Customer Reviews

Zanfel Poison Ivy Cream - 1 tube

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

Zanfel works. But you don't need to spend $40 for a 1oz tube. For the love of god, the EXACT same stuff is in Mean Green Hand Scrub and it'll cost you $20 for 60oz. Yes, you read that right. The guy who "invented" Zanfel used to work at the company that makes Mean Green. He simply realized that it worked on skin rashes like poison ivy and started his own company and now sells the EXACT same stuff for a huge markup to drugstores. I certainly don't begrudge him for his marketing savvy, but you don't have to pay through the nose for something that works. Mean Green (and Zanfel) are simply really good exfoliating soaps. They work on a simple principle: remove the oils that are generating the rash. Mean Green is just sold to car mechanics and other industrial workplaces that need a cleanser for greases and oils. The genius of Zanfel is that it's marketed to drugstores for a totally different use.

I get poison ivy basically throughout the entire summer because of my dogs. They tromp through forests and underbrush and get the poison ivy oils on their fur and then spread that to me. For the past many years, I've just suffered and waited for Fall to come. This year, it started to get pretty bad and so I began intensive research. I tried calomine, Tecnu, Ivy Block, and plenty of others. In desperation, I saw Zanfel at the drugstore and decided it was worth a shot. That 1oz tube got rid of almost all of my itching and cleared up my rashes in about 1.5 days. That's when I started looking around and found the story behind Zanfel and Mean Green. Now I use Mean Green virtually every time I shower. I still get occasional small rashes because the poison ivy oils stay on everything the dogs touch, but now it's a very very minor annoyance as I scrub the area with Mean Green once or twice and the problem is alleviated/gone. For all you Amazoners, this is the first review I've ever written. Please rate this review highly in order for other folks to both stop itching and save money!

Those who have had one probably agree with me, a massive poison oak or ivy rash is probably one of the most hellish torments there is

Make no mistake about it, when you're desperate to get rid of that all encompasing poison oak or ivy rash you'll be ready to spend pretty much your entire life's savings in order to get some form of relief, so when you see something that claims to get rid of the itch within 30 seconds you think "Praise the lord and makers of zanfel, I am saved!!!"

Not so fast there campers... You might heed the voice of reason and first look it up to see if it's actually worth it to spend this kind of cash on a tiny 1 oz tube. The company's website speaks wonders of it with some before and after pictures of some pretty horrible cases, and those testimonials they have are probably quite exagerated.

I dropped the $39.99 to get this stuff when I had a rash so bad I could barely open my eyes (yes I was desperate).

PLEASE NOTE: I have to admit that this stuff DOES work to a certain extent, the itching will subside in a matter of seconds and you will have some relief for some time.

Sadly for me, and moreso for my bank account, it is far from the miracle cure it claims to be. Also, the ingredients seem to be unstable, I used the balance of what was left in the tube to try and treat a somewhat mild to heavy case I got not too long ago (around 8 months after I bought it) and it had no effect at all, no temporary relief from the itch whatsoever. This company takes advantage of you and the miserable desperate state you're in by charging you a huge markup and promising results you probably will not get.

The people who will be willing to plunk down this kind of money will not have a small localized rash, they will be miserable and if this includes you right now, then I'll tell you: this stuff is useless in your state, go to a doctor and get a cortisone shot and a prescription for prednisone, it cost me 120 bucks for the visit plus 15 bucks for the prednisone, but it actually worked and you will be on your way to sleeping at night under the same treatment.

So again, this stuff DOES work, it's much better than calamine lotion or any other hydrocortisone cream for instant soothing relief when brand new, but it sure isn't worth the $40 you spend on it each time you get poison oak or ivy, and it sure doesn't live up to it's claims of curing you. I felt horrible after using it because I still itched all over and felt stupid on top of it all for believing the hype.

Here is my rating in the 5 stars scale on this thing from a few different viewpoints

-Instant effectivity on soothing your itch (when new): 5 stars
-Overall effectivity on removing your itch: 2 stars
-Lives up to it's claims: 1½ stars
-Value for your money: 1 star

I hope you see what I mean about this stuff, you are welcome to try it but don't say I didn't warn you

I contracted poison ivy three days ago. I've had it often enough to know that, once I identify the rash, I have at least four weeks of topical creams, oatmeal baths, and weeping blisters to look forward to. As I'm breastfeeding, I wanted something that wouldn't affect my baby. As I also have the flu, I have little tolerance for other discomfort. So, Zanfel claims safety for nursing moms and relief from itching in 15 seconds to three minutes. I figured it was worth a shot, even if it cost a lot.

