Summertime means spending a lot more time outdoors, which usually means a lot more time in nature. It never fails that someone in my family will get poison ivy or poison oak at least once a summer. To help ease the pain we came up with this herbal remedy, it’s simple, inexpensive, and very effective.
A few years ago, my mom experienced a really bad reaction after getting poison ivy and then being allergic to the steroids prescribed to treat it. It resulted in a combination of 3 different rashes all over her body, I’ve never seen anything like it. It was like a rash layered on top of a rash. Her skin was so swollen and painful, the poor thing was just miserable for weeks. After a month of different medications and a trip to the ER in anaphylactic shock, we decided we needed a new approach. After some research and some trial and error we came up with this recipe. We slathered this herbal mixture on the rash three times a day for a week, then twice a day until it was gone in ten days. It was practically a miracle after weeks of struggling, you could see with each application it was improving. This has been a household staple ever since,
Recipe:
- 2 handfuls of basil leaves
- 1 handful of oregano leaves
- 2 garlic cloves
- Splash of apple cider vinegar
- Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (cold pressed) enough to cover the leaves
- Pinch of Sea Salt
- Pinch of Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Add everything to a blender and mix, it should be a thick paste. Apply to the affected area for 20 minutes, rinse with water. Due to the salt and pepper, it can burn upon application if the skin is open. This will subside pretty quickly and will only happen with the first couple applications.
You can’t really mess this up, that’s why the recipe isn’t exact measurements. You need to use fresh basil and oregano leaves for maximum efficacy, so you’ll have to buy quite a bit of it. Depending on the severity of the rash use 1-3 times a day. We’ve found that in the bathtub is the easiest place to apply it because it will be messy. The rash should begin to subside pretty quickly, you can cut down the number of applications as it improves from 3 times a day, down to 2 and so on.
So why does this work? Basil has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, these work to soothe the irritated skin and swelling. Basil leaves also contain eugenol which can be used as a topical anesthetic. Oregano is an antihistamine and has anti-allergic properties. This helps it reduce swelling, rashes, and allergic reactions. Garlic is a powerful antibacterial, antiviral, anti-fungal and antiseptic due to the allicin it contains. Allicin can help reduce swelling, inflammation, and increases the blood flow to the area. Improved blood circulation means more nutrients for the skin and can improve healing time. Apple Cider Vinegar has antimicrobial properties that also soothe irritated skin. Olive oil is rich in antioxidants and vitamin E that can help the skin heal better. Just make sure to get a good quality Organic Cold-Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil, it is minimally processed so it will retain more of the healing properties than more processed oils. Sea salt has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help draw out oil, infections, and impurities from the skin. Black Pepper also contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties as well as improving blood circulation.
Isn’t it incredible how powerful and healing simple herbs can be. If I hadn’t seen it work firsthand I’m not sure I would have believed that a handful of herbs could cure the intense painful rashes that my mom was suffering from for weeks that no prescription could touch. Nature is truly our most powerful drugstore.
