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The Best Home Remedies for Poison Ivy

You can also try Zanfel®, a special wash that you apply after exposure to limit urushiol’s effect on your skin. “It binds to the resin and neutralizes it so that it’s no longer an allergen for you,” Dr. Ng explains.

Home Remedies for Poison Ivy

Cathy Wong is a nutritionist and wellness expert. Her work is regularly featured in media such as First For Women, Woman’s World, and Natural Health.

Updated on February 05, 2023

Emily Dashiell, ND, is a licensed naturopathic doctor who has worked in group and private practice settings over the last 15 years. She is in private practice in Santa Monica, California.

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Table of Contents

If your skin touches poison ivy or another plant in the same family, such as poison oak or poison sumac, you may develop a skin rash. The rash occurs as a reaction to urushiol , the oily resin found in the sap of the plant.

In the U.S., healthcare spending accounts for 17.7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or the total value of goods and services produced by the entire nation for the entire year, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Urushiol can also linger on clothing, firewood, or a pet’s fur and then transfer to your skin.

Cyndi Monaghan / Getty Images

The rash it causes (rhus dermatitis or Toxicodendron dermatitis) is red, itchy, and often marked by red bumps, blisters, and swelling. It can pop up anywhere from four hours to 10 days after exposure and last one to four weeks.

While the rash itself isn’t contagious, if it is not thoroughly washed off, contact with urushiol can spread the resin to someone else. It can also spread to other parts of your body.

This article explains what to do if you come in contact with poison ivy and offers some common home remedies that may offer itch relief.

First Steps

If you come in contact with poison ivy, you should take some basic steps to contain and remove the urushiol right away:

Clean the affected areas: You can use rubbing alcohol, dish detergent, or soap and plenty of cool water immediately after exposure. This can help control a poison ivy reaction.
Apply a barrier: An over-the-counter (OTC) barrier cream made with bentoquatam (known to shield the skin against poison ivy) can also offer protection.
Wash clothing and pets: You should wash any contaminated items or clothing with soap or detergent. Also, be sure to bathe your pets to get any urushiol out of their fur.

After that, you’ll undoubtedly want to explore some solutions to help relieve the itching and redness.

Home remedies like those described below may help soothe mild cases. Though there is little research to support their use, some people try them with success.

That said, it’s always wise to consult your healthcare provider about any skin rash before self-treating.

If your case is severe, see your healthcare provider. You may need a corticosteroid prescription.

When to Get Immediate Attention

If you notice any of the following, seek emergency care:

Fever higher than 100 degrees F
Difficulty breathing or swallowing
Many blisters or blisters oozing yellow fluid
Rash that covers large areas
Irritation in sensitive areas like eyes and mouth

Menthol Cream or Lotion

Menthol has a cooling effect on skin and is a counter-irritant—a substance that distracts from the itch. It is an organic compound sourced from peppermint and other mint plants. It can also be made synthetically.

Some OTC products like Gold Bond Medicated Anti-Itch Lotion contain menthol. You can also find menthol in peppermint essential oil. However, you must always dilute essential oils with a carrier oil so they are safe for use on irritated skin.

Colloidal Oatmeal

Soaking in a warm (but not hot) bath with colloidal oatmeal for 10 minutes or longer may help soothe skin itching.

Made from finely ground oats, colloidal oatmeal doesn’t sink to the bottom of the bath. Instead, it disperses throughout the water, coating skin and temporarily relieving the itch.

Colloidal bath treatments and other oatmeal products are available at drugstores. One such example is Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment.

Witch Hazel

Witch hazel is made from the leaves and bark of the Hamamelis virginiana plant. Witch hazel contains tannins, compounds that can help reduce swelling and fight infection.

You can apply the liquid to your skin with a cotton ball to reduce itching and swelling. Place the witch hazel in the refrigerator ahead of time for an added cooling effect.

Witch hazel is one of the few plants approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for OTC use.

Cool Compresses

Applying a cool compress to affected skin can soothe itchiness.

Soak a clean washcloth in cold water, wring it out, and apply it to the affected area for 15 to 20 minutes.

You can do this several times a day for relief. Alternately, a cool bath may also help.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a home remedy that may offer relief from itching. In addition, it has antibacterial properties, which could help reduce the risk of skin infections that may result from scratching.

Since ACV is acidic, you should be careful when trying it out, especially if your rash contains blisters.