In a nutshell:
Pros: decreased itching and oozing; it does what the big print on the box says it should
Cons: cost; didn't stop the rash from spreading; smoke and mirrors marketing and "research"; basically an exfoliating soap; as effective as a placebo, according to Zanfel's website

More specifics
Here's what I like about the product:
1. The itching stopped after about a minute and didn't return for another ten hours (when I rubbed the rash in my sleep).
2. The area that I cleaned with the Zanfel is already improving in looks. I have a line of blisters on my forearm about an inch long that I would classify as a "moderate" rash. The blisters are subsiding and the "weepiness" has decreased quite a bit. The rash is still spreading, but more slowly than normal.
3. Impressive Marketing--This product is on the shelves of major chains with no legitimate data supporting its efficacy or safety, and suckers like me are shelling out big bucks for what appears to be an exfoliating cleanser.

Here's what I don't like:
1. Cost, of course.
2. Zanfel did not stop the rash from spreading.
3. Ingredients are listed, but there is no specific information about active vs. inactive ingredients, ingredient concentration, FDA approval, etc. on the packaging or the Zanfel website. Although I get tired of overregulation, I've grown accustomed to knowing that the medications I use have been studied in clinical trials.
4. Safety/sensitivity concerns--Although the product makes claims of safety more readily than any other medication/ointment I've ever used (safe for the face, eyelid, genitals; okay for nursing moms), a couple of ingredients may cause an allergic reaction in people with "sensitive skin." (This warning is not on their packaging or their website; it's found elsewhere in pharmacology data for cosmetics, drugs, etc.) If you have poison ivy, I'm betting your skin is already sensitive, especially in the area you'll be scrubbing with the product. So, beware, even if they tell you you don't need to worry.
5. Bizarre directions--Directions for applying the product to the forearm (where my rash currently resides) suggest using "a soft rubber spatula or similar device that won't puncture the skin." First of all, I'm not a big fan of using kitchen utensils for body grooming and cleansing, especially where there are weeping wounds. (I had a hard enough time convincing my daughter that a fork is not a hairbrush.)Second of all, there is no need to use anything other than your hand to scrub your wound. If you scrub too hard, you create new lesions and open yourself up to other infections.
6. Lack of data--no legitimate, independent studies that I could find have proven the efficacy of Zanfel. Two studies are cited on their website. One sounds reasonable enough (although why anyone would volunteer to have the toxic urushiol oil rubbed on their skin is beyond me and seems like it would require some kind of oversight) and showed a decrease in the discomfort level and the size of the rash after a few hours. The other study, by the Zanfel website's own account, "demonstrated that an objective score combining erythema, induration, and vesiculation was reduced ... in patients who washed with the soap or placebo." Hmmm, if even the placebo improved the patient's state, maybe I paid too much....
Additionally, the pyramid graph that's displayed on the Q&A page included in the product box has nothing to do with Zanfel, but it's pretty.
7. Shaky or irrelevant "expert" testimony--The dermatologist quoted on the Q&A page makes no mention of Zanfel, but I guess they thought his name in their literature gave them credibility.
Many of the experts who testify to the efficacy of Zanfel on the website are pharmacists, nurses, and doctors, and their names and contact information are included. Of course, most of them are not experts in dermatology. One is an Ob-Gyn, one is an optometrist, and one is a veterinarian. Other experts cited include a teacher and a judge. Not exactly convincing evidence, in my "expert" opinion.

