Pectin Cures for Poison Oak

Poison oak is a very common plant in the United States that causes rashes, itchiness and general irritation when it comes into contact with human skin. It grows in woods and camouflages very well with other vegetation. Therefore, it is easy to miss poison oak and accidentally brush against it, especially when hiking or trekking. Many commercial treatments are available to help alleviate the symptoms of poison oak, but often natural cures are just as good if not better and less expensive than the commercial treatments.

About Pectin

• Pectin is an ingredient often used in cooking as a gelling ingredient. It is a vegetarian's answer to gelatin because it has almost exactly the same properties but isn't made from animal products. Pectin is often commonly used in making jams and jelly.

  If you get a bad case of poison oak, mix some pectin with some orange juice or other type of fruit juice and drink it. If you keep drinking this mixture for a couple of days after coming into contact with poison oak, the symptoms that you experience should be lessened. For example, the swelling shouldn't be as severe, and you shouldn't experience as much itchiness.

Baking Soda

• Almost every household has baking soda handy, and so it is one of the more convenient treatments for poison oak and poison ivy. If you have a bathtub in your house, take a bath with about 1/2 cup of baking soda mixed into the water. Use only room-temperature water because the symptoms, for some reason, are not alleviated if hot water is used.

  Baking soda and water also can be combined to form a thick paste. This paste can be applied to the area that came into contact with the poison oak and is now swelling or itchy. If you leave the paste on the affected area, the poison oak symptoms shouldn't be as serious.

Oatmeal

• Oatmeal is probably one of the most commonly known and used treatments for poison oak and poison ivy. For one treatment, cook oatmeal as you usually would to eat, but make it thick enough so that when applied to the affected area it won't just drip off. Don't let the oatmeal be too hot when you apply it, or you will also have to deal with a burn, not just an itch.

  You also can add oatmeal flakes to a bath if you are affected in large areas of your body where it isn't practical to apply oatmeal paste. After getting out of the bath, try not to dry off too much. A fine, white, oatmeal powder should dry on your body, and it will help to stop any itching in the areas that it covers.