A client recently asked me for help for her child who had come down with a poison oak rash after a picnic. The rash already covered most of her arms and legs, and was extremely itchy. After a brief conversation, I was able to determine the correct homeopathic remedy, which she picked up at the local natural food store. The next morning the rash was well on its way to resolving.
What remedies work well for poison oak? Several remedies may be indicated. It all depends on the particular symptoms the person experiences. The three most likely remedies are Anacardium orientale, Croton tiglium, and Rhus toxicodendron. Topical use of Calendula officinalis is also helpful. These remedies are derived from plants.
Anacardium orientale is indicated when the rash is intensely itchy but feels better from washing with quite hot water. The symptoms include blistering, especially on the face, hands and fingers. The blisters ooze yellow fluid that turns crusty when it dries. The itch can be so severe that the person may want to scratch to the point of bleeding.
Croton tiglium may be useful if the skin is dry and hard, but also feels tight, with extreme itching. The rash is prominent on the face and genitals. Scratching is painful. Gentle rubbing of the rash makes it feel better, and bathing makes it feel worse. The skin rash sometimes is accompanied with gushing diarrhea.
Poison oak rash responds well to Rhus toxicodendron if there are water-filled blisters accompanied by terrible itching. Often the person is extremely restless, can’t settle in a comfortable position and has stiffness of the joints. Symptoms worsen with cold bathing and improve with hot bathing. The person may desire cold milk.
Topical applications are not always advised: they can irritate the skin. Calendula lotion is best, especially if it contains no alcohol or petroleum products. It’s easy to make your own Calendula rinse. Fill an 8-oz bottle half-full with water, and add one pellet of Calendula officinalis in the potency 30X, 6C, or 12C. You can use one capful from the bottle in a basin of water to carefully rinse the rash, or dissolve 5 pellets in plain bath water.
In addition to Homeopathy, a gemmotherapy preparation called Grey Alder is effective in alleviating itch and healing the rash. Apply the gemmo directly to the affected area as often as needed until the rash is gone. Gray Alder gemmo is an all-natural advanced form of phytotherapy, made from the buds of the Grey Alder tree (Alnus incana). Gemmotherapy preparations are available through practitioners certified in the study of gemmotherapy. I am a certified gemmotherapy practitioner.
A home resource guide for first aid that I recommend to my clients is Homeopathic Self Care: The Quick & Easy Guide for the Whole Family by Robert Ullman, ND, and Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman, ND. This book is laid out for easy assessment between common remedies for first aid and every-day ailments. It is available from my website here.
With more than 4,000 remedies available, it’s difficult to have all the remedies one might need at home. A good starter kit is the Boiron HomeoTravel Kit with 20 common remedies in the 30C potency. Click here to learn more.
If you are a homeopathy enthusiast, you may want to invest in the HomeoFamily Kit, a larger remedy kit by Boiron containing 150 common remedies in 30C potency. Both kits can be ordered from Myra’s Virtual Dispensary here. From this link you can also download a list of all available items and instructions on how to use the dispensary.
If you are looking for Calendula officinalis in the lower potencies, Grey Alder Gemmo, or have any other questions or concerns, please contact us.
© 2009 Myra Nissen.
Would you like to include this article in your newsletter or website?
You can as long as you include the following blurb with it: This article was brought to you by Myra Nissen, CCH, RSHom(NA), Board Certified Classical Homeopath. Myra teaches women how to recognize their body’s unique needs and cues and uses Homeopathy to help empower women to take control of their bodies, health and well-being. Find out more, she regularly publishes articles with home care tips for health and well-being in several venues. Visit her blog www.myranissen.com/blog.