The Toxicodendron species, encompassing poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac, is the leading cause of allergic contact dermatitis in the U.S., annually affecting up to 50 million people. This condition, largely attributed to the plant's urushiol component, produces a characteristic rash accompanied by severe itching.

The rash is a result of contact with urushiol, an oily resin found in these plants. Urushiol is a potent allergen, and when it comes into contact with the skin, it can trigger an allergic reaction in a significant proportion of the population. This allergic response, known as allergic contact dermatitis, manifests as an itchy, weeping rash characterized by redness, swelling, and the formation of blisters. The rash is not only extremely uncomfortable due to the intense itching but also poses the risk of secondary bacterial infections if the blisters rupture.

Toxicodendron Exposures Within Firefighting and Military Firefighters and military personnel often find themselves navigating through diverse terrains where these plants are rampant. Many areas of frequent wildfires are infested with these plants, as are parks and wetlands where SAR operations are common. An allergic reaction caused by urushiol can not only diminish their focus and physical stamina, but can also necessitate a redirection of essential resources to address these medical emergencies. This could severely impact their ability to effectively and safely perform their crucial duties, putting both their lives and the lives of those they seek to protect in jeopardy. The repercussions can cascade from the affected individual to the team, affecting operational readiness and efficacy.

Moreover, the impact of toxicodendron dermatitis goes beyond the affected individual. Within the close-knit environment of a firefighting unit, one impaired individual might necessitate adjustments in duty rosters, thereby imposing additional burdens on fellow personnel. This could lead to decreased morale, added fatigue, and reduced overall efficiency. Given the increasing medical morbidity associated with these rashes, as seen in increased emergency department visits, a department would face added medical costs and logistical challenges while the service member is receiving treatment. A firefighter requiring medical evacuation from a wildfire due to severe dermatitis disrupts operations and diverts resources.

With every subsequent exposure to toxicodendron allergens, an individual's sensitivity escalates. The body's immune response intensifies with each encounter, magnifying what might initially manifest as a mild reaction into severe, or even widespread reactions over time. For a wildland firefighter, this accumulating sensitivity can not only force them out of their job, severely hamper their quality of life post-service, rendering them more susceptible to environmental allergens and limiting potential career transitions to areas like environmental conservation, or even pursuing leisure activities like trekking.

Lack Of Effective Treatment Options

Despite the widespread prevalence of this condition, current treatment modalities remain largely unchanged and somewhat inadequate. The primary goal of most treatments is symptomatic relief, focusing predominantly on alleviating pruritus. While over-the-counter remedies such as baths with baking soda and cold compresses might offer temporary relief, their efficacy is limited. Other at-home remedies include applying gasoline and bleach to the skin, and while effective at oxidizing the oils, pose dangers of long term atopic dermatitis. Similarly, while topical applications such as calamine lotion may reduce the itch, their overall relief capacity remains restricted. Corticosteroids, including high-potency variants like clobetasol, are the mainstay of treatment. However, they come with side effects, and there's an associated cost factor that might limit their widespread use. Moreover, systemic corticosteroids, reserved for severe cases, bring an additional set of side effects and lead to cortisone tolerance. The utility of antihistamines in treating this dermatitis is circumscribed due to the histamine-independent nature of the itch mechanism associated with urushiol exposure, and their use can leave service members fatigued. Thus, the current therapeutic landscape is mainly reactive, addressing the symptoms post-exposure without fundamentally altering the pathophysiological response to urushiol.

Further complicating the field's landscape, many of the liquid urushiol deactivating treatments are designed predominantly for minor, localized exposures. This design philosophy is ill-aligned with the widespread, full-body contacts frequently encountered by fire and rescue personnel. Rather than ensuring a complete eradication of the urushiol toxin, some interventions might inadvertently heighten its dissemination. This heightened spread is particularly concerning for extensive exposures, with reactions potentially jeopardizing sensitive regions like the eyes, occasionally demanding medical intercession. Assessing the volume imperative for a battalion-scale entity accentuates that numerous washes are subpar in both logistical suitability and operational adeptness.

While immediate post-exposure washing can disrupt the oily sap rich in urushiol, thus theoretically halting a reaction, its efficacy declines sharply with time. Specifically, after a lapse of 30 minutes, urushiol is likely to have penetrated the skin, rendering subsequent interventions suboptimal. (1)

An objective evaluation (2) was conducted on three distinct post-contact preventive approaches: a surfactant (Dial ultra dishwashing soap), an oil-removing compound (Goop), and chemical inactivation (Tecnu). The results indicate that the protection rates against urushiol binding to the skin for Tecnu, Goop, and Dial were 70%, 61.8%, and 56.4%, respectively, compared to a positive control or potential maximal response. Interestingly, when considering cost-effectiveness, Goop and Dial both presented a cost of $0.07 per ounce, while Tecnu's cost stood at $1.25 per ounce. Despite the cost disparities, the protection differences between these agents were only P > 0.05. However, each treatment showcased a marked improvement compared to the untreated control. Given the substantial medical implications of Toxicodendron dermatitis and the existing treatments' inefficiencies, there's a pressing requirement for innovative treatments and preventive stratagems that harmonize effectiveness with economic feasibility.

