Spring is coming. And soon people will be
outdoors taking in all nature has to offer.
Unfortunately, one of those offers is a devious
vine called toxicodendron radicans.
You know it as poison ivy. Hit me with it!
(Reactions intro)
What is it about Poison ivy that makes you break out
into a rash and scratch like crazy. We called in chemist,
Jennifer Novotney, the 2014 Chemistry Champion.
“The culprit in poison ivy is a compound called
urushiol. It’s a chemical compound…”
Sorry, what was that again?
“Right?! It’s a weird sounding name.
Urushiol is a family of chemical compounds that soak
through the skin and cause an
allergic reaction in your dermis.
That’s the layer under your top layer of skin.
It can be absorbed in as little as ten minutes, so unless
you’ve got soap and water handy, you’re outta luck.”
A lot of people don’t know this, but it’s not just
touch that can put poison ivy in your system.
“You can actually breathe poison ivy.
If it is being burned, the smoke can carry the compound
and if urushiol gets into your lungs it can
cause a very severe allergic reaction.”
Usher’s oil, or whatever it’s called,
also has a lot of staying power.
If you’re exposed to it, you really need to
wash everything thoroughly. Here’s why:
“Urushiol can actually live on
a surface for up to five years.
So if you were exposed to poison ivy,
be sure everything that might have had contact gets
a thorough washing, including boots and equipment.”
It can even take some time for your body 
 to react to poison ivy. So just because
you’ve showered doesn’t mean it’s gone.
“Someone exposed to poison ivy can sometimes take up to a week
to show symptoms, but generally a rash will
develop within 24 hours of exposure to urushiol.”
Ok, so “a grassy knoll” or whatever
it’s called, leaves your skin rashy,
and sometimes even produces blisters.
So what can you do to get some much needed relief?
Look no further than chemistry for
some of that sweet, sweet relief.
Oatmeal baths are actually a pretty solid
home remedy for treating poison ivy.
Scientists have studied avenanthramides, another
hard to pronounce compound, for a type of phenol
chemical found in oatmeal and they seem to have
an anti-inflammatory effect on cells.
So a sticky oatmeal bath might actually sooth your
itch even though it sounds kinda’ freakin’ gross.
But how exactly do those polyphenols work?
No idea. It’s still under investigation.
Anyways, there you have it folks.
For more remedies, treatments and tips, check out
our life hacks series, and don’t forget to subscribe
for a weekly dose of chemistry goodness.
And hey, check out this well dressed guy.
Remember folks, leaves of three, let them be.
We brought Jennifer on as a Reactions guest after
she rocked the science communications world in
2014 by winning the Chemistry Champions contest.
Think you might be the next Dr. Kiki
Sanford or Bill Nye?
Well, we’re running ChemChamps again in 2015!
If you’re an ACS member 35 years
or younger, you’re eligible to enter!
The contest will be bigger and bolder in 2015, with
events here in Washington D.C. and in Boston at the
ACS Fall National Meeting. Prizes include… career
networking with professional science communicators,
opportunity to tell your story to Hollywood,
AND THIS FABULOUS TROPHY!!!
Details are at www.acs.org/chemchamps.
We’re taking entries until April 8, 2015.
