Oatmeal Milk Baths! why they help eczema, itchy and dry skin!
Oat milk bath benefits - Our Best Seller!
A short story behind my obsession with Oat baths: The very first thing grandmas on Facebook groups told me as soon as I mentioned my daughter's skin rash appearing was - to get her in an oat bath!
While I still went and got her checked out at the doctors, (with what was eventually eczema) I still made her multiple oat baths and her skin felt so good after it! I really noticed her less irritated which was so great to see. No mom likes to see their child wanting to scratch their skin off! Needless to say I proceeded to make myself a little oat bath and added botanicals that I have used for years to soothe my skin. I was so in love with it I started a who business around Oat Baths!
So let's break down what happened in her oat bath, firstly, oatmeal's scientific name is Avena sativa (remind you of a particular brand?) yup! One thing they got right is oats are amazing for the skin. Oats have been used for centuries in aid of various skin ailments from eczema, poison ivy, allergic reactions, itchy insect bites, psoriasis, and more!
Here’s the science:
- Oatmeal has anti-inflammatory properties, which are the symptom of many skin ailments.
Many studies have found Oatmeal to be a fantastic way to bathe when one has skin irritation. Extracts of oatmeal have been shown to lessen inflammatory mediators in the skin, giving significant clinical improvements in skin dryness, scaling, roughness, and itch intensity. In fact, many literature searches have been carried out to collect in vivo and in vitro studies as well as clinical trials on this subject. The results suggest that oatmeal possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and its administration is effective on a variety of dermatologic inflammatory diseases such as pruritus, atopic dermatitis, acneiform eruptions, and viral infections.(Pazyar N, Yaghoobi R, Kazerouni A, Feily A.)
2. Oatmeal is a humectant (definition: a substance that absorbs or helps another substance retain moisture) Which means oat baths can help your skin absorb more water and therefore leave you moisturized.
The many clinical properties of colloidal oatmeal derive from its chemical polymorphism. The high concentration of starches and beta-glucan is responsible for the protective and water-holding functions of oat. The presence of different types of phenols confers antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Some of the oat phenols are also strong ultraviolet absorbers. The cleansing activity of oat is mostly due to saponins. Its many functional properties make colloidal oatmeal a cleanser, moisturizer, and buffer, as well as a soothing and protective anti-inflammatory agent. (Kurtz ES, Wallo W.)
3. Oat baths can strengthen the skin barrier.
As shown in a study in 2016 by the Journal of drugs in dermatology, the results of their study on oatmeal and skin barrier demonstrated that colloidal oatmeal can provide clinically effective benefits for dry and compromised skin by strengthening the skin barrier.
4. If that is not enough proof of how absolutely amazing oatmeal is for your skin, it’s also an active ingredient regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In 2003, the FDA approved colloidal oatmeal as a skin protectant that effectively relieves itching and irritation caused by a range of dermatological conditions.
Now we’ve covered the why let's discuss the how.
Regular breakfast oats you find at your grocery store will work! If you are cautious about gluten in your oats you may want to use gluten-free oats from a reputable supplier. Also, organic oats to stay as natural as possible. But, if those are out of your price point, regular oats will work so well!! If it’s good enough to eat, go right ahead!
I know I am a tad bias since I sell organic oat soaks, I still believe you can make your own at home and have an amazing experience! Alas if you don't want to go through the trouble and have other amazing herbal remedies that add extra skin benefits and you can find those here!
But by all means, you can also make yourself a simple oat bath by blending 1 cup of oats in a blender and sprinkling that into your bath!
Happy Bathing,
Gabby
Citations:
Pazyar N, Yaghoobi R, Kazerouni A, Feily A. Oatmeal in dermatology: a brief review. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2012 Mar-Apr;78(2):142-5. doi: 10.4103/0378-6323.93629. PMID: 22421643.
Kurtz ES, Wallo W. Colloidal oatmeal: history, chemistry and clinical properties. J Drugs Dermatol. 2007 Feb;6(2):167-70. PMID: 17373175.
Ilnytska O, Kaur S, Chon S, Reynertson KA, Nebus J, Garay M, Mahmood K, Southall MD. Colloidal Oatmeal (Avena Sativa) Improves Skin Barrier Through Multi-Therapy Activity. J Drugs Dermatol. 2016 Jun 1;15(6):684-90. PMID: 27272074.