One of my favorites was when they were testing something about poison ivy.
They assumed that they could just rub it on themselves, but eventually they had to test every member of the cast and crew, and they only found one person who actually had a reaction to poison ivy!
I came here to make a reference to that episode and I’m happy to see that you beat me to it. As someone who also isn’t allergic to poison ivy (and to whom people react with surprise when they learn it), it was extra funny to me.
I wasn’t allergic for many, many years - at least, I assume I was exposed to it over those decades, but I never got it. But, in the last two years, I’ve gotten it twice.
So, I would say: Be very careful even though you aren’t currently allergic.
Also, for anyone who has gotten it, this stuff (or equivalent) seems to work pretty well, as long as you do it right. It doesn’t clear it up immediately, but it definitely knocks it down some. It’s not cheap, but poison ivy irritation sucks.
I am horribly allergic to poison ivy, my ER doctor said the only worse case they had seen than mine was from someone who burned it in a bonfire and walked through the smoke, and I only had it rubbed on my pillow by terrible people.
As someone that has their skin rip open profusely from touching the stuff… Dawn dish soap, wash liberally, dry with paper towels or a towel you wash with all your clothes in hot water immediately after.
Then aluminum acetate dressings or similar astringent to pull out the weeping and cool the blisters. Don’t use antihistamine creams if you have open wounds, it will mess you up, stick with zinc oxide (calamine) and oatmeal baths to counter the drying.
Good advice, I assume. From what I understand, most soaps do not really do much to remove the chemical that irritates the skin and causes the rash, but I shouldn’t be surprised that Dawn would help.
In my case, the first time, I never saw it. The second time, I saw it and thought I was being careful (gloves) but still managed to get it on my arms. So my issue seems to be knowing WHEN I need to treat as though I’ve touched it.
Yeah, if I thought I even was near it, I know my timer is ticking, basically 40 minutes to get the oils off and clean up and I can minimize the impact to maybe a blister or 2 from some missed oil, it spreads really easily. And if you wipe it off while washing can be still spread.
Dawn is basically the king of oil removers, though you can also use alcohol wipes actually but you need to dispose of them faster than just showering with dish soap. Way cheaper than the branded stuff and usually on hand just missing moisturizing oils.
I would rather be needlessly clean and needing to moisturize than have poison ivy. But sometimes it just happens anyways.
One of my favorites was when they were testing something about poison ivy.
They assumed that they could just rub it on themselves, but eventually they had to test every member of the cast and crew, and they only found one person who actually had a reaction to poison ivy!
I came here to make a reference to that episode and I’m happy to see that you beat me to it. As someone who also isn’t allergic to poison ivy (and to whom people react with surprise when they learn it), it was extra funny to me.
I wasn’t allergic for many, many years - at least, I assume I was exposed to it over those decades, but I never got it. But, in the last two years, I’ve gotten it twice.
So, I would say: Be very careful even though you aren’t currently allergic.
Also, for anyone who has gotten it, this stuff (or equivalent) seems to work pretty well, as long as you do it right. It doesn’t clear it up immediately, but it definitely knocks it down some. It’s not cheap, but poison ivy irritation sucks.
I hear you. My girlfriend’s dad used to have no reaction, but developed an allergy later in life. She tells me the same thing.
I am horribly allergic to poison ivy, my ER doctor said the only worse case they had seen than mine was from someone who burned it in a bonfire and walked through the smoke, and I only had it rubbed on my pillow by terrible people.
As someone that has their skin rip open profusely from touching the stuff… Dawn dish soap, wash liberally, dry with paper towels or a towel you wash with all your clothes in hot water immediately after.
Then aluminum acetate dressings or similar astringent to pull out the weeping and cool the blisters. Don’t use antihistamine creams if you have open wounds, it will mess you up, stick with zinc oxide (calamine) and oatmeal baths to counter the drying.
Good advice, I assume. From what I understand, most soaps do not really do much to remove the chemical that irritates the skin and causes the rash, but I shouldn’t be surprised that Dawn would help.
In my case, the first time, I never saw it. The second time, I saw it and thought I was being careful (gloves) but still managed to get it on my arms. So my issue seems to be knowing WHEN I need to treat as though I’ve touched it.
Yeah, if I thought I even was near it, I know my timer is ticking, basically 40 minutes to get the oils off and clean up and I can minimize the impact to maybe a blister or 2 from some missed oil, it spreads really easily. And if you wipe it off while washing can be still spread.
Dawn is basically the king of oil removers, though you can also use alcohol wipes actually but you need to dispose of them faster than just showering with dish soap. Way cheaper than the branded stuff and usually on hand just missing moisturizing oils.
I would rather be needlessly clean and needing to moisturize than have poison ivy. But sometimes it just happens anyways.
I talk about that episode all the time. Its not actually a problem for most people. But those who are allergic to it, its awful.