First, dilute the vinegar with a small amount with water, place it on a cotton ball, and dab it on a small patch of skin. If it doesn’t irritate your skin and stops the itch, it may be a good option to try.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a succulent plant. When you break it open, you’ll find a sticky gel that you can use to treat things like sunburn and other skin rashes—including from poison ivy.

You can remove aloe vera gel directly from an aloe plant. But more often, it is sold in convenient gel and liquid preparations for topical use.

Studies have found that aloe does not speed the healing process. However, aloe has a soothing, cooling effect that may offer temporary relief from burning and itching.

Baking Soda

Baking soda may provide relief from the itchiness that accompanies a poison ivy rash as well. In addition to treatment for poison ivy, it is sometimes used to soothe irritated skin from things like bee stings, dermatitis, and other rashes.

There are two ways you can use it:

Baking soda bath: Add about a cup of baking soda to lukewarm or cool water.
Baking soda paste: Mix the baking soda with water until it is about the consistency of toothpaste. Then apply the paste directly to the rash.

As with any treatment for irritated skin, always apply a small amount first to test how your skin reacts.

Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is effective at removing urushiol from your skin. While this remedy may not bring you relief from your symptoms, it can help limit the spread if you use it early after exposure.

Apply rubbing alcohol to the affected area, then rinse thoroughly with water. (This is a good trick for removing urushiol from your shoes, too.)

Summary

Poison ivy produces a rash that can be overwhelmingly itchy. However, at-home treatments can sometimes offer relief.

After you come in contact with the plant, wash the exposed areas thoroughly to remove the urushiol from your skin. You should also wash your clothing and pets.

Home remedies that may, anecdotally, offer relief from itching include menthol, colloidal oatmeal, witch hazel, cold compress, apple cider vinegar, aloe vera, and baking soda.

Poison ivy rashes are usually not a medical emergency. However, if you have an extensive rash, oozing blisters, fever, or other signs of a more serious infection, seek medical attention right away.

A Word From Verywell

After you’ve dealt with a poison ivy rash, one thing is clear: You’ll never want to have to do that again.

Be on the lookout for poison ivy whenever you’re outdoors. This rhyme can help: Leaves of three, let it be. In other words, steer clear of plants with three leaflets to a stem—a characteristic of several plants, poison ivy being one of them.

Also note that poison ivy may grow as a shrub or climbing vine.

12 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension. Poison ivy: leaves of three? Let it be!
Food and Drug Administration. Outsmarting poison ivy and other poisonous plants.
Cleveland Clinic. Poison plants: poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Poisonous plants: recommendations.
American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. Poison ivy dermatitis.
Liu B, Jordt SE. Cooling the itch via TRPM8. J Invest Dermatol. 2018 Jun 1;138(6):1254-6. doi:10.1016/j.jid.2018.01.020
National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy. Safety information.
Abbas TF, Abbas MF, Lafta AJ. Antibacterial activity and medical properties of witch hazel Hamamelis virginiana. Ann Trop Med Health. 2020 Jul;23:23-1146. doi:10.36295/ASRO.2020.231146
Food and Drug Administration. Skin protectant drug products for over-the-counter human use. 21 CFR §347.52.
Yagnik D, Serafin V, Shah AJ. Antimicrobial activity of apple cider vinegar against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans; downregulating cytokine and microbial protein expression. Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):1732. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-18618-x
Dat AD, Poon F, Pham KB, Doust J. Aloe vera for treating acute and chronic wounds. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012 Feb 15;(2):CD008762. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD008762.pub2
Ohio State University Extension. Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac for trainers and supervisors.

The Best Home Remedies for Poison Ivy

You’ve spent a glorious day in your garden. Or you went on a beautiful hike. Or you picnicked with friends, or took your dog for a walk, or… well, whatever you did, you’re now itchy, splotchy and covered in little red bumps.

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Poison ivy strikes again — or maybe it’s poison oak or poison sumac, as all three plants contain the same oily, allergy-inducing sap called urushiol. An estimated 50% to 75% of the population is allergic to urushiol, which is found in every part of the plant, including the fruit, leaves, stem, and root.

“When the plant is broken, the resin leaks out,” explains dermatologist Pamela Ng, MD. “You’ll get this rash everywhere the resin touches — and then, if you get it on your hands and touch your face or other parts of your body, you’ll spread it.”

Dr. Ng talks about how to treat your poison ivy rash at home and what to expect as it heals.

How poison ivy rash develops

Poison ivy rash (along with the rash from poison oak and poison sumac) brings on bumps, blotches and, typically, a linear streak of swelling and blisters. “It can even be weeping and crusting,” Dr. Ng says, “and it’s intensely itchy.”

