Sunburn Solution with Homemade Bath Soaks

A sunburn can take you by surprise after a day at the beach or the pool. You don’t begin to feel the effect of a bad sunburn until a few hours after the exposure, so you may not realize it until too late. Once you begin to feel redness, pain and swelling, the symptoms will probably last 48 hours. While a sunburn can’t cause a third-degree burn completely through the skin, even a first- or second-degree burn can be very painful and make you feel quite sick. Although no controlled studies support the use of natural bath, this article may help to get the ideas on how to decrease your symptoms.

 

 

When you get a sunburn, your skin is inflamed, making it uncomfortable or painful to touch. This BeautiSecrets article will give you some important information about oatmeal bath for when you have an issue of sunburn.

Sunburn is caused by the overexposure to the harmful ultraviolet radiations―sunrays (naturally) and tanning beds (artificially). Symptoms of sunburn that are found in humans include reddish skin with itchiness, hot on touch, mild dizziness, tiredness, and fatigue.

These mild sunburns and their symptoms can result into malignant melanoma (a kind of skin cancer). First of all, you should try to avoid it as much as possible. However, upon occurrence, you need to get it treated in a timely manner in order to avoid any further complications. There are several home treatments for sunburns available, one of which is an oatmeal bath.

Bathing with Oatmeal?
Oatmeal is the ground form of oat groats and is very useful in the formation of various cosmetics, alcohol, soaps, topical medical applications, cakes, breads, porridge, cookies, and also pet food. There are numerous health benefits of oatmeal including lowering the blood cholesterol levels, increasing the rate of metabolism, stabilizing blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of heart diseases, etc.

As far as taking an oatmeal bath is concerned, many times, you must have heard from a health care provider that it is beneficial for infants, as a substitute to several commercial bathing products. They are taken as a special treatment to cure several skin disorders like chickenpox, dry skin, insect bites, poison ivy, poison oak, eczema, pinworms, shingles, diaper rash, poison sumac, and sunburn. A homemade version of the bath can be extremely easy, once you get to know its proper procedure.

Steps to Follow
Having such a bath is an initial and inexpensive option available to those who are suffering from sunburn. Oatmeal is available in the market for a relatively inexpensive cost.
Items to Collect
Whole milk, 1 cup
Oatmeal, unflavored, ½ cup
Lavender buds, dried, ¼ cup
Bowl
Spoon
Muslin cloth
Once you have gathered all the ingredients and items required for the bath, we shall go towards the steps.
Step 1 – Pour dry oatmeal in a bowl and use a spoon to slightly mash it.
Step 2 – Add lavender buds or dried lavender leaves into the bowl.
Step 3 – Mix everything together with the spoon and scoop it into a piece of muslin cloth; tie a knot.
Step 4 – Go inside the bathroom and run a bath of cold water.
Step 5 – Pour the milk in and place the oatmeal-lavender mix bag in the water.
Step 6 – Once water is filled, step in the bathtub and relax. You can also squeeze the oatmeal bag slightly to release more liquid into the water.
Step 7 – After 10 minutes, come out of the bathtub and gently pat yourself dry.

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To make an oatmeal bath, blend a cup of any kind of oatmeal to a very fine powder in a blender or food processor. Disperse the oatmeal in running water, stirring with your hand to make sure no clumps form. For instructions on soothing your skin naturally and easily, just read more.

If you think oatmeal is just a basic breakfast food, think again. The soothing properties of oats can be used to treat itchy, inflamed and sensitive skin while restoring moisture and essential minerals. Oatmeal also makes a great natural remedy for skin infections caused by plants like poison ivy. To make an oatmeal bath, you can either add a cup of ground oatmeal powder directly to warm bath water or steep a bath bag of whole oats in warm water. Either way, whipping up an oatmeal bath only takes a couple minutes, but can reduce discomfort for hours, and will leave your skin feeling fresh and protected.

Grind the oatmeal into a fine powder. Place about one cup of raw, unflavored oats into a blender, food processor or coffee grinder. No need to get too fancy—the kind of normal packaged oatmeal you’d find at the supermarket will work just fine. Blend the oats until they reach a very fine, powdered texture. This will help them dissolve more easily in the bath.