Marie Originals Poison/Oak/Sumac Ivy Soap: A Mechanistic Overview

Unlike existing treatments, Marie Originals Poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac Soap, a natural glycerin based soap, has demonstrated a distinct ability for alleviating urushiol-induced symptoms and eliminating urushiol from exposed skin long after exposure in a single product. Ever since its commercial launch, the product has become wildly popular amongst firefighters, arborists and landscapers, who found it to bring a new angle of relief that has not yet been offered by existing treatments, and is not constricted to many of the limitations stated above.

The primary offender in Toxicodendron dermatitis is urushiol, a mixture of several closely related organic compounds. These compounds belong to a class of chemicals known as catechols, which are oily, long-chain hydrocarbons. The mode of action of Marie Originals Soap is postulated to target the hydrophobic tail of urushiol molecules. Through a process known as micellization, the soap's amphiphilic molecules surround the urushiol, encapsulating it within a micelle. The hydrophobic tails of the soap molecules interact with urushiol, while their hydrophilic heads point outward, rendering the complex soluble in water.

The surface of the soap bar features a gradient oat integrated within a hot-poured matrix. Upon application to the skin, the oat particles promote a specific frictional interaction. Urushiol binds to the skin proteins through weak molecular interactions, mainly van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding. The gradient oat's physical friction works on a microscopic scale to interfere with these interactions, helping to dissociate urushiol from skin cells.

This frictional force, together with the soaps amphiphilic properties, disrupts the molecular associations between urushiol and the skin. By breaking the urushiol-skin bond, the allergenic compound becomes more accessible for subsequent removal stages.

Post frictional release, bentonite clay in the soap acts as a molecular sieve, trapping and "imprisoning" the freed urushiol. This encapsulation prevents urushiol from redistributing or reattaching to the skin, thus minimizing potential allergic reactions. Bentonite clay is known for its potent absorbent properties, which are attributed to its highly charged particles that effectively attract and hold onto various substances. This property allows it to effectively "trap" the negatively charged molecules, including urushiol once it's dislodged from the skin.

Preventing Re-exposure:

The clay's particulate structure forms a barrier, preventing the free urushiol from spreading or reattaching to the skin, minimizing the risk of further reactions or exacerbations.The formulation of Marie Originals Soap includes surfactants to lower the surface tension between the soap and the skin's lipid barrier, allowing for better penetration. This enhances the soap's capability to access and neutralize urushiol that has penetrated the outermost layer of the skin. The base of the soap is rich in glycerin. Although commonly known as a humectant, in concentrated forms, glycerin can exert a drying effect. This property is crucial in curtailing any progression of the urushiol-induced rash that has already developed.

The Centrality of Friction:

The paramount element in the effective removal of urushiol is the generation of adequate friction. Most topical preparations, such as lotions and ointments, lack the physical robustness to engender the necessary frictional force. Conversely, the solid form of a soap bar provides the mechanical leverage needed to augment effective urushiol detachment. When combined with the bentonite clay's absorptive capacity, this soap not only ensures efficient urushiol removal but also minimizes its subsequent interaction with the skin.

Use History:

The product has been used by hundreds of thousands of consumers, firefighters, landscapers and arborists, and received remarkably positive feedback on platforms such as Amazon and in Walgreens, where it ranks as a leader in poison ivy/oak/sumac treatment.

Bentonite, specifically quaternium-18 bentonite, has shown significant potential in preventing allergic contact dermatitis caused by poison ivy and poison oak. In a single-blind, paired comparison, randomized, multicenter study on susceptible individuals, a lotion containing 5% quaternium-18 bentonite was applied to one forearm and then exposed to urushiol, the allergenic resin from poison ivy and poison oak. (3) The results showed that sites pre-treated with quaternium-18 bentonite lotion exhibited either no reaction or significantly reduced reactions compared to untreated sites (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, when reactions did occur on the treated sites, they manifested noticeably later than on the untreated sites. This demonstrates the efficacy of quaternium-18 bentonite in preventing or mitigating experimentally induced allergic reactions to poison ivy and poison oak, suggesting its potential effectiveness when incorporated into a soap product for wider preventative use.

Colloidal Oatmeal: Recognized by the FDA as a skin protectant, colloidal oatmeal is well-researched for its anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing properties. Rich in beta-glucans, avenanthramides, and other bioactive compounds, colloidal oatmeal has demonstrated efficacy in alleviating itching, reducing inflammation, and restoring the skin barrier.In conclusion, implementing this promises to bring tangible relief of this debilitating condition to the hands of the firefighters in agencies focused on their wellbeing.

Marie Originals 845.501.7330 | marieoriginals.com

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Gladman, A.C. Toxicodendron dermatitis: Poison ivy, oak, and sumac. Wilderness Environ. Med. 2006,

Stibich AS, Yagan M, Sharma V, Herndon B, Montgomery C. Cost-effective post-exposure prevention of poison ivy dermatitis. Int J Dermatol. 2000 Jul;39(7):515-8. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-4362.2000.00003.x. PMID: 10940115.

Marks JG Jr, Fowler JF Jr, Sheretz EF, Rietschel RL. Prevention of poison ivy and poison oak allergic contact dermatitis by quaternium-18 bentonite. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1995 Aug;33(2 Pt 1):212-6. doi: 10.1016/0190-9622(95)90237-6. PMID: 7622647.