or just don't wanna use them), you could try dabbing on the homeopathic "Rescue Remedy Cream," too...
I can't wait to see how all of these rememdies work! I just know all this information will come in handy at our house, too...
XOXO, Libbie
"Farmgirl Sister #10," and proud of it!!! |
| Grammygail |
Posted - Jun 03 2010 : 5:50:05 PM
Melody,
Thank you so much!!!!! I can hardly wait to try them!! My 2 little grandsons are just itching all of the time. No matter how much we try, the bugs just love to nip them and the ivy seem to jump out at them.........guess it is because they are so sweet! They are to me. From my Mama, grandkids and myself....
A big Farmgirl Thank you!! |
| melody |
Posted - Jun 03 2010 : 5:32:39 PM
Gail...I posted your package this afternoon and you should be getting it shortly. Let me know if my soap helps!
Talk to you soon.
Melody
Farmgirl #525
www.melodynotes-melodynotes.blogspot.com
http://www.farmgirlhistory.blogspot.com/
www.lemonverbenasoap.etsy.com
www.longtallsallys.etsy.com
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| antoinette |
Posted - Jun 03 2010 : 5:17:10 PM
Thanks Kathy for the website, I may just have to order those pills!! |
| justbe |
Posted - Jun 01 2010 : 05:13:43 AM
You gals are fabulous!!! Thank you for all the great info. |
| Grammygail |
Posted - May 31 2010 : 07:06:42 AM
Thanks Kathy,
Will look at the website! Good luck on your fence row. That is what I was doing so I could get the itches!! lol Be careful and please let me know if it prevented the ivy from breaking out.
Gail |
| KathyC |
Posted - May 30 2010 : 8:35:54 PM
We use homeopathy for lots of different things. I'm trying this
http://www.homeopathyworks.com/jshop/product.php?xProd=3095
Instructions to avoid an outbreak are included and I am trying it, you take 2 tablets morning and night for a week and then repeat in a month.
I will repeat next week and then clean off my back fence. I'll really hope it works, will let y'all know.
Kathy |
| Grammygail |
Posted - May 30 2010 : 07:48:50 AM
Well, I am going on a plantain hunt! Growing right under my feet. Thanks for more info about a bulk herb site.
That ivy is growing completely around the fence, the woods, can't seem to get away from it. I want to spray but have 3 cats, a dog, and my grandkids. My 8 year old grandson loves to climb trees, stomp through the brush, basically go everywhere the ivy grows. So all of the remedies that have been suggested will give me lots of options to treat them too.
Just a little added note......I have a brother that lives in Chickamauga on Garrets Chapel Road. He has lots of goats and they just love them. Most are the pygmy goats. Cute as they can be! I would love to have one but don't have the place to put one.
Happy to be near a Farmgirl Sister!
Gail |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - May 30 2010 : 06:34:10 AM
Plantain grows wild right in your yard. It's the little plant that grows close to the ground that has oval shaped leaves with veins growing long ways. The jewel weed I have not seen but am sure there is some around here. If you go the the bulk herb site and click on the video she shows you what it all looks like. And she lives in middle Tn. Tes, I have some huge ivy growing up some cedar trees right in the middle of the yard. The goats love them and sometimes I forget they have eaten it and pet them and there it goes. I just get a few itchy bumps though. No horrible rashes like I hear about.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Grammygail |
Posted - May 29 2010 : 8:48:38 PM
Thanks Kristin! Lots of helpful information here! Do you know anywhere to get platain or jewel weed? I honestly haven't heard of either of those. You live in my neck of the woods so I am sure that you have crossed the nasty poison ivy vine yourself. It can be a bugger.
Everyone has given me helpful information and I am looking into them all. Let me know about these herbs if you know where to get them.
Thanks again Kris,
Farmgirl Sister, Gail |
