It’s driving you crazy.
The itching, the scratching, the sores, the bleeding.
You’ve tried everything you under the sun to get just one. whole. minute. of relief, but this brutal, relentless condition doesn’t back down.
If you or a loved one are suffering from the debilitating effects of eczema, or atopic dermatitis, you know all too well the pain and agony that ensues during a flare-up.
The truth is, 9 times out of 10, eczema is just an external manifestation of a deeper, internal issue – usually a problem in the gut.
In the case of my son, he was tested for food allergies and found to be allergic to several common foods, like wheat, dairy, bananas, and a few other favorite foods. It’s been tough and discouraging at times, but now that we have a plan of action, we’re working towards healing. You can read about how we’re managing his eczema at this post.
Oatmeal Bath for Eczema and Itchy Skin
Today I’m sharing a recipe for a soothing oatmeal bath for eczema and itchy skin. I got the recipe from our naturopath (Zen-Tai Wellness Centre in Toronto), and it’s so wonderfully soothing and hydrating that I just knew I had to share it with you!
This recipe contains 3 simple ingredients found in almost every home, and requires only a minimal amount of prep work.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Natural skin emollient and moisturizer, and contains linoleic acid, a compound which prevents water from evaporating.
- Baking Soda – Increases pH of skin, which soothes itchiness.
- Oats – Fights dryness by leaving a protective layer on the skin, cleanses and moisturizes, and helps maintain the skin’s natural barrier function. The naturally occurring antioxidants in oats have also been found to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties.
Soothing Bath for Eczema and Itchy Skin
Equipment
- Coffee grinder or high speed blender
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup baking soda
- ½ cup oats finely ground, using a coffee grinder or blender
For use with a small baby tub:
- 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons oats finely ground, using a coffee grinder or blender
Instructions
- Add ingredients to bath water and mix well to distribute throughout.
- Soak for 15-20 minutes.
Notes
This bath really helps to soothe itchy and irritated skin, and it leaves the skin so soft afterwards. I don’t even bother moisturizing Yusuf’s skin afterwards because the bath has already done that for me! And because it helps reduce the inflammation, he sleeps much better at night since he’s not constantly scratching in his sleep.
When his eczema was really bad, we did this oatmeal bath almost every night for several weeks. Now that we’ve gotten his eczema managed and under control, we’ve scaled back to maybe a couple times a month. With the cold winter months coming up, we’ll probably start doing them about once a week just for maintenance.
And if you’re in the Toronto area and looking for a naturopath, I highly recommend the wonderful doctors at Zen-Tai Wellness Centre. They’re beyond awesome in their knowledge and care, and I really don’t know where we’d be without their help with Yusuf’s eczema.
Have you tried an oatmeal bath for eczema and itchy skin?
Image: benedeki
How do I make a paste for staff using oatmeal only, I don’t have that many ingredients to use 🤔… PLEASE HELP, my husband has staff all over and he needs this ingidient.
I would probably just make some oatmeal (with water or milk) and just apply it as a paste.
Assalamoalykum sister. My daughter has very bad eczema can I use coconut oil. And is it ok make paste of 3 ingredient and apply for her leave it for 2.3 minute yah rains quickly…..
Wa alaykum assalam, sis. Coconut oil is fine for most skin, so you can definitely try it. However, I don’t recommend making a paste from these bath ingredients as it would be very messy and difficult to clean up.
Hi just wondering if the water volume effects the recipe? I like to have deep baths, should I use more or it won’t matter?
Thank you for the great post can’t wait to try it 🙂
You could certainly use more! The main recipe is for a standard size bath. You could start with that amount, and then add more if you feel you need it.
Hi, do you rinse off your son after the baking soda and oatmeal bath? I’m thinking of trying this to help with my son’s eczema. Thank you.
Yes, I rinsed him off, but just with water, no soap.
Thank you for the extraordinary tip! My Mother gets the worst cases of eczema in the winter. The snowy weather seems to just act directly into a flare-up. I’m looking forward to use it this season and see if there is any difference. I have also been studying a lot of blogs that describe this medical condition in particular like https://www.everydayhealth.com/eczema/guide/ & https://nationaleczema.org/eczema-in-winter/ hope you and your readers find these articles useful for dealing with their condition.
Could I use this recipe as a paste to target my 4yo son’s problem skin areas instead of in a bath?
Hmm, haven’t tried that, but it might work, depending on where his problem areas are. Maybe apply the paste and then wrap up those areas with some muslin or cotton cloths to keep it in place?
Assalam alaykum pls can I use jonhson oatmeal vanilla shower gel for baby suffering from atopic dermatitis
Would it make a difference if it’s not the extra virgin olive oil but regular olive oil? Do I need to double or triple the amount if it’s a larger tub? My 18yr old has severe eczema all over his body and facial area that is weepy. Hes tried different medications that he’s become immune to a few and is now trying Protopic. Which is very expensive. Do u have a simple remedy for the facial area?
I don’t think it makes a difference which olive oil you use. I’m sorry, I don’t have a remedy for the facial area, but I’ll go ahead and point you to my favorite eczema resource, http://theeczemacompany.com, which has all kinds of products for different areas and issues related to eczema. Best of luck to you and your son!
I like it. My sking is so dry
Assalamu alaikum sister, I did the oatmeal bath as stated above. I was wondering after the child soaks for 15-20minutes. Should you then wash him with whatever regular soap you use or just rince and take him out of the tub? Shukran
Wa alaikum assalam, sis. Just rinse him off with plain water and pat the skin dry. That way you don’t wash off all the oil and oatmeal, and it soaks into his skin to keep working after the bath.
can i use regular instant oatmeal?
I don’t see why not, it should be fine. Just know that instant oatmeal is highly processed so it may not be as nourishing since it’s been stripped of a lot of it’s nutrients.
I’m suffering from some kind of bites. They are very painful and itch like crazy. Any ideas. Prescriptions are not working. Help!
You might want to try some of the ideas in this post: https://naturesnurture.co/natural-bee-sting-remedies/