Posted by Mike Hartman on April 12, 2000 at 19:24:00:
Hey, it is about time to start getting ready for those long MC trips.
I heard about this years ago, thought that I'd pass it on. Seems like there was/is a poison oak medicine called Ruhlitol. Basically it's a rubbing alcohol + tannic acid solution that helps dry up poison oak rash. Apparently a side benefit is that it has a tanning (not the same as sun tanning)/toughening action on the skin. Unable to find this stuff, I concocted a home recipe that seems to work.
Take about 20 to 50 generic tea bags, boil these slowly in about 1 & 1/2 quarts of water until the volume is about as close to a cup as you can get it. Remove the bags & squeeze out as much extract as possible and further boil the liquid to about 1/2 a cup or less. Let this cool, mix it with 4 oz of witch hazel solution and 4-6 oz rubbing alcohol. I prefer using the mentholated (green) rubbing alcohol.
About twice-daily applications to the skin will help toughen it up. Warning!! be careful that it doesn't get into/onto those very sensitive near-butt skin regions. Ask a trusted friend for help if you need to.
Mike Hartman