I'm a registered pharmacist in St. Louis, Missouri. I was very skeptical in '99 when this stuff first came out. My first customer was a Dr.'s office that ordered 5 tubes of it for his office. Back then it was more like $60 per bottle. That got my attention. I sold a bottle or two to people who were desperate, at this point I was still not promoting the product. These few customers were coming back and raving about it. Since then I've sold probably a hundred tubes to people and I can tell you without question that Zanfel works for far more people than it doesn't. The cost is high, but so are office visits, and prescription meds. The prescription meds only reduce your body's reaction to the urushiol by the way. They do not "cure" you, because they don't even attempt to rid your skin of the problem. I quite honestly believe that Zanfel is more effective than steroids for that reason. I have folks make special trips to the pharmacy just to tell me that it worked for them. In my line of work, that doesn't happen often. I can only think of a handful of Rx drugs that work so well that people are compelled to tell me about it. Triptan migraine meds like Imitrex, proton pump inhibitors like Nexium, heavy cII narcotics of course, Chantix anti-smoking capsules (another good newer product), and Zanfel are the only items that work or provide enought relief to make people happy enough to tell pharmacists about it. If you don't believe what I've said, then ask someone who works in a pharmacy.

I have used Zanfel several times and it is better than any other poison ivy remedy I have tried but it is no miracle cure.

Last week while pulling wisteria vines out of the shrubbery I got poison ivy on both forearms. Being almost out of Zanfel I started looking for alternatives before investing another $30. Turns out the inventor of Zanfel had been a sales rep for Mean Green hand cleaner and used almost the same formula for Zanfel. I use Mean Green in the shop and it is a good hand cleaner so I decided to try a head to head test. Last of the Zanfel on one arm and Mean Green on the other. The results were the same. I could tell no difference between them.

So you have a choice. $25-$30 for one ounce of Zanfel or $20 for a quart of Mean Green. As a plus you can use the Mean Green to clean up after fixing the lawn mower.

I came down with a brutal case of poison ivy, fortunately it was only on my legs, but it was still making me miserable. I found several products that did a good job of providing temporary relief (and at a much more reasonable price). However, this is the only one that actually reduced the rash, blisters, etc., in addition to providing relief from the itching. I started using it Friday night and went through the whole tube with repeated washings Friday and Saturday. Saturday night was my first uninterrupted night of sleep in a week. The improvement in appearance on Sunday was remarkable. Yes, the price is outrageous, but it does work. Anyone who wants to argue about the scientific validity of the claims made by the manufacturer can be my guest, the bottom line is it produces results.

I had a severe poison oak rash almost completely covering my face that wasn't clearing up. Since I didn't want to go to the doctor and get antibiotics prescribed I tried Zanfel, even though it was almost forty dollars for one tube I was desperate for relief. The first time I used it the itching completely disappeared, since my rash was so severe it required several washings but after a day the rash began to clear up and it was no longer bothering me at all. I would reccomend Zanfel to anybody who is sensitive to poison oak, ivy, etc. and if their rash is not improving after a few days.

I have never suffered from any foot ailments prior to this point, however, 7 days ago my toes started breaking into a blistering rash. I thought I had caught a nasty case of athletes foot. I treated with massive quantities of otc athletes foot creams and sprays for 5 days, the blisters just got worse and worse, I could barely walk. Someone identified my blisters as poison ivy and recommended your foot wash. I bought it yesterday, as miserable as I was the price was not that bad. I used it. I washed my feet and toes with it twice. The itching went away right away. I was afraid it would hurt because I had open sores, but the cream relieved even the open sores. Today, all of the large blisters are gone and the small bumps are starting to fade. I may have some scarring because of the open sores from before I used the product, but, WOW, I can walk again.

I live in an area with lots of Poison Oak and have found this stuff to be an absolute godsend. One good scrubbing stops the itch entirely and makes the entire rash fade in just 2-3 days, instead of 2-3 weeks, which was my previous recovery time. I try to use it when a rash has just started, but I've also started treatment in the middle of a full-blown, red, weeping disaster of a rash, and it has always worked. It is expensive, sure, but totally worth every penny for me. I'd gladly spend up to $40 on this stuff; it's worth $2 a night for peaceful sleep when I'd otherwise be unable to sleep for days!

Clearly it works great for some folks and not at all for others. If you're suffering and can afford the $40 bucks, I'd absolutely recommend giving it a try.

Read and follow directions precisely. I had the fourth huge case of poison ivy in my life. After 1 1/2 weeks into the bout, and one trip to doc and oral prednisone and antihistimines, Zanfel was discovered. Applied per instructions and it immediately stopped the itching, which was systemic and feels like thousands of tiny ants under my skin. I will buy more, and take with me on camping trips etc, as important as anything in the first aid kit. Don't mess around with poison ivy, it can scar your skin badly.