The #1 Best Way to Never Get Poison Ivy, Oak, or Sumac Again

Overview – What causes the rash from Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac?

Poison Ivy, oak, and poison sumac cause skin rashes anytime there is contact with the plant and its oily sap. This is caused by Urushiol, the oil from the plant that causes the reaction. It is a misconception that some people are not allergic to it, as the rash is not caused by allergies but is caused by an immunity reaction. Over time, anyone will have reactions to the plant due simply to their immune system no longer being able to prevent the rash from exposure.

Therefore, people start to develop reactions to the plants as they get older – it’s simply more exposure that breakdowns their natural immunity.

This is also why the more exposure you have to the plant, the worse the reaction.  

There is no way to build immunity naturally to the reactions that poison ivy, sumac, or oak cause.  There are only ways to prevent the rash from occurring or taking certain medications to prevent and treat the rash.

The #1 Best Way To Prevent Poison Ivy, Oak, or Sumac Again

This is related to the skin rash that plants cause after contact with the Urushiol from the plant.

Few essential things to know:

1. The Urushiol or sap can stay and live on surfaces such as shoelaces, shirts, and pants for years.
2. There is a period to prevent the skin rash, which is 2 – 8 hours after exposure, a general rule of thumb is the quicker you can wash it off, the better

Now, the best way to never get Poison Ivy, Oak, or Sumac again is to perform the following after a potential exposure immediately:

1. Remove all clothes and anything that was in contact with the plant and wash everything, and do not touch it again until after it is washed
2. Immediately take a shower and start washing your whole body
3. Use a washcloth – this is the most crucial step with soap (use blue dawn to ensure)
4. The friction from the washcloth will remove the sap and urushiol
5. Rinse off

It is that simple, use a washcloth and apply friction to remove the sap and oil from the plant that causes the skin reaction.

This is all that you need to purchase: a simple, easy to use washcloth.

Below is the one we recommend:

Large 100% Cotton Washcloth

• Get white in order to bleach them after – wash separately
• Do not use fabric softener in order to keep them extra absorbent
• Double Stitch end to ensure it does not fray and fall apart
• These come in a 12 pack and are 100% cotton

There is no need to purchase expensive treatment or soap, as the washcloth alone is the most incredible preventive tool you can use.

To ensure, clean off your whole-body multiple times with soap, such as wash off as you usually would first, then use the washcloth, and then use a new washcloth or soap for a final rinse down.

Tips

When in the shower and cleaning off, use the following tips to ensure you remove all the Urushiol and prevent the skin reaction:

1. Start from the head down – with shampoo and your face
2. Make sure to get behind your ears and in your ears and neck
3. Make sure to get between your fingers
4. Make sure to get your elbow and knee area as these are common spots that are commonly neglected
5. Perform multiple scrubs from head to toe

Overall – The Best Way to Prevent the Skin Rash to Poison Ivy, Oak, or Sumac

While everyone will say not to go near it, it is often never an option or a decision to get exposed to the sap. The best way is to wash off with a washcloth after and not touch any items, including shoelaces or shoes, after the exposure until those items are properly washed.

I hope this is helpful and saves you aggravation and many costly products.