Poison Ivy Rash FAQs

What causes the poison oak rash, poison ivy rash and sumac rash?

It all boils down to the skin’s reaction to a nasty little oil called urushiol—say “ooh-roo-she-all”. Urushiol is actually a toxic, resinous type substance that is found in all parts of the plants of poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac. When urushiol gets on the skin it binds with the skin within 10-20 minutes. At that point the urushiol becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get off the skin with soap and water. The rash from poison oak, poison ivy and poison sumac is the body’s natural reaction to the toxin.

Will everyone exposed to the plants get the rash of Poison Oak, Ivy and Sumac?

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, up to 50 million people get the rash each year. However, not everyone will get the rash. Expert opinion varies slightly as to how many people are immune to getting the rash. The estimates vary and suggest that between 3% and 15% of the population is immune to urushiol. However, even those immune people may get the rash if exposed to the plants enough.

How am I coming in contact with the poison ivy, oak and sumac?

The rash causing substance, urushiol, is in every fiber of the plant and can come into contact with skin in many ways. A person can get the urushiol on the skin by coming in “direct” contact with the plants--either by touching or rubbing against the leaves. You can also get the urushiol on the skin through “indirect” contact. For example, the urushiol may get on clothing or tools. Then, when you go to use the gloves or the tools you end up getting the rash causing urushiol on your skin.

How else can urushiol spread?

Touching the plants, even if the plants are dead, and even in the winter months, can spread urushiol. Urushiol can be spread if a person burns the plants and comes in contact with the smoke. Wildfire fire fighters suffer tremendously from poison ivy/oak because they are continually in smoke that has particles of urushiol in it. Urushiol can be spread if a person gets urushiol on his or her clothing and then someone else comes in contact with the clothing. This is how spouses can end up getting the rash. Pets can get the urushiol on their fur and spread it to humans and furniture that way. Ironically, touching someone that has urushiol on his or her skin is a very unlikely way to spread the oil. That’s because, as mentioned earlier, the urushiol binds with a person’s skin and is very difficult to get off.

How long does the poison ivy rash, poison oak rash, sumac causing urushiol stay “active”?

Urushiol can stay active for months and even years at a time. It doesn’t evaporate like something water based, so it hangs around on items like clothing and tools for a very long time. Then, if you come back in contact with that item you will be exposed to the urushiol all over again.

How potent is urushiol?

Urushiol is amazingly potent. Basically, the smallest amount you could measure would be enough to start the rash. An amount the size of the tip of a needle is enough to start and spread the rash. Indications are that urushiol would have to be diluted down to 1 part urushiol to 60,000 parts olive oil before the potency of the urushiol was diminished.

How long does the rash typically last?

The rash can last anywhere from several days to more than 5 weeks. It all depends on your choice of treatment for the rash and how severely a person’s body reacts to the urushiol from poison oak, poison ivy, and sumac.

Should I take baths or showers if I have the rash?

You should take showers if you have the rash because urushiol, the rash causing oil/substance from poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac can float on top of the water and reattach to the skin as you exit from a bath.

What can I do to avoid or prevent poison ivy, sumac and poison oak?

A great first step is to actually get to know what the plants look like out in nature. After becoming familiar you can work to avoid the plants. If you think or know you’ve come in contact with the toxic plants, use Tecnu Extreme Poison Ivy Scrub to remove the urushiol from the skin before the rash starts.

How does Tecnu Extreme Poison Ivy Scrub help me avoid the poison oak, poison ivy and sumac rash?
Tecnu Extreme gets to the root of the problem by first working to remove the rash causing toxin urushiol from the skin. Even after the urushiol has attached itself to the skin, Tecnu Extreme can remove it. If a person removes the urushiol in time, the rash can actually be avoided. Simply squeeze a marble sized amount of Tecnu Extreme into the palm of your hand. Add a slight amount of water and gently rub Tecnu Extreme over skin that has been exposed the poison plants then rinse off with water.