How to prepare an oatmeal bath (and why your skin will like it so much)

The same composition that makes oats so healthy in your breakfast porridge is also responsible for making them good for your skin when applied externally. Surely you already imagined it, because many cosmetic products contain oats for their ability to soften and soothe skin. But you may not know that we can also take advantage of these properties of oats for the skin in other ways, not only using cosmetics with oats, but also by preparing a oatmeal bath at home.

Taking an oatmeal bath is ideal for softening and moisturizing the skin, as well as for soothing itching and irritation. It is recommended, for example, for relieve itching of dry, cracked or sensitive skinto improve discomfort in case of eczema or psoriasisto soothe sunburned skin or to care for sensitive baby skin or naturally relieve diaper rash. It is even recommended to soothe itching in dogs, which is known as canine atopic dermatitis.

Why is oatmeal good for the skin?

Different properties for the skin are attributed to oats, among them moisturizing, emollient, purifying and anti-inflammatory properties. Hence, it is included in creams, lotions, gels, shampoos and cleansing masks, to mention just some of the most common cosmetic products that we can find with oats.

Moisturizing power: Thanks to its high concentration of starches and beta-glucans, a type of fiber, oats retain moisture in the skin, which helps prevent dehydration.Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action: It is given its different types of oat phenols, including avenanthramides, which inhibit the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and also soothe irritation.Purifying capacity: It comes mainly from saponins, soapy substances that help cleanse the skin.Softening properties: They are due to its mucilages, which soften both the skin and the hair.pH regulation: Oats help regulate the pH of the skin.

How to prepare an oatmeal bath

To make good use of these properties of oats, it is not enough to add a few flakes to the water. Using oats in the bath is very simple, but it is preferable to use the finely ground oats so that it dissolves well in the water. That way, you can form a thin layer that will coat the skin and protect it, lock in moisture, and reduce inflammation.

One option is to use colloidal oatmeal, which you can find in pharmacies and stores specializing in cosmetic or natural products. Colloidal oatmeal is a flour made from very finely ground oats for cosmetic use and contains both the grain and the bran. Many oat-based cosmetic products contain colloidal oatmeal.

You can too prepare the oatmeal for the bath at home, finely grinding the grain or, even easier, the oat flakes. Some add the flakes directly wrapped in a muslin, stocking or similar fabric, then securing the bag with a rubber band. Oatmeal thus releases some of its beneficial substances for the skin into the water, but if the oatmeal is well ground, dissolving it in the water will give you the advantage that it adheres directly to the skin.

1. How to prepare oatmeal for the bath

If you buy colloidal oatmealyou won’t have to do anything. Simply separate the part that you are going to need.

If you are going to prepare the oatmealboth fine and thick flakes serve you:

For a bath, shred a cup of flakes In the chopper, a coffee grinder or a food processor the oat flakes until obtaining a very fine powder.To know if it has been thin enough for youadd a teaspoon to a glass of water and stir lightly: the water should immediately acquire a whitish hue, a sign that the powder remains in suspension and does not quickly sink to the bottom. If the water does not turn whitish, continue grinding for a while more so that the oat flour is finer.

2. How to give yourself an oatmeal bath step by step

This is the basic procedure, only with oats, but you can add other skin products to the water if you wish and your skin condition allows it:

fill the tub with warm water. Avoid very hot water if your problem is irritated or inflamed skin, as an excessively high temperature could be counterproductive. Add the cup of powdered oats and lightly stir the water with your hands, so that it is well distributed throughout the bathtub. You will see that it turns slightly milky or whitish. Stay in the bath at least 15 minutes. Take the opportunity to relax!Upon leavingBe careful not to slip: the oats that have fallen to the bottom are so soft that they can be slippery. Finally, dry carefully with a soft towelwithout rubbing hard, just patting gently, and apply your usual moisturizer or treatment.

If the bath is for a baby and you bathe it in a small bathtub, a smaller amount of oats will suffice, approximately one third.

If you want some ideas of other products that you can add to the water apart from oatmeal (and as long as you don’t have a problem such as atopic skin or dermatitis that contraindicates it), here are some:

a few drops of lavender essential oilto enhance the relaxing effects of the bath. A little bit of baking sodaif you have irritated skin and you want to enhance the pH regulating effect. A little milk or honey they will leave your skin even softer. Other essential oils depending on the effects you want, like some of those proposed in these therapeutic baths.

Other home remedies with oats

Whether you use the flakes or the colloidal oatmeal directly, you can take advantage of the softening, moisturizing and cleansing properties of oatmeal in other ways.

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