Anonymous
I came across a forum site on my smart phone on which there were literally dozens of recommended cures ranging from scraping your self with broken glass and then pouring bleach on the open wounds (ok, it was a bottle cap, but still..) to urinating on one-self (aghast, what if the poison ivy is on your face?) . But mixed in with the slightly misguided and odd-ball cures were some fascinating concepts.
The remedies that received the highest marks from those who tried them were those that:
a) removed the oil
b) dried out the affected areas
c) stopped the itching
So with that in mind, I selectively put together a regimen (from the suggested remedies) intended to bring relief and commence with the healing already.
1.I took a really hot shower.
2.I scratched open the areas that were the most “bubbly” and fluid filled.
3.I applied a paste of baking soda. I let it dry and then rinsed.
4.I applied apple cider vinegar to the open wounds.
5.One hour later, I rinsed the apple cider vinegar residue off.
Amazing immediate results.
I simplify your process basically only doing the first step. This sounds bad but scratch it until it bleeds. I've had two major outbreaks, one I waited out without scratching which took forever and one on my knees which I figured out the scratch it off remedy. Basically take a shower and scratch it raw being extremely careful to wash the area and anything you've touched the affected area with. Dry the affected areas with disposable tissue then cover with bandages. Keep any juice/runoff away from unaffected areas of the skin. I do this every shower until it's gone. If it's just a bump or two, it goes away first time. For the mass outbreak on my knees it took about three times. Obviously, don't use this process for your face.