Porridge Poultice Has a History

Have you ever witnessed a small child’s delight as s/he becomes one with the cereal bowl, tossing back the last scoops of sumptuous porridge.  AKA oatmeal? Smiles for all! 

Perhaps it was an observant Egyptian mother 4000 years ago who first discovered oatmeal as soothing on the skin?  

Ovid, one of ancient Rome’s most prolific writers devised skin care recipes with oats over 2000 years ago. Dioscorides, a Greek author, wrote extensively on oats as a healing agent.   

Today ‘colloidal oats’ have become an important part of skin care. Colloidal oats, the grinding and processing of the whole oat grain are the recommended choice. This procedure helps to enrich the properties of oatmeal, through texture, application and nutrients.

Colloidal oats can be purchased at a pharmacy or health food store. You can also DIY.

If you choose to ‘Blender’ your own colloidal oats, the oats need to be processed to a very fine powder. Test it by adding some powder to water. It should turn the water to cloudy and silky, rather than sinking to the bottom. In this form, the oats react more efficiently on the skin. The results are soothing plus.

Oatmeal is known to help with dry skin, blackheads, acne, itching, and exfoliation of the dead skin cells.  Oatmeal contains nutrients that help to reduce inflammation and itching.  It also moisturizes by rehydrating the skin. Oatmeal also protects the skin from environmental irritants.  You can make a poultice, bath in it, add it to a skin care product.

You can, of course, buy skin care made with oats. Colloidal oats are a big advertising in skin care. I checked out body washes, creams, toners, lotions, manufactured with colloidal oatmeal, the LURE. However, I did not relish many of the other ingredients. Not surprising for one that is a fan of all natural.

If you also love the idea of all natural, you may prefer to do your own facial or poultice, or your own bath soak by blending your oats to the colloidal stage. 

What Earth to Body Offers:

Our Clay Neem powder is ready to go, containing BC’s Glacial Marine clay and our own colloidal oatmeal powder. (Gluten free, Red Mills).

We also use the same oatmeal as an exfoliate in 4 of our soaps. We are not overly concerned about making a fine grind as here our goal is to act as gentle yet nutritional exfoliant.

If you have tried some of Earth to Body products and like the ingredient listing, there is nothing to stop you from adding some colloidal oatmeal powder to any of our skin care creams, butters, lotions, spritzes.  Remove a little product from its container, add a sprinkle of your fine powdered colloidal oatmeal and apply wherever needed to soothe and relax the skin. 

And don’t forget the ‘porridge’ on the face, or other area needing help. Once you have made your ‘porridge’ by adding water, stir and apply as a poultice. Oatmeal is truly nature’s soother.