Colloidal Oatmeal Bath

A couple of weeks ago my children were unexpectedly hit with the chicken pox. Since I had the chicken pox so young, I could not remember anything about them, least of all how to make my babies feel better. And every mother knows there is nothing worse than watching your children suffer in any way.

So I went online to find the best remedies for healing the itching and I found that colloidal oatmeal baths were widely accepted as the best skin soother. I had no clue what this was, so in my desperation to help my children, I quickly Googled where to find it and called my husband at work to pick some up that day. He heroically arrived home with an $8.00 box of Aveeno Colloidal Oatmeal Bath containing enough for 8 baths. We tossed the children in the tub and let them soak for quite a while. They were content, non-itchy and finally comfortable.

While they were bathing, I started to regain my sense of logic and realized that the packets contained nothing but pure ground oatmeal. That is it. Of course I was thrilled that my children were finally content, but I was a little irritated that I paid $8.00 for 12 ounces of oatmeal.

Since then, I have decided to make my own. For less than $3.00 I can purchase 42 ounces of oatmeal and make a lot more than 8 baths. Now that it is such a frugal option, I have turned to taking them myself. Oatmeal baths have many more uses than just soothing chicken pox. They protect the skin from everyday exterior irritants, normalize your skin's pH balance, lock in moisture and cleanse the skin by removing dirt, oil and odors. I have since added this highly beneficial, low cost product to my personal favorite do-it-yourself beauty products.

To make your own Colloidal Oatmeal Bath for a fraction of the cost of convenience packets, all you need are:

• 1 c. old-fashioned oatmeal
• Food processor

Grind up the oatmeal in the food processor until it becomes a fine powder. The finer the powder, the better it will dissolve in the bath water. Then sprinkle the powder into a warm bath and stir it around with your hand until completely dissolved, breaking up the larger clumps in your fingers.

Next, light some candles, grab a good book, and soak your skin healthy!

Find more great homemaking posts at: Learning the Frugal Life, Growing Home, Far Above Rubies, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Hope Studios, Tip Junkie, The Prairie Homestead, The Healthy Home Economist, New Nostalgia, Ladybug Blessings, Real Food Forager Mind, Body and Sole, Frugally Sustainable, Nifty Thrifty Things and Time-Warp Wife.