Poison Ivy, Oak or Sumac - Natural Remedy
My sweet daughter was exposed to poison oak at the football field, actually behind the field where they were playing last weekend. By the next morning, one side of her face was starting to swell, a few hours later and her eye was swelled shut. We started by taking Benadryl, hoping to avoid the ER. It didn't really seem to be getting worse, but it wasn't getting better either. So, I pulled out the essential oils and found a combination that worked wonders. I mixed 1 drop of my Defender essential oil blend(similar to Thieves oil) with 1 drop of Peppermint essential oil in about a tablespoon of aloe gel. You could very easily use olive oil or coconut oil if you don't have aloe gel, it just happened to be what I thought of first. I gently smoothed this blend onto her cheek and even her eyelid, only because it was so swollen shut that I was pretty sure it wouldn't seep into her eye. Always err on the side of caution when putting essential oils around the eyes as they can make there way into your eyes quite easily, either by seeping down or even by forgetting to wash your hands immediately after applying! Can't tell you how many times I've rubbed my eyes before making it to the sink, must be automatic or something! We also applied a cool wash cloth afterwards to help with the tingling from the oils.
By the next morning the difference was almost astounding, that side of her face was still swollen, but it had gone down considerably. She was even able to open her eye a crack. We kept applying about 3 times per day and by the second day, her skin was really drying up, so we started using my Organic Coconut Cream to add moisture, but continue the healing.
After spending 2-3 days cooped up in her room, she made her way downstairs tonight.
This may not work for younger children as these particular essential oils may be too strong even diluted as I did. My daughter is almost a teen and she did fine, but I would look at other essential oils for anyone younger. Some that may work are lavender or perhaps eucalyptus essential oils.
Let me know what has worked for you!
