Is your skin on fire?
When your skin’s all red and irritated, you need to call your skin’s firefighters to come to the rescue.
Believe it or not, your skin’s firefighters are oats. Yep, the same thing that’s in your oatmeal… But, in the skincare world, oats often go by the name “colloidal oatmeal”.
What The Heck Is Colloidal Oatmeal?
Here’s where it gets confusing.
You’ll often find oatmeal hiding under the name Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Meal in your lotions and potions. It’s only when oats are used as a skin protectant (for example, in products to treat eczema) they use the superhero name of colloidal oatmeal.
Colloidal oatmeal is a very fine powder derived from whole oat grains. This powder is loaded with “polysaccharides (60%-64%), proteins (10%-18%), lipids (3%-9%), saponins, enzymes (such as the potent antioxidant superoxide dismutase), prostaglandin-synthesis inhibitors, flavonoids, and vitamins“.
Colloidal oatmeal has soothing properties
Colloidal oatmeal has:
- anti-inflammatory properties
- soothing properties
- moisturising properties
- barrier-repair properties
In other words, colloidal oatmeals soothes redness and irritations and strengthens your skin’s protective barrier so your skin doesn’t get easily upset by cold weather, germs and other triggers.
This makes colloidal oatmeal a skin saviour for anyone with psoriasis, eczema and atopic dermatitis.
A 2012 study confirms that “the daily use of moisturizers and/or cleansers containing colloidal oatmeal significantly improved many clinical outcomes of atopic dermatitis” and was “well tolerated in babies, children, and adults with AD.”
FYI, you can also use colloidal oatmeal to soothe sunburn, rashes (including diaper rashes), hives, insect bites, and other pruritic conditions.
What Are The Best Products with Colloidal Oatmeal?
- Aveeno Bath Treatment ($6.97): available at iHerb and Walmart
- Eucerin Eczema Relief Body Cream ($10.43):available at Walmart.
- Paula’s Choice Calm Redness Relief Toner For Normal To Oily Skin ($21.00): available at Paula’s Choice
SHOP THE POST
The Bottom Line
Dealing with psoriasis or eczema or got stuck with a bad rash? Colloidal oatmeal comes to the rescue. Its soothing and moisturising properties calm down your skin, nursing it back to health.
Do you use colloidal oatmeal? Share your experience in the comments below.
In the US, we have Aveeno products with colloidal oatmeal. When I had hives years ago, Aveeno colloidal oatmeal bath soak saved me…but the bathtub was a mess. Nevertheless, it was the only thing that worked.
Allison, colloidal oatmeal can be a godsend sometimes, can’t it? But yeah, the mess, that’s awful!
I used to make oatmeal masks but they’re so messy I rarely do them. I’d much rather buy a mask to use, which has a thicker consistency and doesn’t run down my face. I’ve tried oatmeal with honey, with yogurt, ground up, with coconut oil. Still not my favorite.
I like First Aid Beatuy’s oatmeal mask.
Janessa, this is one instance when buying a product is better than making your own, unless you don’t mind the mess, I agree. 🙂