Why You Should Try Taking An Oatmeal Bath
Taking a warm oatmeal bath can help soothe and nourish your skin, especially if you have certain skin conditions like eczema or atopic dermatitis. That's because oatmeal contains elements that can soothe inflamed areas of the body, as well as hydrate dry or irritated skin (via Healthline). Oatmeal baths aren't made with regular rolled oats, however. Rather, they're made with colloidal oatmeal — finely ground oats commonly used in lotions and other skin care products.
Colloidal oatmeal contains antioxidants, like vitamin E, ferulic acid, and avenanthramides, which can help reduce itching and inflammation. They also contain water-binding compounds that act as a barrier to prevent your skin from losing excess water and drying out. Due to colloidal oatmeal's soothing and moisturizing properties, oatmeal baths are a simple and effective way to treat a number of skin conditions, including chicken pox, diaper rash, psoriasis, eczema, dry or itchy skin, and atopic and contact dermatitis. They can also be used to treat insect bites and reactions to poison oak.
How to make an oatmeal bath
Regardless of age or skin condition, oatmeal baths are a great way to moisturize and nourish your skin. They're also surprisingly easy to make at home. All you need are oats, warm water, and a bathtub. To make an oatmeal bath, grind up one cup of oats into a fine powder using a blender or food processor, as this will help the oats to disperse into the water rather than back up into your drain (via Well+Good). Once your oats are ground and ready to use, you can draw a bath of warm water.
As the water is running, slowly pour the cup of colloidal oats into the water. After letting it steep for a while, you can get in the tub and let your body soak for 15 minutes. When you're done, rinse off your skin and carefully get out of the tub. Follow this up by gently patting your skin dry with a towel and moisturizing with unscented lotion.