It took my oldest son to bring bring back memories of last summer's poison ivy debacle. Although it wasn't a horrible case of it, it doesn't take much to remember the aggravation of that itch, burn and flat out unpleasantness of poison ivy on your skin.
His first line of defense, the band aid. On his own he grabbed a band aid in hopes to cover up the poison ivy patch on his arm. In his mind, he was going to cover the problem and forget about it and hopefully not be tempted to scratch. Unfortunately the nagging itching didn't take long for him to take matters into his own hands again. With my permission he asked if he could head outside to grab some plantain.
Image from Wikitonary
From our previous learning last year with the Wildcraft! game, we knew that plantain was a great source for soothing itchy skin. I've also read in The Handbook of Vintage Remedies by Jessie Hawkins, "Plaintain offers anti-inflammatory properties that help relive the rash and irritation and reports have even made it into the New England Journal of Medicine about the effectiveness of the her for poison oak and ivy."
If you're in a pinch you can simple pick some "non-treated with pesticides" plantain and chew it up making a juice with your saliva, then spread the mixture onto the poison ivy. He opted to bring his leaves in, wash them, break and crush them with his hands. Then he added a few drops of water making a greenish liquid appear. He simply spread this mixture on his arm and let it dry. I can honestly tell you, I never heard another word about his poisy ivy patch again. From there, there was no itching and the poison ivy dried up and went away.
Of course with any plant it is important to know what you're putting on your skin or ingesting. Herbal remedies can be used with ease, but you should be sure of what you are using.
The above Vintage Remedies link is an affiliate link.
