It started out with an annoying itch.
Then it grew red.
I shrugged it off. On a farm, things like that usually spring up and then disappear.
But then my other arm started itching too…
It grew red, and bumps began to appear on both arms.
Still, I tried to ignore it for awhile—until it got too bothersome to forget.
I rubbed nettle infused oil on it and that seemed to stave it off for a while. At least it wasn’t getting worse…yet.
But as the hours passed, it began to worsen and I couldn’t stop itching. I had to do something!
By that time, Mom suggested that it could be poison ivy, and my siblings agreed. I wasn’t sure if I’d gotten into that, but there wasn’t any other explanation, so I conceded they could be right.
I went to our cabinet full of resource books and found the one I was searching for: Be Your Own Doctor by Rachel Weaver.
A little panicky (and itching), I hurried to the Poison Ivy Rash section and read through the different remedies. We didn’t have some of the ingredients, so I continued reading until I found one I thought I could try.
Rescue Oil
It said to mix 1/2 cup each of Burdock, Comfrey, and Plantain dry leaves. Place it in a saucepan and cover with extra virgin olive oil before letting it simmer 1-2 hours. Then I was supposed to let it cool and rub liberally onto rash.
Well, I thought. May as well try. But I’m not waiting two hours, I’ll try an hour.
Continually itching, and trying to not look at my reddening arms, I realized we didn’t have burdock dried leaves, only capsules. I used five and opened them into the saucepan, adding a 1/4 cup each of comfrey and plantain leaves, since I didn’t have enough burdock.
We didn’t have the olive oil, so I used expeller-pressed coconut oil and let it simmer.
That hour proved to be very long. My rash itched. The house smelled rather strange, but I declared I didn’t care what it smelled like, so long as it healed the rash!
Finally, an hour later, I turned off the burner, wrinkling my nose in disgust at the strange smell, and poured some of it into a smaller bowl to cool. About half an hour later it was cool enough to use and I rubbed it all over. By this time I’d noticed some bumps on my foot and leg as well. It was spreading!!! Eeek!
Before heading to bed, I made sure everywhere that felt even remotely itchy was covered with the oil and I confidently went to sleep. At least the rash probably wouldn’t get any worse, I told myself. Probably.
Ha.
Well, an hour and a half later, I woke up feeling swollen itchy places all over—on my arms, leg, foot, neck, and some on my face.
I admit I panicked.
It was bumpy, and itchy and I dreaded looking in the mirror. But I forced myself out of bed and trudged to the bathroom. One look in the mirror and I turned away. My cheek and neck were red and I didn’t look much like myself. Great. The oil wasn’t keeping the rash away.
My arms, leg, and even now my hands were itching and I wondered what to do. But what else was there to do?
I sighed, rubbed more oil on everywhere possible and went back to bed. Wait until morning when I looked like a a swollen hippopotamus…or something.
I fell back into a fitful sleep; hot, itchy, and annoyed at myself for getting into poison ivy—somehow.
Hours later, my eyes snapped open. 3:45 am. Time to get up.
I stretched and paused. I felt okay. I tried to feel my arms but I wasn’t sure how bad it was. It was too dark to tell. I knew it’d be worse. Maybe I was so swollen everywhere that I couldn’t tell anymore.
In the light of the bathroom I scanned my arms, and glanced in the mirror.
I stopped and stared.
There was no trace of bumps…anywhere.
I swallowed and checked my arms. Gone was the red, bumpy, swollen flesh. My face, neck, hands, leg, and foot looked fine. Absolutely normal. I rubbed my eyes and looked again. It really was healed—completely!
I couldn’t believe it! It had been getting so bad, and so I had fully expected to be worse in the morning. But the proof of no rash—anywhere—stared me in the face, literally.
I breathed deeply and for the first time noted the name of the remedy. Rescue Oil. Wow. It really did rescue me, and healed the rash.
The family was just as surprised at the “miracle”. I said the recipe had mentioned the oil could be used on any rash, not just poison ivy. Which is why we will now keep this Rescue Oil on hand, for whenever the need arises.
The rest of that day, I felt a slight itching on my leg, and I made sure to apply the oil…just in case. But that cleared up and I am forever grateful for the healing power of herbs!
Burdock, plantain, and comfrey are AMAZING!!!!
Honestly, use this recipe for any rash. It really does work.
(Photo Credit: Towfiqu-Barbhuiya on Unsplash)
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