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Dear Kendall:
Act fast and wash your skin immediately with some mild soap and warm water. This may get rid of the
poisonous oil before it causes a big rash. Also, be sure to wash any shoes, clothes, and hiking
equipment that may have touched the poison ivy. Believe it or not, its icky oil can remain
itch-inducing for years!
If your skin is already breaking out in a rash, you might find relief at your local drugstore.
Calamine lotion may do the trick. You may also feel a tiny bit better knowing that you're not the
only one feeling sore and miserable over poison ivy. After all, this plant is the most common cause
of allergic skin reactions in America, affecting as many as 50 million people a year. That's a lot
of itchy people! But whatever you do, don't scratch that itch„it may break the skin and lead to
infection.
Signed,
Wendell
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