Bath
Oat bath
Colloidal oatmeal is one of the few things in the whole apothecary that dermatologists themselves recommend. It appears in international guidelines for atopic eczema, and it is the same oats you have in the cupboard. They simply need grinding fine enough to stay suspended in the water instead of sinking.
Test it with a glass of water: if the oats are fine enough, the water turns milky white and cloudy. If you can see grains settling, blend further.
And then there is something just as important as the bath itself, which almost nobody is told: Make sure that you have your moisturiser ready next to the tub before you get in
You have about three minutes from getting out before the skin begins drying again. Moisturise yourself, and you lock the water in.
Wait until you have dried off and found clothes, and you have lost most of the benefit.
Lukewarm water, not hot. Hot water feels wonderful on itching for thirty seconds and makes the eczema worse afterwards.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- A lukewarm bath
- An unperfumed moisturiser, ready at the tub edge
Equipment
- Blender or coffee grinder
- A glass of water to test with
- Soft towel
Method
- 1
Blend 1 cup rolled oats into a fine powder and stir into a lukewarm bath.
- 2
Soak for 15-20 minutes.
- 3
Rinse the skin lightly and apply an unscented moisturiser.
Dosage
Bathe for 15-20 minutes, once daily or as needed when the eczema is bad.
The water should be lukewarm. If you can feel that it is warm, it is too warm.
Rinse the skin lightly afterwards, pat it dry with a soft towel. Never rub and apply moisturiser within three minutes, while the skin is still damp.
Shelf life
Grind only what you need. Ground oats keep a couple of weeks in an airtight jar, but go rancid quickly.
Safety
The tub becomes slippery from the oats. Take care getting out, and rinse the tub thoroughly afterwards.
Lukewarm water, not hot. Hot water strips the skin''s own oils and worsens eczema, even though it relieves the itch for a moment.
Never rub the skin dry. Pat it.
If you have open, weeping or infected eczema, speak with your doctor before bathing. If the eczema turns wet, yellow, crusted or hot, that is likely infection and needs treating.
Oat allergy is rare but real. Try a little oat porridge on the skin first if you are unsure.
If you have coeliac disease, you can bathe in oats safely. Gluten is not absorbed through intact skin. Just do not eat it.
Not for infants without speaking to your health visitor or doctor.
Eczema that spreads, does not improve, or disturbs your sleep belongs with a doctor or dermatologist. Treatment exists that works, and an oat bath is relief along the way.
How the herbs work
Colloidal oatmeal is finely ground oats that stay suspended in water instead of sinking. The beta-glucans and starch settle as a protective, moisture-binding film on the skin, and the avenanthramides in oats calm inflammation and itching directly.
The effect is documented well enough that colloidal oatmeal appears in international guidelines for treating atopic eczema, and it is the only treatment in this apothecary where that is the case.
The three minutes afterwards matter as much as the bath. Water evaporates from the skin the moment you get out, and that drying is worse than what you started with. A moisturiser applied to damp skin traps the water instead.
It is called soak and seal, and it is the single technique that makes most difference to dry, itching skin.
The content here is general knowledge and folk herbal lore, not medical treatment. In illness, pregnancy, breastfeeding or alongside medication: always talk to your doctor first.