Many of us have memories of mom or grandma running us an oatmeal bath to soothe our itches. It was a simple home remedy, and it helped us to feel better. Drawing on that nostalgia and the comforting feeling of an oatmeal bath, we created Milky Way Herbal Oat Wash, as a part of our Peas in a Pod line.

But we didn’t just choose oats for sentimental reasons. This household staple contains a mix of fats and sugars that, when steeped in water, help to lubricate the skin, as well as proteins that protect the skin. To use, place Oat Wash or plain, slow-cooking rolled oats into a muslin bag (or cheesecloth, or cotton) and place in the bath water. Let steep while the water runs and squeeze well into bath before removing to dry. The bag of oats/Oat Wash can be reused once before composting. 

A 2010 study published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology explored the antioxidants found in oatmeal and specifically colloidal (very finely ground) oatmeal, and pinpointed one type in particular, avenanthramides, to be anti-inflammatory and soothing for certain skin conditions. Grandma might have been onto something! 

Given that grains are known to have notably high pesticide levels and that we and our customers are concerned about GMOs, we have chosen organic oat bran for our Milky Way Herbal Oat Wash. The oat bran (the outer husk of the oats) is processed from oats grown right here in Southern Alberta, a fact that we are proud of! 

In addition to oat bran, we’ve also included in our Milky Way Herbal Oat Wash: nourishing evaporated milk powder; soothing petals of lavender, calendula, rose and chamomile; and calming lavender essential oil. It comes with the muslin bag for steeping.

 If you or your little one is itchy or suffering from dry skin this winter, oats might be just the thing to soothe you.