Myths about Poison Ivy Rashes
Poison Ivy Cures, Help and Information

There are old wives tales out there saying that everything from bleach to oatmeal, nail polish to Vitamin C, can be a cure for poison ivy. Some do make it better - and some make the situation FAR worse.

Here are some things to be sure you NEVER try.

Scratching
Don't scratch! This is NOT because scratching spreads the rash. The only thing that causes the rash is the urushiol oil. If you have washed that all off your skin, then the rash cannot spread. The stuff inside those bubbles are white blood cells, not poisonous oil. However, scratching does form a break in your skin barrier. It is now super easy for infections to get into your blood stream. You could even get blood poisoning, if you put something on your skin and it gets in your system. You are having enough problems as it is - don't add to the problem by getting your entire body sick.

I've seen rememdies that involve lots of scrubbing, or covering the skin with a layer of towel or washcloth and then scrubbing. Don't scrub. You do not want to damage the skin. Anything that risks the skin opening up is asking for blood poisoning or infection. You need the skin to stay as intact and solid as possible. Your aim here is to have the skin be as healthy as possible, so it can solely focus on ending this rash.

Bleach
Don't use bleach! Sure, bleach burns off the top layer of skin and can provide temporary relief. But if bleach gets into any open sore, the blood poisoning you get can send you to the hospital. Use all of the other recommendations on the cures page to manage the itch - do NOT use bleach!

Poison Ivy Cures, Help and Information