Test Your Knowledge

The primary and best method of preventing a plant rash is to avoid poisonous or irritant plants. The following recommendations will help to prevent or limit skin contact with these plants:

• Wear protective clothing that adequately covers the entire body when spending time outdoors. This includes long pants, shirts with long sleeves and boots.
  
  
• Learn the appearance, life cycle and habitat of poisonous plants in the region.
  
  
• Use caution with unknown plants.
  
  
• Wear gloves when gardening or performing other activities with plants.
  
  
• Be aware of the potential for house and garden plants to induce an allergic skin reaction and avoid cultivating those species, or use extreme care when in contact with these plants.
  
  
• Shower after spending time outside.
  
  
• Wash clothing after spending time outdoors to remove any sap or oils from poisonous plants that may have adhered to the fabric. If contact with a poisonous or irritating plant is suspected, clothing should be washed outside with a garden hose or immediately washed with detergent in a washing machine. Clothing brought indoors should not be placed on rugs or furniture.
  
  
• Do not burn potentially poisonous plants or plant parts. Some poisonous plants like poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac may cause severe allergic reactions if the plants are burned and the particles are breathed into the airways.
  
  
• Wash all tools or pets that may have come into contact with the poisonous plant with soap and water. This is important because the oil in poisonous plants (urushiol) can stay active for a few years.
  
  
• A rash from poisonous and irritant plants can also be prevented by washing the affected part of the body with soap and water within five minutes of contact with the plant. Washing with soap and water within 30 minutes of plant contact will also help prevent a rash from developing or spreading to other areas of the body. People who suspect contact with a poisonous or irritant plant should avoid taking a bath. This could allow plant saps or oils to enter the bath water and spread to other areas of the body. Showering with soap is a better alternative.

Though avoidance is the only completely effective method of preventing plant rashes, it is not always possible. Barrier skin creams may provide an additional layer of protection for some patients. These creams are applied to the skin before contact with the plant to create a barrier between the plant particles and the skin surface. Because the particles do not come into contact with the skin, a rash is not triggered.