1. An Ounce of Prevention Beats a Pound of Cure
Always watch out for poison oak when you go into the wilderness. It has a distinctive three leaf pattern--the source of the old rhyme "leaves of three, leave them be"--and if you spot it, keep your distance. It also helps to wear clothes that don't reveal a lot of skin, like blue jeans and long-sleeved flannel shirts. That will keep you from brushing up against any poison oak by accident. You may also want to take along a tube of anti-poison oak medication in a backpack or pocket.
2. Use Cold Compresses
Poison oak dries out the skin and increases its temperature a great deal. Soak a cloth in very cold water and hold it against the area affected by the poison oak. If you have ice from a cooler or there is any ice nearby, wrap the cloth in that. Hold it over the infected skin, then refresh the compress with more cold water.
3. Look for Natural Remedies
Native Americans would rub the unopened flowers of gum plants on their skin to treat poison ivy. They also boiled leaves from yerba santa shrubs and applied them to the poison oak. Both treatments will work in a pinch if you can spot the plants nearby in the wilderness. You can also crush Aloe vera leaves and apply them to the infected area. They won't stop the poison oak--the toxic oil from the plant will still be there--but they will soothe the skin and alleviate the worst of the itching.
4. Don't Scratch--Ever
Poison oak excretes urushiol oil, which bonds with the skin and causes all the itching and rashes. You can't get rid of it by scratching. In fact, when you do scratch, you spread the oil further and make the itching worse. No matter how tempting it may be, fight the urge to scratch at the poison oak.
5. Change Clothes
Poison oak oil can get on your clothes, which can spread it to your skin long after you've come into contact with the plant. If you can, remove the affected clothes and keep them in a backpack or somewhere where they won't touch your skin. Wash them thoroughly in hot water before you put them on again.
