Benefits of Oatmeal In Soap

Oats an Ancient Grain

Oats (Avena sativa), are technically the seeds of a grass plant.  What you typically see at the store, or think of as Oatmeal, is a large seed of a grass plant, whole grain oats or oat groats, that have been rolled or cut into oatmeal. 

One of the first grains cultivated by people, just behind wheat and barley. Made into porridge by Ancient Greeks, Oats were also used before the advent of preservatives. Bakers would add a pinch of ground oats into breads and cakes as a natural preservative.

Oats are packed full of vitamins, minerals, quality lipids and antioxidants.  These nutrients are not only healthy when you eat them but also very beneficial for your skin.

Whole Oats

The Benefits Oatmeal in Soap

Since Ancient Roman times, Oatmeal was not just used for eating and baking, but was also used to soothe the skin and help relieve itching.  Research in 2010, found that oatmeal is in fact anti-inflammatory and could possibly prevent the skin from releasing the chemicals that promote inflammation. Although I’m sure there are many other benefits to using Oatmeal in soap, I outline the what I think are the top five here.

1. It Exfoliates Gently

Just like any exfoliant, oats help to remove the dead skin cells on the surface of the body. As the oats absorb more water they soften, making for a gentle exfoliation. 

2. It’s a Natural Cleanser and Deodorizer

Oatmeal contains saponins. Saponins are a natural cleansing agent. Oatmeal is also great at absorbing oils and smells. So much so, people use it like baking soda to deodorize their fridges. 

2. It’s an Emollient

Emollient is from Latin emolliere, “to soften”.  Oatmeal contains sugars and hydrocolloids that hold moisture in the skin providing the emollition effect.

4. It Helps Normalize PH

Oatmeal acts as a buffering agent, creating a barrier on your skin that can not only help maintain the skin’s normal PH but can also help restore normal PH in skin conditions where the high is to high.

5. It’s Anti-Inflammatory and an Antioxidant

Oatmeal contains both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, making it an ideal ingredient to use on sensitive skin, to help protect against sun damage and the inflammation caused by some skin conditions.

So how do you get the Oatmeal in Soap? 

We use oat flour. We start with rolled whole oats and grind them ourselves, in a commercial blender into a meal, this gets added directly to the soap by us. This way we know they haven’t gone through any other processing that might remove the nutrients that benefit the skin or utilize any chemicals that might linger in the oats. 

Ground Oatmeal ready for a batch of soap