Does Baby Have Itchy, Dry Skin? Try an Oatmeal Bath (2024)

Not even babies always have baby soft skin. Plenty of little ones can be prone to eczema,^[1] dry skin and rashes, which can be itchy and uncomfortable.That’s where oatmeal baths come in.

“Oats have anti-inflammatory properties and contain ingredients that can help draw moisture into the skin, which helps alleviate dryness and itching,” says Teresa Wright, M.D., chief of pediatric dermatology at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Here’s how to give your baby an oatmeal bath, plus how to keep tub time as safe — and mess-free — as possible.

What is an oatmeal bath?

An oatmeal bath is a bath containing colloidal oatmeal, which is finely ground oatmeal that can dissolve in water easily.

“It’s prepared by using oats ground to a powdery consistency,” explains Lauren Crosby, M.D., a pediatrician at LaPeer Pediatrics in Beverly Hills, California, and a member of the What to Expect Medical Review Board.

You can buy colloidal oatmeal online, in pharmacies, or in some big-box stores (look in the health and medicine aisles, not in the food sections).

Or you can make your own colloidal oatmeal at home by grinding whole oats in a food processor or high-speed blender.

What are the ingredients in an oatmeal bath?

Other than water, the main ingredient for an oatmeal bath is the oatmeal itself. Here’s what you’ll need:

• An infant bathtub

• Water

• A half-cup of colloidal oatmeal (or whole or ground-up oats in a pinch)

• A sock or cloth bag (if using whole oats)

How do you give your baby an oatmeal bath?

Once your baby is ready for a bath, follow these steps.

1. Gather your supplies.Grab your infant bathtub, towel, oatmeal and anything else you may need for the bath. You never want to leave your baby alone in the tub — young children can drown in the bathtub, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).^[2] Plan ahead and have all your supplies ready to go.

2. Draw a bath.Fill the bathtub with about 2 inches of warm — not hot — water. Make sure you turn on the cold water first, then the hot water.Once the water is ready, check the temperature with the inside of your wrist or elbow. If you have a thermometer, you want the water to be between 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. (A baby’s skin is more susceptible to burns.)

3. Add the oats.As the water runs, sprinkle in about ½ cup colloidal oats. Add a little at a time and stir it around with your hand to dissolve it. The water will turn cloudy.If you opted to grind your own oats, you may want to put the oatmeal in a porous cloth bag, or even an inexpensive pair of pantyhose, tied at the top. This will prevent a gooey mess from forming in the tub and save you from a lot of messy clean-up later.

4. Let baby soak.For 10 to 15 minutes, allow your little one to sit in the bath and play while you rinse her from head to toe with the water. (Who needs bubbles?)Don’t let her eat the oatmeal in the tub — bathwater isn’t clean. And make sure you keep one hand on your baby at all times. The oats will make her —and the tub — more slippery than usual, says Dr. Wright.

5. Pat your baby dry.It’s better not to rinse your baby off after giving her an oatmeal bath. Leaving some of the oatmeal residue on her skin will allow it to form a protective barrier and seal in moisture.Instead, when bathtime is over, carefully lift your baby out of the tub and gently pat her skin dry with a towel.

6. Apply moisturizer.Put a hypoallergenic fragrance-free moisturizing cream on your little one a few minutes after taking her out of the bath to seal in the extra moisture.

What are the benefits of an oatmeal bath?

Soaking in an oatmeal bath provides relief for a variety of baby skin conditions, including:^[3]

• Dry skin
• Eczema
• Acne
• Hives
• Chicken pox
• Insect bites
• Sunburn
• Poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac

If your baby’s skin is dry or itchy, you can give her an oatmeal bath daily until the rash or dryness goes away, says Dr. Wright.

But if your baby doesn’t have any rashes or other skin conditions, there’s no reason to give her an oatmeal bath.

What are the downsides of giving your baby an oatmeal bath?

There aren’t many downsides of giving your baby an oatmeal bath. Oat allergies are very rare, says Dr. Wright.

Only 1 percent of adults experienced mild sensitivity to personal care products that contained oatmeal, according to one study published in the journal Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, and none of the subjects reported any allergies.

Sometimes, though, oats can be contaminated with gluten (this likely happens in manufacturing plants, where oats are processed). So if your child is sensitive to gluten, you may want to buy gluten-free oats, says Dr. Wright.

If your child is experiencing signs of an allergic reaction like hives after taking an oatmeal bath, call the pediatrician right away.

If she’s having a serious allergic reaction — i.e., experiencing facial swelling or having trouble breathing — call 911 or go to the emergency room right away, as that could be a sign of anaphylaxis, according to the AAP.

When to call the doctor

If you’ve been giving your baby an oatmeal bath for a few days and the rash or discomfort isn’t improving or is getting worse, give your pediatrician a call, says Dr. Wright. Your little one may need medication for the skin condition.

“If there’s a fever with the rash, call your pediatrician right away,” advises Dr. Crosby, who is a spokeswoman for the AAP.

With any luck, giving your baby an oatmeal bath will help sooth her irritated skin and bring her – and you! – some much-needed relief.