Bathing with oat concoction makes the body feel relaxed and comfortable, especially when your skin is itchy (for example because of chickenpox or a rash from poison ivy), or when experiencing irritation (for example due to allergies, insect bites, or sunburn). Oats are very good for your skin, smell good, and leave your skin feeling smooth. An oat flour bath will make you wish you could soak in it for as long as possible. Another advantage is the wide variety of bath ingredients made from oat flour, which will be explained in this article. Follow these steps to prepare an easy, yet effective oat bath concoction at home to make your skin feel good.
Ingredients
- Plain, unflavored oat flour (preferably from whole grains), and refined oat flour are the best choices.
- Small lavender florets (about to cup) (optional)
- Lavender essential oil or other essential oil for a relaxing effect (optional), check all the warnings listed before use.
- 1/2 to 1 cup milk or buttermilk, for a relaxing and smoothing effect on the skin (optional)
- Epsom salt, for a skin rejuvenating effect (optional)
Step
Step 1. Pour about 1/3 to cup of oat flour in a measuring cup
The portion of oat flour you use will depend on the size of your coffee filter or muslin cloth.
Step 2. Pour the oat flour from the cup into a bowl
Step 3. Press down on the dry oat flour with the back of a spoon to remove any lumps that can form while the oat flour is in the storage bin
- Skip this step if the oat flour you are using is fine.
- If the oat plates or grains are very large, put the oat flour in a plastic bag and crush it finely with a wooden dough roller.
Step 4. Add other ingredients to the oat flour, according to your preference
If you want a relaxing effect, you are free to add ingredients that have this effect (refer to the Ingredients section above). However, if you wish to take a bath to treat itchiness, rashes, irritation, or skin ailments, you are advised to avoid this step or at least be very careful, as the added ingredients can worsen the skin condition. Additional materials that can be used for example are:
- Lavender florets. If you don't have lavender florets, take a handful of dried lavender and pluck the buds attached to the stems, and put them in a bowl.
- Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the bowl. Make sure that you choose essential oils that are safe for bathing. Although optional, this step does increase the effect of your bath enjoyment. But if you suffer from skin disease, skip this step.
- Stir all these additional ingredients with a spoon, until well blended with the oat flour.
Step 5. Place the mixture in a coffee filter bag or muslin cloth
The filter bag used in the image in this article is a size 4 (enough to make 8-12 cups of coffee), and requires four tablespoons of squeezed soup.
Tie the filter bag with a rubber band, string, or ribbon. A rubber band is probably the easiest option to use, unless your friend can help hold the bag while you tie it with string or ribbon
Step 6. Fill the tub with hot water
If you're also using milk, also pour liquid milk or buttermilk into the tub, under the tap, under running water.
Alternatively, add about cup of Epsom salt to the liquid milk as you pour it into the bath, to relieve sore muscles and help soften the skin. Skip this step if you are undergoing skin treatment for hives or skin conditions
Step 7. Soak the bag containing the bath ingredients at the end of the tub, away from the tap
Leave it for a while until the temperature drops slightly. When the water in the tub becomes warm, the heat will dissolve the oat flour essence and other ingredients in the mixture.
Step 8. Enter the tub when the water temperature is lukewarm
Once you're in the tub, you can "slowly" squeeze the bag of ingredients to mix the oat juice with the water in the tub. Don't squeeze too hard, especially if you're using a paper filter bag, because if the paper crumbles, the oat flour and other ingredients will contaminate your tub. Enjoy the bath as long as you want, but if you are doing certain skin treatments, don't soak for more than ten minutes, so that your skin condition does not worsen.
- Light a candle with a calming scent, such as vanilla or lavender, to make you feel more relaxed.
- If you have certain skin conditions, be careful when you dry your skin. Just pat your body with a soft towel, especially on skin that feels itchy or painful.
- Repeat this bathing ritual as needed. The advantage of bathing with oats is its softness, so you can enjoy it every day as you wish.
Tips
- To make an oat bath concoction with an exfoliating effect, mix ground salt with coarse oat flour and lavender oil.
- Colloidal oat flour is finely ground oat flour, which can be poured directly in the shower without using a bag. This type of oat flour can be purchased from pharmacies, but follow the instructions for use listed on the packaging.
- Since the coffee filter is made of paper, you can throw it away after use, so there's no oat flour splattered all over the place. Muslin or cheesecloth will crumble and compost well, but you can also wash them, dry them, and reuse them until they look unusable.
- Put oat flour in a clean sock, for an even easier way! Then, tie the sock with a rubber band at the top. This will help with the problem of sunburned skin as well.
Warning
- Do not place the potion bath bag under running water, as the pressure of the water will tear the paper bag and the potion contents will be splattered all over the tub.
- Do not enter the tub while the water is still hot, so that you avoid the heat which can damage the skin.
- Do not enter the bath with hot water if you have a skin disease. Always check first, whether the water temperature is lukewarm.
- This remedy is not a substitute for medical treatment for any skin condition, but is simply a way of bathing that relaxes or soothes your skin.
