A lot of us are shower people: quick, easy, in and out. I get it. I’m one, too. But there are times when a bath is so much better for you. This is our Aveeno Soothing Oatmeal Bath Treatment review. When the company was founded by the Musher brothers Albert and Sydney, back in 1945, Aveeno’s first product was a soothing bath treatment. The active – and only! – ingredient in that treatment was oat extract, and it’s after this ingredient that the company was named. The scientific name for the common oat is Avena sativa, and so Avena turned into Aveeno.

Oats can do wonders for the skin, and this is precisely why oat bath treatments have been all the rage for thousands of years. Babies, kids, adults – we can all receive the gifts of Mother Nature, and this grain is certainly one of them. Aveeno are hardly the first ones to harness the power of oats, though, as you’ll soon see.

The Benefits Of Oatmeal For Skin Explained

Woman admiring clear skin in mirror.

The Ancients – Egypt, Greece, Rome, India, and probably others – used oats and oatmeal in their baths. These grains are well-known for their health benefits working from the inside, and many choose to eat them along with breakfast for this reason. But oats are also highly beneficial with regards to our skin. They are known to possess some seriously wonderful properties, which help them revitalize us from the outside as well.

Here are some of the benefits of oatmeal for skin:

• They cling to dead cells and grime, which in turn makes it easier for us to exfoliate and wash away dirt and buildup
• Oats protect the skin by creating a healthy barrier or buffer, thereby lessening the number of irritants which could come into contact with us 
• They’re able to soothe sensitive/affected areas: redness, itchiness, etc., can be alleviated with the use of oatmeal
• Oats hydrate the skin, and they can restore balance and elasticity to dehydrated, firmer areas which need attention
• Oats can adjust pH levels on your skin. They help to guarantee that your external layers are properly moisturized and that your skin’s defenses are up and running  

These benefits are readily available for those want to take advantage of them, and they have the tendency to work fast. If you choose to bathe along with oatmeal, or use some  other type of quality oat treatment or DIY method, it could provide your skin with immediate or nearly-immediate results, starting from day one.

Aveeno Soothing Oatmeal Bath Treatment Ingredients Breakdown

Oats in a bowl.

Alright, let’s see what this Aveeno product has under its hood. You ready? Here comes our Aveeno Soothing Oatmeal Bath Treatment ingredients breakdown.

Ingredients list: 100% colloidal oatmeal. That’s it. Nothing else is found within the single-use packets which are inside this product’s box. There is nothing else that is necessary in this type of treatment. The oats are a pretty powerful ingredient, so you simply pour it in slowly and let them do their thing. No bells, no whistles, no alarms, no surprises. Refreshing, isn’t it? A bath product with only one ingredient. Kind of like essential oils and epsom salt. Sometimes, if the substances are powerful enough and focused enough, you don’t require anything else. A standalone ingredient can make all the difference. This is why I encourage the DIY thing, though I have nothing against Aveeno.

Aveeno Soothing Oatmeal Bath Treatment Review

Aveeno Soothing Oatmeal Bath Treatment.

The directions for the Aveeno Soothing Oatmeal Bath Treatment are simple: turn on the warm water, start filling the tub, and gradually pour the contents of a single packet under the faucet. Stir any oatmeal which sinks to the bottom, and then soak in the tub for 15-30 minutes. I usually add some hot water around the 20 minute mark, depending on the season or circumstances, since I like a hot bath. 

I don’t have any problems with eczema or extra-dryness, thankfully. So in that sense, this review is to be taken from the POV of someone who did it for the fun and health of it, not necessarily to ease any specific condition or irritation. There was no redness to overcome, no rash, or toughness of the skin. So, taking that into account, it was a nice experience overall. It was the same as a regular bath in the sense that it didn’t have an intense fragrance, but I’m sure the nutrients were taken in by my skin and used properly.

By the way, the package says it’s better to pat dry, rather than towel rub, in order to preserve that layer of protection on the skin. I forget to do that, almost always. Force of habit. So pay attention to that, if you are interested in keeping that external oatmeal coating on your epidermis. It may not sound attractive, but it can be extremely helpful, particularly for those who are using this bath treatment for medicinal purposes.

DIY Oatmeal Bath Guide

You don’t have to go “commercial” when you prep an oatmeal bath treatment. This is something you can do on your own, and it may end up being cheaper depending on your situation. All you need is quick oats, slow-cooking oats, or similar unflavored, unencumbered, plain dry oats. The same kind you would see for sale in the store.

Grind the oats into a fine powder. You can do this using any method: a spice grinder, a blender, or any other suitable kitchen appliance or apparatus. If you can’t grind the oats finely enough, you can wrap them in something like a cheesecloth, and drop the cloth into the bath as is.

The Aveeno packets are 1.5 oz each (there are 8 in a box), and that would be a good place to start if you are not sure of how much to put in. I enjoy a lot more in my bath, actually. All you need is up to a cup of the stuff for an ordinary bath. Obviously, you could pull an Aveeno, and store them in packets for future use. But keep in mind that if you do that, you will probably have to use them at some point, sooner rather than later.

The directions are the same as with the Aveeno packets: pour the oats into a bath/tub/container while running warm water. Make sure everything is made one with the water. Then soak either your body or the affected region for 15-30 minutes.

You can add so many things to the bath, but if you wish to see the effects of the oats alone, take care not to add anything. Keep it skin-focused, and don’t “contaminate” the water with anything else. Note: your toy ships and army men are still okay to use in the bath. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.

Conclusion

Our skin is the largest organ we have, and it protects us from countless threats and enemies on a minute-by-minute basis. But alas, it also has its limitations. There are different conditions and maladies which affect it, and which cause it to dry up, break out, or become inflamed.

Oats can be beneficial for anything from dryness and irritation to hives and sunburns. Some conditions will require more than a single bath, of course, but overall you can use oats to great effect. And yes, there are those who will be able to notice a difference after a single-use. For things like insect bites and rashes, a single-use can bring with it tons of relief.

As I said, Aveeno certainly isn’t the first one to come up with this treatment, but they made it considerably easier to get an oat-bath going. I feel these packets can be great as a just-in-case thing. If something happens, you get bitten by some insect, or you break out – you won’t necessarily want to start grinding up oats. No, chances are you’ll want to rip open a packet and get into that bath quick.

In that regard, these packets which Aveeno put out are very useful. And by the way, to this kind of “instant treatment” you can also add bath bombs and similar products. Aveeno is well-known for its affordable and accessible items, and this one acts as a link, calling right back to the original bath product from 1945. So get yourself some old school post-WWII healing, and pick up a box of Soothing Oatmeal Bath Treatment.