Many people think it’s game over once they come into contact with poison ivy or any other similar poisonous plant. Once it touches their skin, they think they’re getting a rash no matter what they do. It’s a good thing that’s really not the case.
The actual rash from all of these plants is caused by urushiol oil, which is found in poison sumac, poison oak and poison ivy. Anyone who has any experience with these plants knows the rash can take a while to actually show up. Since the substance that causes the rash is an oil and symptoms don’t show up until later, it can actually be washed off completely. If it’s washed off within 2-8 hours, it’s very likely you’ll never experience the rash at all if you get it wishing that window.
Washing the oil off is easier said than done in many cases. It’s an oil, so it isn’t super easy to wash off. Here’s how to completely wash off the urushiol oil to avoid any sort of reaction:
