Things You'll Need:
- Colloidal oatmeal
- Cool water
- Epsom salts
- Baking soda
- Soft, dry towel
- Calamine lotion
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Step 1
Run a cool bath in order to soak yourself after coming in contact with poison ivy. Avoid using hot water, which can open up your skin pores and allow more of the oils from the plant to penetrate your skin.
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Step 2
Add about one cup of colloidal oatmeal into the bath water, and allow it to dissolve completely. You may also add a couple of handfuls of Epsom salts and baking soda to increase the effectiveness of the colloidal oatmeal when treating poison ivy rashes.
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Step 3
Soak in the colloidal oatmeal bath for 15 to 30 minutes for the best results, ensuring that all affected areas are completely submerged in the water. Avoid using soaps or lotions while you are bathing, since these products can easily dry out your skin and make the poison ivy rash worse.
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Step 4
Use a soft dry towel to carefully dab away the moisture once you are finished with the bath. Avoid rubbing vigorously when you dry yourself with the towel, since it can further aggravate the rash, and even spread the oils from the plant.
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Step 5
Repeat the colloidal oatmeal bath several times throughout the day as needed to treat the poison ivy rash. Generally, you will experience 2 to 4 hours of relief from itching and discomfort from each colloidal oatmeal bath, depending upon your skin type and the severity of the poison ivy rash.
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Step 6
Alternate the use of calamine lotion with colloidal oatmeal baths to treat a poison ivy rash. Applying calamine lotion liberally to the rashes will coat, soothe and protect the rashes in between the colloidal oatmeal baths.
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Step 7
See your doctor if the poison ivy rash has not disappeared within 14 days. If the rash persists beyond this time period, there is a chance that you might have an infection. Blood poisoning can also occur if blisters on the rash become broken.
