Help...Euphorbia sap got on my face....

[Di]

Sadly I was cutting down my big Euphorbia today as it is not going to make it. I should have been wearing gloves and got the sap on my hands. I must have touched my face as one side of it is swollen, very red and my eyelid is swollen and that eye is crying. I know I didn't get any in my eye. I took antihistimes and washed my face. Should I use a cold compress, put aloe on it? I have to get my drivers licence picture taken this week and I look like a deformed space alien. Any suggestions are very much appreciated. If it doesn't clear up by Monday, I will have to go to a walk in clinic as my doctor is on vacation.

Thanks
Di

[birdguy34]

On the slim chance you have a plant of Aeonium lindsayi(sp?-I know its an Aeonium that starts with "L"), the sap from its leaves are supposed to help counteract burns from Euphorbia burns. Maybe Aloe will work also.
Chris

[Di]

On the slim chance you have a plant of Aeonium lindsayi(sp?-I know its an Aeonium that starts with "L"), the sap from its leaves are supposed to help counteract burns from Euphorbia burns. Maybe Aloe will work also.
Chris

Thanks Chris,

I don't think I have one of those plants. But that is exactly what my face looks like. A burn. It is hot too. The funny thing is it is only half of my face so one side is very red and the other side is not. To make me look even worse, my lips are swollen on that side of my face. So big puffy lips on one side and not the other. One eyelid is huge and puffy, the other isn't. I so hope I wake up tomorrow morning and look somewhat human.

Thanks again,
Di

[birdguy34]

I kind of figured I spelled it wrong.
Aeonium lindleyi- one or two "i"s-not sure
Chris

[lancer99]

With one "i."

Di, I seem to be inpervious to Euphorbia sap, so don't know if this is true, but have heard that oil (mineral or vegetable) is much better to completely wash off the latex. But I haven't seen any proof of that.

And you really should go to the doctor......

-R

[Di]

With one "i." But I haven't seen any proof of that.

Di, I seem to be inpervious to Euphorbia sap, so don't know if this is true, but have heard that oil (mineral or vegetable) is much better to completely wash off the latex.

And you really should go to the doctor......

-R

Well, it is now 5:13 am and I still look like crap. Put some Miracle Gel on my face which is from the prickly pear cactus. From the Cactus Juice people (insect repellent). It soothed it somewhat. I only have canola and olive oil. I think I will try the canola. If it doesn't look better in a few hours, I will have to go to emergency. Not sure if walk in clinics are open on Sunday. I may have mineral oil somewhere. Will look for it but will try canola first as I know where it is.
I loved that huge plant for 20 years. Now as it has been breaking my heart to cut it down (as it is nearly dead) and put it in the garbage, it is trying to kill me!

Huge lesson learned. Wear gloves! Thanks for the advice.

Di

[Di]

Just washed my face with canola oil. It was very soothing. Funny putting oil on one's face. Hopefully along with antihistamines it will look much better in a few hours. I am not so worried about my face as I am about my puffy eyelid. It is the eye I had laser surgery on a few weeks ago.
On a funny note, I am on vacation until August 4th. It looks like half of me went to the Bahamas!
Once again, thanks for the suggestions.
Di

P.S. I think I will buy bubble wrap today and instead of cutting my big guy up, wrap him and put the whole thing out in the garbage. The garbage collectors wear big heavy duty gloves so they should be OK.

[CelticRose]

Yikes, Di! That sounds painful. And embarrassing. You poor thing. I hope it clears up soon.

[Di]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and concern. Thanks Bruce for asking how I was. Yesterday, my face looked somewhat normal but like a sunburn with a little bit of peeling. Today, I am back to normal so can go and get my driver's license picture and just have it look the typically bad they make them as opposed to the strange alien bad!

Thanks again everyone. Still have to cut the rest of the big guy down but will wear gloves and possibly a big garbage bag!

Di

[Buck Hemenway]

Sorry to hear about your bout with the euphorbia. That skin around your eye is about the most sensitive anywhere on your body. Invariably, gloves and all, I will wipe a drop of sweat from the side of my face with gloved hand and get burned. It is really a burn and I always peel for several days after.

For all of us, which remedy seemed to work the best?

[Di]

Sorry to hear about your bout with the euphorbia. That skin around your eye is about the most sensitive anywhere on your body. Invariably, gloves and all, I will wipe a drop of sweat from the side of my face with gloved hand and get burned. It is really a burn and I always peel for several days after.

For all of us, which remedy seemed to work the best?

I swear, what helped me most was washing my face daily with Canola oil. I did not have vegetable oil or mineral oil so my choices were canola and olive. I chose my organic canola oil. Antihistamines I am sure helped too.

My face was burned and peeling. As well bumpy and not smooth. Still peeling.

Now, I still have much of that plant to cut down. I will wear gloves and shroud myself in protective clothing. Makes me not want to root the healthy cuttings I got from it.

Parts of my face are still red/burned and so today when I went to get my picture taken for my license renewal, I tried to cover it with make-up. Bet the picture will be a real treat. Was pouring rain so my hair was soaked and I was blotchy. Oh well, only 5 years to go to get to do it again!

Di

P.S. Not an experience I ever want to go through again!

[cactuspolecat]

Must have been pretty awful for you, and having to get your photo done would be like adding insult to injury... I guess you won't be using your licence for the purpose of identification too often huh?

CP

[cruaux]

Given that the toxic compounds in Euphorbia sap are fat/lipid soluble, you could also use milk to wash the sap off. Much in the same way as drinking milk/eating icecream soothes the burn from capsaicin in hot chiles.

Washing with an aqueous solution (or aqueous/mucilage, such as the miracle gel stuff) just spreads lipid soluble irritants around on the skin and makes the affected area larger.

[Bruce]

I found this a while back: "How Dangerous are Euphorbias?" (It gives anecdotal info by species.)

http://www.theamateursdigest.com/epoisons.htm


Bruce

[lilscrappy]

ahm.. you should.. go to doctor..
and got a check up.. so that
you know what your gonna
doing to do.. ^_^