Poison Ivy season has officially begun right behind tick season here in Tennessee and it has started with a unsavory flamboyant entry. At first it was a few bumps on her arm and then across her middle. Within hours they popped up on her legs and started emerging on her face. 😱
Out came the vitamin C in all form. Pine needle tea, pineapple juice and fermented slaws with cabbage. Turmeric, ginger, Epsom salt, baking soda baths gave relief for a few hours in all places except her face. Normally this is sufficient for the typical rash issue but the only place not seeming to want to let up was her face. It was the most miserable of all!
I keep my notes in handy places and I started digging through them. No matter how experienced you are, jogging your memory in the moment to be sure you're doing "all the things" is legit. I did not feel ready for this early battle with poison ivy. I've never had anyone in our family get it like this with the exception of Adam. I ordered my curcumin CBD softgels right away (stink I was out) as this is his #1 for systematic or persistent issues...just.in.case. And this DIY calamine lotion recipe resurfaced.
To say this saved the day is an understatement and I wanted to put it here so you are more prepared this year than I was! At least I had a the ingredients on hand to make this calming cream!!
DIY "Calamine " Lotion
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup bentonite clay or European green clay
1/4 cup non nano sized zinc oxide
1/8 cup pink Himalayan salt or real salt
1/2 tsp sweet almond oil or olive oil
5 drops tea tree essential oil
5 drops lavender essential oil
Lavender hydrosol
Water
Mix all of the dry ingredients in a small glass bowl. Be careful not to breathe in the zinc oxide. Mix the carrier oil of choice and essential oils in a separate glass bowl and then add them to the dry powder. Stir with a wooden spoon or clean popsicle stick. Hydrated clay should not touch plastic or metal as a general rule of thumb. Start by adding 2 T lavender hydrosol and mixing it well. Add more hydrosol or water until it is the desired consistency. Store in a dark glass container with a secure lid.
HINT: If you have Sun Kissed Skin from us it will work in a pinch! Besides sun protection, we use it all the time for bug bites and diaper rash! For poison ivy, add a couple drops of tea tree essential oil and stir in some clay if desired and wah-lah! Some people do not like a more oil based cream for poison ivy but when you need to use something you have on hand already, this is a substitute in the time of need!