I first posted this 'recipe' for homemade organic oatmeal bath back in June. I figure that since it's now winter I would re-post it. This oatmeal bath will really help to soothe that dry and scaly winter skin.
Oatmeal baths are often recommended to soothe symptoms of: eczema, chicken pox, poison ivy/sumac/oak, dry skin, sunburn, windburn, insect bites, and a number of other ailments. However, a store bought oatmeal bath product can be costly. Many of the store bought versions also contain chemicals which can irritate the skin. My son experienced a food intolerance this year which resulted in a full body rash. I thought that an oatmeal bath would help to soothe his skin but didn’t want to spend a lot on something that may not work. I did a little research and found that it was easy to make my own oatmeal bath with the oatmeal I had right in my pantry!
A popular name brand version is 12 ounces and will cost on average $6. This homemade version will make about 18 ounces and will cost about $3. You do the math! This version is all natural and organic, and simple to make.
All you will need is a blender, food processor or coffee grinder and about 1/3 cup of organic oatmeal. Instant oatmeal (unflavored), quick oats, or slow cooking oats will all produce the same results. If you are bathing a baby or small child, you will only need about 1/3 cup of the oats per bath. I like to grind up a couple of cups of oats and store in a sealed container in the bathroom so I always have some ready for the bath.
Blend, process, or grind the oats until you have a very fine powder. To check if the oats have been ground enough stir 1 tablespoon oats into a glass of warm water. If the oats give the water a milky look and a silky feel, you've blended long enough. Honestly, I always skip this step and just assume that the oats are ready when they are a fine powder and can’t be ground much more.
Sprinkle the oats into a tub of running water. Give the oats a few minutes to 'dissolve' before putting your child in the tub. Take caution because the oats will make the tub very slippery. Soak your child in the tub for 15-20 minutes.
That’s it! Homemade all natural and organic oatmeal bath.
Thanks for reposting- I could definitely stand to make some and use it!
ReplyDeleteMy kids have horrible dry skin in the winter so this is great! Thanks for posting! Do you really see a noticeable difference in their skin after using this?
ReplyDeleteSarah - Yes, I really noticed a difference in my son's skin. His skin seems to get more scaly than flaky in the winter (especially his legs). A nice oatmeal soak really has done wonders for him. I usually pour the oats into the stream of water when filling up the tub. I let the oats disolve a bit before putting my son in (you can tell they have disolved b/c they will change the color of the water to a milky color) then I let him soak for awhile. I don't use any other soap on him during his oatmeal baths. I have found that during the winter when he has an oatmeal bath weekly his skin stays nice and soft.
ReplyDelete