What To Do If You’re Exposed To Poison Ivy

Posted on March 10, 2023 at 10:00 AM by Tom Swegle

picture of poison ivy blog

Have you ever been hiking, camping, gardening, or simply spending time outdoors when you think you see some poison ivy? Maybe you start to feel itchy, or you’re just worried you came into contact with the poisonous plant without knowing. No matter the case, proper poison ivy prevention and poison ivy treatment are key to avoiding (or reducing) a nasty poison ivy rash.

How To Identify Poison Ivy

Since so much of the United States is covered in poison oak, poison ivy, and poison sumac (and since they vary so widely in appearance), it’s important to know what these poisonous plants look like.

What Does Poison Ivy Look Like?

Poison ivy is found everywhere in the United States, except for Alaska, Hawaii, and California. There are two types of poison ivy plants, Western poison ivy and Eastern poison ivy. 

poison ivy pictures - Outdoor Joe's                                                   poison ivy pictures - Outdoor Joe's

            Western Poison Ivy Plant                                   Eastern Poison Ivy Plant

What Does Poison Oak Look Like?

Poison oak is found across a large portion of the United States. Poison oak is extremely common in California. There are two types of poison oak plants, Pacific poison oak and Atlantic poison oak.

poison oak pictures - Outdoor Joe's                                     poison oak pictures - Outdoor Joe's

                                    Pacific Poison Oak Plant                                                                          Atlantic Poison Oak Plant

What Does Poison Sumac Look Like?

Poison sumac is a deciduous tree or shrub that can reach up to 20 feet tall. Poison sumac grows between 7-13 smooth, oval leaflets, and colors can change with the season. 

poison sumac pictures - Outdoor Joe's

Check out our blog “A Coast to Coast Guide to Poison, Ivy Oak & Sumac” to learn more about what these plants look like, where they grow, and the differences and similarities between each plant!

How To Remove Poison Ivy From Clothes, Skin, & Other Surfaces 

How Long Does Poison Ivy Last?

Urushiol, which makes poison ivy dangerous, only stays on your skin for around 30 minutes but can last up to 5 YEARS on certain surfaces!! It can cling to clothing, shoes, camping gear, and so much more, transferring it to your skin when you touch it. 

How To Get Rid Of Poison Ivy After Contact

For skin exposure to poison ivy, wash the area in cool water with lots of soap. For clothes and other items, give them a good wash in warm soapy water to remove any urushiol that may be hanging on. Make sure to wear gloves when handling anything that may have come into contact with poison ivy or other contaminated items.

Is poison ivy contagious? Poison ivy rashes can’t spread from person to person, but they can spread from a surface to a person's skin.

What Do I Do If I Am Already Experiencing Poison Ivy Symptoms? 

If it’s too late to prevent a poison ivy rash, proper poison ivy rash treatment is vital for fast and effective poison ivy rash treatment. 

How To Treat Poison Ivy

After contact with urushiol, the oily skin irritant, it completely soaks into the skin after about 30 minutes. At that point, no amount of scrubbing with regular soaps will remove the pesky resin.

The good news is that there’s a solution! Forget normal detergents and soaps - there is only one product to turn to, Zanfel.

Zanfel is the only product that has been clinically shown to remove the poison ivy plants oily toxin, urushiol, from the skin ANYTIME after the outbreak of the rash.

After the poison ivy toxin is removed from the layers of the skin, the itching stops, and the body is put into a position to immediately begin healing the rash. Many people start to feel the healing relief of Zanfel within 30 seconds of applying the product!
Outdoor Joe’s® is great for helping build your tolerance to urushiol oil and minimizing your reaction to poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac, but Zanfel is the only product we trust to remove the resin from the skin after contact.

How To Build An Immunity To Poison Ivy

Outdoor Joe’s® is a homeopathic oral solution that naturally builds up your immunity to poison ivy, oak, and sumac. Our powerful poison ivy prevention method is safe and effective for all ages and can be taken with your regular medications. Outdoor Joe’s® works by gradually building up your body's immunity to urushiol, the irritant in poison ivy. 

Don’t believe us? See what a real Outdoor Joe’s® customer has to say!

"This product has been a life saver for me. I have been allergic to ivy, oak and sumac for the last 15 years. I could not go outside or touch the dog most of the year. After years of depression, cabin fever and a multitude of different medication, both topical & internal, that did not have much effect. I was highly skeptical that Rhus Tox would help. To my GREAT surprise, it did!!! This summer, I'm gardening again and my dog is no longer off limits. We are taking long walks in the woods and I suggest to all those suffering with plant allergy to at least give Rhus Tox a try."
-Katie

Want to avoid getting poison ivy related rashes? Get Outdoor Joe’s®!

 

Want to get rid of the rash and get relief? Get Zanfel!!