Does anyone know of a poison ivy prevention cream or spray? I'm not sure if it even exists, but a large group of kids will be wandering through the woods this weekend and I would like to prevent them from getting any poison ivy if possible. Thanks!
There is no way to prevent it except to prevent contact. It's actually the oil in the leaves that causes the reaction so have some big wet wipes and get them to soap and water as fast as possible if they have contact. Remind everyone to wear long pants tucked into boots and show them a picture of the poison ivy so they know what to avoid. Good luck:)
I bought 2 products at my local drugstore, but I don't have them handy so I can't tell you the names. One is a cream in a tube that you put on before you do gardening, go hiking, etc where you think you might be exposed. The second is a wipe that you use after being exposed - the sooner the better.
I recently read about this product. I have never used it nor do I know where it is sold. Good luck! So great of you to be thinking ahead for everyone's sake.
Here is a link to a recent post on poison ivy...
http://www.mamapedia.com/questions/11217560553872490497
My dad uses these towelettes that prevent it. He lives by a river and is constantly in the weeds. Not sure of the name but I might be able to find out.
My husband is very sensitive to poison ivy. He uses Ivy Block. He also showers immediately after being around it.
It is the oil that causes the rash. That's why scratching spreads the rash like wildfire because you're just spreading the oil from the leaves all over your skin when you scratch.
The best thing you can do is to make sure they're wearing protective clothing, including pants tucked into tall socks and long sleeve shirts tucked into pants (good preventative against ticks and leeches too). They also need to know how to recognize poison ivy and they need to know not to scratch if they come in contact with it. You should carry some dish-soap with you since it's the best at cutting through oils and some calamine lotion to soothe the leftover rash after the affected area has been thoroughly washed with the soap. They should also wear bicycle shorts under their pants if possible in case their pants come into contact with it and they have to take them off and bag them up to avoid spreading the oils around to someone's skin.
I don't know about preventatives other than the clothing, but more power to you if you can find one. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
My family always washed with Fels Naptha soap and then did NOT rinse it off. Maybe it's because it leaves a film. They've never had trouble with poison ivy.
If you do end up getting it Zanfel is the cure. You need to follow the directions exactly. Exactly. It's expensive, (about $40) but it does what it promises. My then boyfriend tried about two dozen things before coughing up the money for this. It was so worth it.
