What are the Best Essential Oils For Poison Ivy?
The best essential oils for poison ivy are those which have high concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFA). These VFA provide the most effective protection against poison ivy. They protect your skin from getting burned and they prevent toxins from penetrating into your body.
There are many different types of essential oils available today. Some of them contain only one type of VFA while others may contain several types. To determine which ones contain the most potent VFA, it is necessary to test them out on various types of plants.
For example, some essential oils such as grapefruit seed oil or lemon balm oil are great at killing insects but not so good at killing other plant life. So when testing these two oils on different kinds of plants, you will need to mix and match the essential oils until you get a mixture that works well against both insect and plant life.
You will want to do this because some essential oils work better than others against certain types of plants. If you don’t mix and match the essential oils, then you risk having one essential oil kill off another type of plant life. You could end up with a toxic cocktail that would cause severe damage to your health if inhaled or ingested.
Essential Oil Recipes for Poison Ivy Rashes: What Are They?
There are several essential oils that you can mix together to create a poison ivy rash ointment. Many people have their own recipes that they prefer to use, but most of them contain the following ingredients:
Castor Oil – Castor oil protects your skin from getting burned. It also has strong antibacterial properties that help prevent the toxins from spreading through your body. It also helps soothe any swelling of the skin caused by the poison ivy.
Sesame Oil – Sesame oil is another great skin soother. It will help get rid of any itchiness caused by the poison ivy rash. It will also help to prevent the rash from hardening or falling off prematurely.
Lavender Oil – This essential oil has been used for centuries to treat all types of skin conditions. It also has a mild sedative effect that will help you relax and make you feel good.
Tea Tree Oil – One of the best essential oils for poison ivy, tea tree oil is something that you will want to have around the house at all times. It has powerful anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antifungal properties.
There are many different types of essential oil recipes that can be used to treat poison ivy. Most of these recipes contain the same general ingredients such as castor oil, sesame oil, and tea tree oil. Some people prefer to add other ingredients such as aloe vera, lavender, or calophyllum oil.
What is the Best Way to Apply These Oils?
The best way to apply these essential oils is to mix them with various carriers. Carriers are substances that your essential oils get mixed with. These substances help the essential oils absorb into your skin.
There are several types of carrier that you can mix your essential oils with. These include:
Astringents – Astringents are great for getting rid of any itchiness caused by poison ivy. The most common astringents that people use are alcohol and vinegar. You can also get medicated pads such as Tucks pads.
These pads are medicated with a powerful astringent known as phenol.
Creams and Lotions – You can use many different types of creams and lotions to help treat poison ivy rashes. One option is to buy over the counter hydrocortisone ointment. Another option is to make your own home remedy by mixing together a paste of calamine lotion, vitamin E oil, baking soda, and water.
People also use Bag Balm, which is an anti-itch product made from petroleum for the same purpose.
Emollients – Emollients are used to soothe your skin and prevent itching. They come in many different forms such as lotions, ointments, and oils. Mineral oil, cocoa butter, olive oil, and other vegetable oils work well as emollients.
Moisturizers – Moisturizers keep your skin from drying out. Most moisturizers don’t offer any type of treatment for poison ivy. You can buy over the counter hydrocortisone creams, which will help with any itching.
You can also mix together vitamin E oil and water to make your own home remedy moisturizer.
Ointments – Ointments contain a higher concentration of oils and waxes that act as an emollient. They are useful for chapped or dry skin.
Salves – Salves are a type of ointment that is used on rough or damaged skin. They can help to protect your skin from the drying effects of poison ivy.
Sprays – There are a wide variety of topical sprays that you can use to treat poison ivy. These sprays often contain alcohol and water and are good for keeping your skin feel cool and refreshing.
Washes – You can use medicated liquid soaps or body washes to help soothe your skin. These washes often contain ingredients such as aloe vera, witch hazel, and other soothing oils.
Will These Treatments Help Me?
The primary function of these essential oils and carrier substances is to protect your skin from the various irritants that cause poison ivy rashes in the first place. Once your skin is healed, these substances will help to prevent any more rashes from coming back.
These substances can also be very effective at relieving the itchiness caused by poison ivy. They work by either removing the irritant from your skin or your body, or by numbing the nerves in your skin. If you currently have no rash, using these substances as a preventative is a great way to ensure that you never get a rash in the first place.
Preventing poison ivy rashes is very easy.
Sources & references used in this article:
Oriental lacquer, poison ivy, and drying oils by O Vogl – Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 2000 – Wiley Online Library
Occupational poison ivy and oak dermatitis by WL Epstein – Dermatologic clinics, 1994 – derm.theclinics.com
Possible health and safety problems in the use of novel plant essential oils and extracts in aromatherapy by M Lis-Balchin – The journal of the Royal Society for the …, 1999 – journals.sagepub.com
Essential oils used in aromatherapy: A systemic review by B Ali, NA Al-Wabel, S Shams, A Ahamad… – Asian Pacific Journal of …, 2015 – Elsevier
Toxicodendron dermatitis: poison ivy, oak, and sumac by AC Gladman – Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 2006 – Elsevier
Contact Dermatitis Due to Oil of Citronella: Report of 3 Cases with Experimental Studies on Ingredients and Related Substances by H Keil – Journal of Investigative dermatology, 1947 – core.ac.uk
