Oatmeal has been a trusted remedy for centuries to soothe dry, itchy, irritated skin. It acts as a gentle exfoliant to remove dead skin, dirt, and oil as well as moisturize and even reduce inflammation. Here are eight great reasons to include oatmeal skin products as a part of your daily routine:
Oatmeal has been used for centuries to soothe skin and relieve itch. When they aren’t thinking of their breakfast bowl, that’s what most people know oatmeal for – itch relief. Here are the facts:
- Natural eczema treatment: A variety of studies have examined the effects of oatmeal on eczema showing multiple benefits. Patients treated with oatmeal experienced longer relief from symptoms, fewer harmful bacteria, and noted that damaged skin healed better.
- Natural psoriasis treatment: In addition to eczema, oatmeal has been found as a successful remedy for psoriasis. A recent study found that after 4 weeks of using oatmeal, a whopping 96% of participants agreed that oatmeal improved the severity of their psoriasis and reduced the amount of damaged skin patches.
- Both gentle and effective: Many pediatricians recommend oatmeal baths for children with skin ailments. Research in 2018 concluded that oatmeal can help alleviate the dryness, itching, and scaling that are symptomatic of skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis common in childhood.
Active ingredients of Pure & Gentle’s Oatmeal Bar Soap
Because oatmeal is filled with nutrients like antioxidants and fatty acids ideal for nourishing the skin, there are also numerous other skin benefits to oatmeal:
- Moisture: Dry skin is typically caused by a lack of water in the upper layers of the dermis, and oatmeal can act as an effective moisturizer by creating a layer that traps water. Oatmeal naturally has plenty of beta-glucan, a substance that absorbs water and helps reduce dry skin.
- Skin barrier: The protein in oatmeal can help improve your skin’s natural barrier. A study in 2018 concluded that oatmeal can help restore and maintain the skin barrier when used over a period of several weeks.
- Skin pH: Healthy skin has a pH of around 5.0, but when you’re exposed to environmental stressors, it can become imbalanced. And over time, this imbalance can cause severe dryness and irritation. However, oatmeal acts as a pH buffer which can help correct and maintain the pH of your skin. This makes oatmeal an ideal ingredient for those with sensitive or chronically irritated skin.
- Skin exfoliation: Colloidal oatmeal – a type of oatmeal in the form of finely ground powder – naturally acts as a very mild exfoliating agent for even sensitive skin.
- Potential antioxidants: A study in 2015 found that oatmeal has antioxidants (phenols) and anti-inflammatory effects that could help improve skin dryness and reduce itchiness.
An ancient remedy you can trust today.
One of Pure & Gentle’s most popular products is the oatmeal bar soap. Made with all-natural ingredients, including coconut oil and soothing oatmeal, it moisturizes and gently exfoliates even highly sensitive skin. Our oatmeal soap is dye-free, phosphate-free, and 100% biodegradable for a 100% clean you can trust.
