Poison Oak Alert!

Wherever you see Oak trees you will likely also find Poison Oak.

The three leaved plant is found along parts of Sunset Ridge Trail and the entirety of El Prieto Trail. Poison Oak is found near oaks and areas with moisture. The bottom of Ken Burton has a well known Poison Oak “forest” and the plant is found in many areas throughout the Angeles National Forest.

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What is Poison Oak?

Poison Oak varies in growth habit and leaf appearance; however, it is pretty easy to identify once you know what it looks like. It does lose its leaves in the winter, but that doesn’t mean the oils are not present. Poison Oak contains a surface oil called Urushiol which causes an allergic reaction in some people. Other lucky folks have no reaction at all.

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What it looks like

You will always see three leaves on Poison Oak and the leaves do resemble those of an oak tree. At certain times of year, the leaves change to a bright reddish orange color and the plant is easy to pick out along the trail.

Avoiding direct contact is the best way to prevent a reaction. Stay covered so if you touch the plant your clothes are a barrier.

A long sleeve jersey, tall socks, and full finger gloves can go a long ways in preventing a Poison Oak rash. Its not a bad idea to bring a change of clothes to the trail head so that you don’t transfer the oils into your car upholstery. Once you get home, wash your clothes, riding gear, and trail work attire thoroughly with hot water and a good grease cutting soap to remove the oil. Its a good idea to wash contaminated gear alone in your washing machine. If you don’t thoroughly clean your gear, there is a good chance you can expose yourself to those PO oils at a later time!

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Preventing oil from contacting your skin is the best way to avoid a rash. If you find yourself exposed, you can save yourself a lot of pain with quick action.

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There are many different theories of how to prevent a rash on your skin but they all are based with the concept of removing the oil from your skin before a reaction can begin.

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Shower promptly after your ride and use a grease cutting soap and washcloth. Wash more than once because you will miss spots. Some people swear by using multiple products back to back. In general, a luke warm shower is best at first so your skin pores do not open wide and let the oil in deeper.

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Washing quickly after exposure and scrubbing vigorously with washcloth or exfoliating towel is key to preventing a bad outbreak. Focus extra scrubbing attention on hands wrists, ankles, waistline, and any areas of exposed skin. If it was a dusty day of trailwork, any skin covered in dust may also be exposed to poison oak oils!

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If you can't make it to a shower within a few hours of exposure, stop at a sandy stream bed and try a backcountry remedy. Scrubbing exposed skin with wet sand and rinsing with water goes a long way to removing oils. This method can buy you some time before you can get to a real shower with soap.

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Everyone develops their own personal favorite products in the fight against Poison Oak. Dish detergents like Dawn and Palmolive have a loyal following as well as the old school soap Fels Naptha. Tecnu is a well known product to remove Urushiol oil but is also very expensive and does not lather like dish soap.

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I’ve got a nasty rash.  What can I do?

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Avoid scratching. If you scratch, the rash will get dramatically worse. Try a variety of products to manage the itch. Each person reacts differently and you’ll need to find the remedies that help you. Anti-histamines can help and are available in topical products like Ivarest. Your local drug store should have a number of products on hand for you to try.

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Keeping the rash covered with clothing can help minimize abrasion and reduce itching. After the rash is full blown, direct hot water can provide temporary relief. Some people believe that hot water on the rash actually speeds up the healing process too by hyper stimulating the area’s nerves and jump starting the body to address the area.

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If you rash is unbearable, visit your doctor. Topical steroid creams can speed up the healing process dramatically.

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Remember: the best way to avoid a Poison Oak rash is to avoid contact in the first place.

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Wear long sleeves, full finger gloves, etc and avoid touching your face during a ride. Clean yourself and your gear with an oil cutting soap immediately after your ride to minimize spreading the oil. And if you end up with a lovely rash, do your best not to scratch it. Scratching may feel good in the moment, but it will make the rash dramatically worse and possibly cause scarring.

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This article was originally written by MWBA board alumni Erik Hillard in 2015. It has since been updated with a few additional tips.

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