easy diy oatmeal bath

I’ve given the boys an oatmeal bath two weeks in a row now and cannot get over how much this simple ingredient has helped with their eczema!

I remember oatmeal baths from back in the chicken pox days, but never thought about it again really.

Then, thanks to this long winter or just the fact that they have eczema, Sam’s elbows flared up overnight and poor Tom’s entire body felt like sandpaper despite always applying lotion. So, I found myself Googling.

For me it’s a huge bonus if it’s easy and even better if it’s cheap! I love a good DIY to save some money. This could not be easier and can be made with 3 things you probably have on hand, which I love compared to some more expensive options.

• Oatmeal (soothing and moisturizing)
• Baking soda (helps with itching!)
• A sock (keeps the bath from being a mess, tie it off with itself or with a rubber band)

Put a few scoops of oatmeal in the sock. Add in a spoon full of baking soda. Tie it off and toss it in the tub. You can add in a little baby oil or coconut oil but I didn’t do this the second time. Sometimes I add baby oil to baths in the winter to help with their dry skin but it doesn’t do great in hair!

Squish and squeeze the sock a bit until the water becomes cloudy with oatmeal bath magic!

After soaking in the warm water, the oatmeal sock gets really soft and you can squeeze out a thicker almost lotion of oatmeal starchy goodness to rub over bad eczema spots.

I even put some of this on them at the very end without rinsing and it was quickly absorbed into their skin and felt super soft.

I found myself with the smoothest hands and arms after their bath too! I think I’ll be trying an oatmeal bath for myself sometime soon.

Of course it’s best to put lotion on straight after the bath and we have had great luck with Eucerin Eczema cream which, compared to the Aveeno option, has worked really well for the boys.

I recommend this super simple, green, and easy treatment. I wish I had thought of it last summer when I battled a crazy reaction to poison ivy for a month! It would be great for dry skin, eczema, diaper rash and even minor itchy allergic reactions.