Is there an organic way to treat poison oak?
Unfortunately, there's no guaranteed method for you to get rid of poison oak symptoms or immediately healing the rash. More often, you just have to put up with it until it's taken its course and your body has gotten rid of the poison in its own time. This can be an unpleasant experience, as anyone who's suffered the severe itching and burning skin that comes as a result of contact with poison oak will testify. There are, however, lots of natural remedies that you can try out with the aim of relieving your symptoms. Some will simply ease the itching and cool your skin, while others may actually help to clear up the rash more quickly. These natural remedies will have varying degrees of success, and what works well for one person may not work for another – so it's best to try out a few until you find the one that does the best job for you.
Nature is often kind enough to place the remedy for a symptom right next to the cause. Have a look around in the area where the poison oak is growing, and you should find at least one of a number of plants that are known to be useful in relieving itching and burning caused by poison oak. One is called Wild Peach, another (perhaps better known) is touch-me-nots. Picking either of these and boiling up the leaves and stems in water will result in a soothing balm, which, once It has cooled, can be applied to the affect areas of the skin to alleviate symptoms. Probably the best known natural remedy found growing near poison oak plants is jewelweed, a tall, wild, green plant with yellow or orange flowers. When you slice open one of the stems, you'll discover a sticky fluid – rub this on your rash, and let it dry, and you should get some relief from the itching. Many claim that it also stops the rash from spreading further.
Other popular natural remedies for poison oak rashes include Sweet Fern, rhubarb, honeysuckle, and numerous other unlikely sounding plants! Some people swear by a particular one, while others might claim that it does nothing at all. The level of success seems to vary greatly from one individual to another. Aloe vera, of course, is a very popular and widely respected natural remedy for many skin ailments – it's often used as a treatment for acne and sunburn, as well as other rashes. It does seem to be quite good for poison oak, too. Split open the leaves of the aloe vera plant and rub on a poison oak rash in order to relieve the itching. It can also bring down swelling, if you have any as a result of your poison oak exposure – aloe vera can be used safely on the eyes, which is welcome news for anyone who's ever suffered the pain of poison oak in or around the eyes! It has a cooling effect, and many claim that it brings down the swelling enough to let sufferers see again. In addition to aloe vera, tea tree oil is another popular all-round treatment for skin.
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