This article was co-authored by Laura Marusinec, MD. Dr. Marusinec is a board certified Pediatrician at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, where she is on the Clinical Practice Council. She received her M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin School of Medicine in 1995 and completed her residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Pediatrics in 1998. She is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and the Society for Pediatric Urgent Care.
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Oatmeal has been used for centuries as a soothing agent and home remedy for itchy skin, rashes, insect bites, poison ivy, and shingles. It has properties that not only moisturize skin but can act as an emollient and improve dry skin.[1] Parents will be glad to know that it soothes chickenpox, as well. A homemade oatmeal bath can reduce your child's itching and discomfort during this difficult time.
Steps
Purchase oats. As a sort of "super-food," oatmeal is not just edible but has number of healing uses: it can moisturize skin, reduce itching, serve as an emollient, and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It can also protect against sun damage and the inflammation of certain skin conditions.[2] You should be able to find oatmeal at any food store or supermarket. Whole oats -- not instant -- work better for bathing. Avoid flavored varieties, as well.
Make an oat sachet. Pour rolled oats into a nylon stocking or some muslin cloth. The amount you will need for a child is about 1/3 cup. Then, tie a knot in the fabric so that the oats cannot spill out. The key is to use a fabric that will hold the oats while allowing the water to pass through.Advertisement
Fill the bathtub. Make sure the water is at an appropriate level and temperature for your child. Not too hot, but warm enough to be soothing to the touch and to activate the oats' healing properties. Lukewarm to warm water is best.
Place the sachet in the tub. Leave the oat sachet in the water and let it soak for a few minutes. The oatmeal will soon let off a milky liquid that soothes itching.
Put your child in the tub. Once the oats are good and soaked, place your child in the water with them. Take care, as the oatmeal will make the tub more slippery than usual.[3]
Gently bathe your child. Let your child soak in the oat bath for between 10 to 15 minutes. Lift the sachet and allow the milky water to gently dribble from the oats onto your child's skin surface.[4]
Pat dry. Rather than rubbing, pat your child dry with the towel to avoid aggravating their itchy skin.
Purchase colloidal oatmeal. Colloidal oats are a special type of oats. They are not edible like regular oats but are finely ground into a powder, and are used in products like shampoo, shaving gel, and moisturizing cream. Colloidal oats have high levels of starch that moisturize in addition to antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, meaning they work great as a soothing and protective skin agent.[5] You should be able to find colloidal oats at most health or natural food stores.
Make your own colloidal oatmeal. Alternately, you can make your own colloidal oats by using a food processor. Just take regular oats, not the instant kind. Grind them in a food processor or other grinding mill until they are a fine powder, eliminating any larger flakes. You make as much in advance as you'd like, from a small amount or an entire container.
Prepare the bath. You will need about 1/3 cup of oat powder for each bath. Run the bath with lukewarm to warm water. Then, while the tub is filling, pour the oat powder into the running water stream. This will better disperse the oats into a colloidal solution, meaning that they will be suspended in the water and not sink to the bottom of the tub. Make double sure that they are properly dissolved by stirring the water to break up clumps.
Put your child in the tub. As with a sachet, place your child in the water once the oats have started to work their magic. Take care again because the colloidal oats may make the tub quite slippery.[6]
Bathe your child. Allow your child to again soak from 10-15 minutes with the colloidal oats. Rather than using the sachet or sponge, scoop up the milky water with your hand and dribble it over your child. [7]
Pat dry. Pat you child dry with a clean towel when done and avoid rubbing their skin, and you are done. You can bathe them once or twice a day like this while the condition persists, more if advised by a doctor.[8]
Expert Q&A
Tips
Warnings
- Remember to discard oat-filled stocking after use.Thanks
- Make a new oat-filled stocking for each bath.Thanks
- Never leave your child unattended when they are having an oat bath.Thanks
References
- ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17373175
- ↑ http://dermnetnz.org/treatments/oatmeal.html
- ↑ https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/eczema/childhood/itch-relief/home-remedies
- ↑ https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/eczema/childhood/itch-relief/home-remedies
- ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17373175
- ↑ https://www.parents.com/baby/care/bath/how-to-make-an-oatmeal-bath-for-babies/
- ↑ https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/eczema/childhood/itch-relief/home-remedies
- ↑ https://www.parents.com/baby/care/bath/how-to-make-an-oatmeal-bath-for-babies/
About This Article
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.
Chicken pox is itchy and uncomfortable, but you can give your child some relief by placing them in a warm bath along with a tied off nylon stocking filled with 1/3 cup of rolled oats. Just make sure to use whole oats, not instant, and avoid any flavored oatmeals. In the bath, the oats will let off a milky liquid that soothes itching, so feel free to pick up the stocking and let the milky water dribble onto your child’s skin. After 15 to 20 minutes of soaking, dry your child off by patting them with a towel rather than rubbing to avoid aggravating their itchy skin. For more advice from our Medical co-author, including how to make a bath with colloidal oatmeal, read on!
Reader Success Stories
"I would like to thank you for your nice advice. I live in the country with different methods of healing chicken pox. We do rely on remedies that you can buy in the chemists shop. I was searching for something less aggressive and more skin-friendly. Oatmeal sounds very natural. I'll try it as soon as my daughter finishes with her dinner."..." more
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