Fun Fact Friday
Did you know that a systemic reaction to poison ivy comes from the plants oil?
Thank God we aren’t seeing that bottled and on shelves, right?? Obviously you wouldn’t buy it.
I typically don’t get poison ivy, perhaps you know others in the same category. Learning about poison ivy was an “aha moment” for me regarding allergic reactions with essential oils.
When I was young I thought getting poison ivy would keep me out of school, I rolled in the plants my grandparents warned me to stay out of. Thank goodness I didn’t have a reaction. After that time, I would often remove poison ivy plants for friends and family from their properties. One summer in my mid 20’s my immune system was not great. I cleaned out these plants like I had so many years prior. I did get a small patch of poison ivy on my one hand. My mom said I must have been in a 7 year lull. I find it funny some of the wives tales associated with things like this. Maybe your body does lull every 7 years, I believe it was my immune system being poor, as it was at that time.
What I have learned since studying essential oils is that urushiol is the component in poison ivy causing the reaction. I have also learned that much like with essential oils, even if you are allergic, you can pretty much always prevent a reaction. With poison ivy, if you wash with soap and a wash cloth very well on contact points shortly after coming in contact with the plant you are much less likely to have a reaction.
With essential oils, patch testing is recommended because of possible reactions. Just like me not getting poison ivy, allergies to essential oils are very individualized.
Please patch test when working with something new, we just never know what our bodies may, or may not accept. Here is an article explaining how to patch test. https://www.aromaweb.com/articles/essential-oil-skin-patch-test.asp
Is poison ivy preventable in most cases following exposure? I think so. I also think that most reactions to essential oils are preventable if we follow safe parameters.
Here is a link to the max dermal recommendations for essential oils.
https://www.theresaneoforthat.com/maximum-dilution-for-400-essential-oils/
There are many articles on the Internet talking about how to prevent poison ivy after exposure. This has become common knowledge for me, but here is a link to one.
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-20597/poison-ivy-how-to-prevent-it-how-to-treat-it-naturally.html
