I love taking hot baths during the cold winter months, but I hate how dry and itchy my skin feels afterwards. So during the coldest months of the year, I add a homemade oatmeal powder to the water.
Oatmeal bath soaks were a common cure in the 17th and 18th centuries for everything from poison ivy to winter eczema to diaper rash. The recipe below came from Sarah Munro’s collection of updated herbal remedies. (For those of you new to this blog, Sarah Munro is the heroine in ONE DARK WISH, book 2 of the Amazon Bestselling Deadly Force series.) I love this recipe because it uses few ingredients with no strange perfumes or fillers. By finely grinding the oatmeal (it becomes colloidal oatmeal), there’s no residue in the tub. The oatmeal is an anti-inflammatory agent, while the oils add hydration. The baking soda reduces irritation and the epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) helps with the pain and itchiness. And feel free to switch out the essential oil scents. I prefer lavender in the winter, but use your favorite!
Sarah Munro’s Oatmeal Bath
Ingredients:
- 1 cup “quick oats” oatmeal
- 1/2 cup Epsom Salts
- 2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
- 8-10 drops Lavender Essential Oil*
Directions:
Place the dry oats into a blender and process until it turns into a powder. This is now known as Colloidal Oats. (You can purchase Colloidal Oats but it’s far more cost effective to blend your own)
Add the other ingredients into the blender and process, on bursts, until well blended.
Pour into a sterilized glass container until ready to use.
To use, run a bath (with your preferred water temperature) and the entire mixture to the bath. Because the oats have been blended, they will dissolve, leaving no residue behind the tub.
This recipe can be doubled if you have a strong enough blender.
*If you prefer another scent, use whichever essential oil you prefer.
**If you are treating poison ivy, substitute 4-6 drops of the Tea Tree Oil for the Lavender oil. Tea Tree oil is a natural antiseptic.
Important disclaimer about wild plants, foraging, and making herbal remedies:
I am not a medical professional and nothing written on this blog is medical advice. None of my statements have been evaluated by the FDA (I am legally required to give you this disclaimer).
It is important to do your due diligence before foraging, harvesting, and/or consuming any type of medicinal plant.
- If you are taking any medications, talk to your doctor about any potential drug interactions.
- If you are allergic to anything, make sure whatever you are foraging is not in the same family. Example: While dandelions are typically considered safe, those who are allergic to ragweed, latex, daisies, or any other plants in the same or similar families, may not be able to consume dandelion.
Always research potential side effects, dosage recommendations, and how to properly prepare and consume each medicinal plant.
Always make sure you are foraging what you believe to be. Fully prepare and study the anatomy before harvesting wild plants.
Always make sure your kitchen/work area is clean and that all materials are sterilized.
Do not forage plants from areas that have been sprayed within the past 2 years at the very least.
I am not legally or morally responsible for the health of any of my readers. Please do your own research!