But the rash may not appear right away.

If you’ve been exposed to urushiol in the past and are re-exposed again, your rash will appear in four to 96 hours (though 24 to 48 hours is most common). But if it’s your first time being exposed to the plant, it can take up to two weeks for a rash to appear.

“Your immune system has to develop an allergic reaction first,” Dr. Ng says, “so if it’s the first time your body has ever seen it, it’s going to take a while for the rash to appear.”

Just how contagious is poison ivy?

Poison ivy rash is easily spread — on your body and even from pets to humans. If you touch a poison ivy plant with your hands, for example, and then touch your face or body, you’ll see a rash at both the original point of contact and the places you’ve touched.

And you don’t necessarily have to make contact with the plant itself in order to make contact with the resin. “People can break out after contact with the resin on their gardening tools, their clothing, or their dogs,” Dr. Ng says.

What to do if you’ve been exposed to poison ivy

Uh-oh. While working in the backyard, you pulled out some unwanted weeds before realizing that one of them was poison ivy. Now what?

If you know you’ve come into contact with poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac, take a shower to wash off the resin. You won’t be able to get it all — after 10 minutes of washing your skin, only about 50% of the urushiol resin comes off — but you can lessen its impact.

You can also try Zanfel®, a special wash that you apply after exposure to limit urushiol’s effect on your skin. “It binds to the resin and neutralizes it so that it’s no longer an allergen for you,” Dr. Ng explains.

What to do if you have a poison ivy rash

Unfortunately, the best natural remedy for poison ivy is time.

“Poison ivy just has to run its own course,” Dr. Ng says. But if your rash has already developed, there are steps you can take to bring some relief in the meantime.

Use cold compresses: Three to four times a day, cover the affected area with a damp towel for relief — but don’t get it too wet. You want your skin to feel cool, but it shouldn’t turn soft, moist and whitish (called “maceration”).
Take a bath: Oatmeal baths and Domeboro® soaks are good home remedies for poison ivy itch, as they can relieve skin irritation. “They’re very soothing and can help dry up the rash,” Dr. Ng says.
Take an oral antihistamine: Over-the-counter allergy medications such as Benadryl® (diphenhydramine) or Zyrtec® (cetirizine) can counter your allergic reaction to urushiol.
Use an anti-itch product: Hydrocortisone creams, gels or ointments soothe the need to scratch. Just be sure not to use them for more than two weeks, and consult a doctor before using them around your eyes and/or using them on children. Calamine lotion and lotions containing menthol can help with itching, too.
Avoid other topical treatments: Stay away from benzocaine and topical antihistamines, which don’t offer any additional benefit. Plus, using them can induce sensitization to some of the components of these creams, which increases your risk of developing an allergic reaction to them in the future.
Protect your skin: Keep your rash clean to prevent infection, and if it’s blistered or weeping, wear long sleeves or a light bandage.
Don’t touch: “Try your hardest not to pick or scratch,” Dr. Ng urges, “because once the skin is open, you’re susceptible to infection.” Clip your nails short and wear long sleeves to lessen the likelihood of scratching.
Wait it out: If you’re wondering how long it takes for poison ivy to go away, you’ll have to be patient. The bumps and blisters can last 14 to 21 days.

Finally, don’t be alarmed if your rash gets worse before it gets better. It typically hits its peak at two weeks before starting to heal. “Try not to freak out if the rash isn’t gone yet,” Dr. Ng says. “This is its natural course.”

When to see a doctor

Most of the time, poison ivy heals on its own. But make an appointment with your doctor if you have:

Severe, extensive and widespread rash.
Rash on your face, including swelling around the eyelids.
Rash accompanied by fever, chills or signs of infection.

Your doctor may put you on topical or oral steroid.

How to prevent poison ivy rash

Once you’ve had a rash from poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac, your symptoms will appear more quickly the next time you’re exposed.

To lower your risk, do the following when you’re outdoors, especially gardening or doing yard work:

Apply an over-the-counter product designed to shield your skin from urushiol resin.
Wear long-sleeved shirts, pants and thick, vinyl gloves, as the resin can penetrate thin, surgical-style gloves.
Once indoors, take a shower to wash off urushiol resin and wash your clothes in detergent and hot water, including bleach, if appropriate, which can inactivate the resin.

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

The Best Home Remedies for Poison Ivy

Home Remedies for Poison Ivy