Poison Ivy Remedy With Jewelweed

Recently, I got a nasty case of poison ivy from the cow field behind my house. Since this is the first time I've gotten it this year, I decided to make my home made, all natural cure again.

Jewelweed blooms May through October in the eastern part of North America from Southern Canada to the northern part of Florida. It is found most often in moist woods, usually near poison ivy or stinging nettle. The leaves and the juice from the stem of Jewelweed are used by herbalists as a treatment for poison ivy, oak and other plant induced rashes, as well as many other types of dermatitis.

What you're gonna need:
Jewelweed plants
Pot to boil it
Stove to boil it
Strainer
Ice cube trays
Freezer
Freezer bag

Step 1: Gather Jewelweed

Jewelweed is an amazing plant that grows all over the place where I live. You can find it next to the road, near creeks and streams, in fields, and just about anywhere.

So get up, go look around, and gather some! You can use the whole plant for the remedy, and it comes up out of the ground easily by pulling the stalk. You will want probably three or four medium sized plants for this. Enough to fill a pot about half way, once it's chopped up.

Step 2: Have a Cup of Tea

Take your Jewelweed plants and chop them up so they fit in the bowl you have. The smaller the pieces are, the better it works. Now fill up your pot with water, put the plant in, and toss it on the stove. Bring it to a nice rolling boil to ensure all of the helpful juices have come out of the plant. The water is going to turn a nice bright orange color. Let it cool, and remove all the plant material so you are left with bright orange jewelweed tea.

Step 3: Freeze Your Tea

Once the tea has cooled, pour it into ice cube trays to freeze. I didn't have ice cube trays when I made mine, so I used styrofoam plates and poured it in there. This step is pretty self explanatory. You freeze the Jewelweed tea, so stick the ice cube trays in the freezer.

Step 4: Use Your Ice

Once you have solid little orange cubes, pop 'em out and stick them all in a freezer bag. If you don't have a current case of poison ivy, good for you. Toss those babies back in the freezer for later. If you do, grab one (or two, if it's really bad) and go outside or to the tub and rub the cube on your rash. The chemicals in the plant counteract the poison and start to work immediately. Do this twice a day, and your poison ivy will clear up in no time! I've also found that scrubbing my rash with a loofa or semi abrasive pad before rubbing the ice on it helps to heal it faster. The rash opens, I rub the ice on it, the rash scabs and heals.

Comments

[SHOE0007]

More evidence in 24 hours that a gel made from sodium fluorescein, pectin, and agar and 100 ml tap water produced a result. A small hole can be seen faintly but it is there.

[SHOE0007]

Pectinase enzyme at a unknown concentration started with the help of diluted 0.166 moles per L ammonia hydroxide started causing the gel to deteriate. It ate through the pectin.

[SHOE0007]

Pectinase enzyme (Maybe) is activated and attacks the pectin at 2.5% mass by volume and attacks gel showing a faint but clear oval apperance around the middle gel.

[SHOE0007]

Here after 4 hours the gel already started to degrade. I don't know if the pectinase is active at pH 10 but something is attacking the gel.

[SHOE0007]

The pectin-agar-yellow dye-gel is placed into the fridge for 12 hours. Necessary to form a gel.

[SHOE0007]

Here is a trail run of pectinase test for pectin. It consist of sodium fluorescein, agar, jam pectin and 100 ml of tap water. Pectin must be kept under the fridge after boiling for 5-20 min at 100 degrees C.

A 405 nm purple laser fires at the container causing it to glow. If pectinase in sufficient quality is present it will degrade the pectin in the gel.

[SHOE0007]

Here is the final product pectinase activated with 4 ml of 1 m Ammonia hydroxide to 20 ml volume. The Sawyer filter removes some soap chemicals, cell wall debris, spores and other things while (Most likely) keeping enzyme Pectinase intact. Vials (Centrifuge tubes) kept at 8 degrees C for days to stablize the enzyme.

[SHOE0007]

Spun down again 35,000 rpm T after being kept in the fridge overnight and decanted and kept in separate centrifuge tubes.

[SHOE0007]

Spun down in centrifgue at total 35,000 rpm and decanted. Kept in fridge over night.

[SHOE0007]

Filtered once since filtered twice is not necessary. Debris should settle to the bottom at 8 degrees C for 12 hours or so in the fridge. Put in leak proof container. (Update).

[SHOE0007]

The more I think about it the spores will have a limited solubility in solution and more junk from the remaining cocoa pudding will dissolve in solution making it more dilute. I am doing it for 2 days to 3 days. Right now I am doing this for 2 days exposing at 20 degrees C soap solution for 2 days (48 HRS). Here is the pellet remaining and the filtered results.

It may require double simple filtration.

[SHOE0007]

I thought long and carefully about about the mold issue. Higher concentrations of 30-100 g of mold spore (done outside with plenty of ventilation and masks on!!). Then the mold dormant is exposed to 5 g of soap (special Palmolive soap). This is done in 1-2 weeks. The solution will be carefully pipette to avoid junk from entering the pipette. Latter on at room temperature the mold (PI) will be attempted to extracted with several types of soaps (Palmolive soap). Here are some initial test results of purifying the PI with soap (Difficult to do with my experience).

Left is the mold in concentrated soap and water. Right is the solution of tap water all done OUTSIDE (AIRBORNE SPORES) ETC.

[SHOE0007]

Growth of clover of diluted samples 35,000 rpm Total that are growing with filtered resulted from special filter.

[SHOE0007]

Samples may be too dilute though..... Another image.

[SHOE0007]

Pictures..... of concentrated PI spore culture at 35% with soap (special type) Palmolive soap.

[SHOE0007]

Issue about sending 35% or even 17% H202 through the special filter incase it damages the filter.

[SHOE0007]

Here are some more images may be too dilute.... may reqiure 3% hydrogen peroxide with soap. Pictures to come soon.

[SHOE0007]

I have been thinking about the issue may be Inactivated mold that doesn't grow or produce Pectinase. So I am doing it again with higher concentration of a pellet 10 X times the weight and will spin down to 90,000 to 140,000 rotations per minute Total. Hydrogen peroxide with palmolive detergent soap in low concentrations to remove the cell wall of the fungi. Here is the first step with 35% H2O2 100 ml with soap and fungi pellet.

[SHOE0007]

Here are some final results for 3 days of exposure to enzymes (that are probably too weak or inactive due to ph. The clover starts to grow. It proves how difficult it is to do this.

[SHOE0007]

Pre filtering with regular filter paper before exposing to 90,000 to 105,000 rpm Total may also be required.