It's Poison Ivy Time!

It's that time of year again...poison ivy time.  No applause necessary. We've had so much rain here in Tennessee that poison ivy is rampant. I happen to have a son that attracts poison ivy - seriously.  I think he could walk on a white sand beach right at the edge of the water and still come home with poison ivy!

So.. of course I had to find a solution to this problem.  Many years ago I learned about a wonderful plant called Jewelweed.  It grows here on my farm at the base of the mountain along the creek.

It is a beautiful plant...very delicate and fluttery when there is a breeze.

I love the flowers, I think our Father's design is beautiful and delicate!

It often grows where poison ivy does.  If you know you've been in poison ivy and find Jewelweed nearby, you can crush the plant and "wash" yourself with the milky liquid in the stems.

However, for those of you who have children that come to you after they are covered in blisters, I have another solution. I created a soap and a salve for Elijah many years ago.  They are my best  sellers during the spring and summer because they truly help shorten the duration of an outbreak.

My soap is called Sweet Relief because it offers relief from the itching and helps dry those blisters.  We use that soap generously while we soak in a tub.

My Jewelweed salve helps with the itching, helps the skin to recover from the outbreak and is filled with essential oils that help dry those blisters quickly.We use that on the blisters between soaks in the tub.

Each year I gather tables full of Jewelweed and make gallons of tincture and salve along with many batches of Sweet Relief. And it seems that no matter how much I make (and I increase it every year!) I still sell out before fall.

I also teach people how to make a tincture (topical use only as Jewelweed is poisonous if you ingest it!) to help dry up those blisters.  You can find the instructions on how to do that in this "post from the past".  I give most of this away to those who call me in a panic because they need something "NOW!"

Recently, Elijah broke out in poison ivy on his face less than a week before his brother's wedding. (Oh! life with boys!)   Since he was one of the groomsmen, all I could think was "wedding pictures!" I had a mild panic attack knew exactly what to do.  I had him use my Sweet Relief, Jewelweed Salve and Jewelweed tincture several times a day and in less than a week his face was completely clear. 

If you are sensitive to poison ivy, I highly recommend you keep both of these on your shelves so you can respond quickly to an outbreak!

To help you get started on your poison ivy remedy, I am having a store-wide sale beginning at midnight tonight and continuing through the 4th of July at midnight!  The code for your discount is Patriot!

Blessings!