Looking for a natural poison ivy treatment that actually works? Here's how you can use the leaves off a pecan tree to heal your poison ivy rash at home naturally – no trip to the doctor necessary.
Natural Poison Ivy Treatment
By Jordan Winders
If you have ever had poison ivy then I don’t have to tell you how uncomfortable it is. First I would like to go over how the rash is contracted then offer you a simple home remedy for poison ivy treatment. I can only speak for poison ivy as this is the only one I have had.
The one thing poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak all have in common is the urushiol oil that the entire plant gives off. Yes, the entire plant including the roots, stems, and of course the leaves. If this comes into contact with the skin then more than likely you are going to have an allergic reaction and break out in the commonly known red rash you get from any of the three plants.
Contrary to popular belief the only way to spread this is by moving that oil around the skin.
So if you know you have just contacted poison ivy, stop what you are doing and go inside, wash your hands with cool soapy water. Soap and water are only effective if you can use it within the first ten minutes of exposure. After that there are some store bought products that claim to take off the urushiol, I have never used them so I am not sure if they work. As for the clothes you are wearing – be extremely careful when taking them off and get them in the washer as soon as you can as there may be oil on them as well.
Poison ivy is tricky and sometimes shows up as quick as a couple hours after exposure and sometimes it takes a few days to show up. That being said, after the rash shows up chances are the oil has all soaked in and there is not a way to spread it after the oil is absorbed. Unfortunately this is where the nightmare of poison ivy begins.
I stumbled upon a remedy for poison ivy using none other than pecan leaves.
There is not much to it and it keeps for quite a while. First things first, you need to locate a Pecan tree, here in Northeast Oklahoma there are lots of them so this isn't a problem, their natural range is from Central Illinois, south into Texas, west as far as Oklahoma and east into Mississippi. Now if you don't live in this area and can’t find them anywhere you live, find a friend who does and have them overnight some to you.
All you need is a handful of leaves to make a pot of pecan leaf tea.
Here's How to use Pecan Leaf Tea to Treat Poison Ivy Naturally:
- Strip the leaves off the tree. It doesn't matter what they look like, about 15 to 20 leaves will be enough.
- Fill a pot with 3 cups of water and put it on high heat. Put the leaves in the water and bring to a boil.
- As soon as the water starts to boil remove from heat and let it sit with the leaves in it until it cools.
- Then, using a soft cloth use the tea to wash the infected areas, gently pressing on the areas.
- This should take away the itch and help to dry out the rash causing it to heal quickly.
- Now, so I didn’t have to make pecan tea every night I just put the lid on the pot and put it in the fridge for the next day.
I kept mine for about a week and it seemed to be just fine. Plus, it really feels great on your rash once it has been in the fridge. This worked very well for me and I hope it works well for others.
Here's how to tell if it's Poison Ivy:
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