The oatmeal particles must be very small in order to spread through the bathwater without simply sinking to the bottom of the tub.
If you’re not sure whether the oatmeal has been ground fine enough, try testing it by blending about a tablespoon into a bowl of warm water. If the water becomes a uniform, milky color, the oatmeal will dissolve in the bath.
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Pour the oatmeal into the bath. Run a warm bath. Once the oatmeal has reached a fine enough consistency (meaning it will successfully blend with the water), shake the powder into the bathtub as it fills. If you wish, you can also incorporate other additives at this point, such as whole milk to soften skin, sea salt to exfoliate or essential oils to moisturize and provide a pleasant fragrance.
Roughly one cup of ground oatmeal, along with any other additives of your choosing, will be the perfect amount to add to a full bathtub.[2]
Try combining the oatmeal with essential oils that soothe and nourish your skin.[3]
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Stir until the oatmeal is thoroughly blended into the water. Run your hand through the bath water until the oatmeal powder and other additives are completely dissolved. The water will begin to take on a milky appearance. This is a good thing, as it means that the oatmeal has been evenly distributed throughout.[4]
The loose oatmeal may create a thin film in the bathtub once it has been drained.
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Soak for 15-30 minutes. Climb into the bath. The powdered oatmeal will make the bath extra slippery, so be careful. Relax and soak until the water has cooled to room temperature. If you feel somewhat sticky when you’re done, rinse yourself off with clean warm water after you get out of the bath. Use a towel to gently pat yourself dry and ensure that the oatmeal remains under the surface of the skin to provide a protective barrier.[5]
For people with persistent ailments like chickenpox, taking multiple oatmeal baths a day can provide much needed comfort.

Method
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Making an Oatmeal Bath Bag

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Place the oats in a pair of pantyhose or muslin bag. Rather than grinding the oats, leave them whole. Take a muslin bag, thin pair of nylon pantyhose or large coffee filter and add ½ to ¾ cup of oats. When placed in the bath, the bag containing the oats will act like a teabag, infusing the water with nourishing natural compounds.[6]
Make large batches of oatmeal bags in advance so that you’ll have them on hand when you feel like plopping one into a bath.

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Add any other desired elements. Depending on the purpose of the oatmeal bath, you might also choose to include other ingredients in the bath bag. A little powdered milk will help soften your skin. A drizzle of olive oil will lock in moisture as you soak. A tablespoon of baking soda can help reset your skin’s natural pH level. What you put in your bath bag is completely up to you, and the choices are nearly endless![7]
If you are using an oatmeal bath to treat an infection or itchy, inflamed or sore skin, it is advisable to either avoid this step or be very cautious, as adding extra ingredients could aggravate the condition.

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Make sure the bag is secure. Cinch the muslin bag tight or tie off a pair of pantyhose to keep the oats and other additives from being released into the bath water and turning it gritty. If you’re using a coffee filter or some other loose container, hold it closed with a rubber band or a length of ribbon or string. The bag needs to be secure enough to stay shut as it is hit by the running water while it floats around the tub.[8]
Coffee filters and other paper-based bags should be handled carefully when wet, as they’re prone to breaking and may come apart if they’re left in the water too long.
Sturdier materials like nylon pantyhose are good for multiple uses, provided they’re rinsed and dried out after each bath.

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Add the bag to the hot bath water as it runs. Begin running hot water for the bath. Once the tub is about half full, toss in the bag. The heat and motion of the running water will unlock the essences of the oatmeal and other natural ingredients. Let the bath water cool to a comfortable temperature before getting in, and leave the bag in the tub the whole time you’re soaking.[9]
Bath bags are easy to make and leave no mess because their contents infuse into the water rather than being added directly to it.
Method
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Finding Different Uses for Oatmeal Baths
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Ease rashes, itchiness and irritation. Oatmeal baths are perfect for reducing the uncomfortable symptoms of skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, as well as infections from poison ivy, oak and sumac. The power of the oatmeal eliminates itch, cuts down on redness and swelling and forms a defensive layer on the surface of the skin. Take a dip in an oatmeal bath one to three times a day until the condition improves.[10]
Oatmeal baths will not cure a chronic skin condition, only alleviate the symptoms temporarily.
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Treat infants with diaper rash. A gentle oatmeal bath or two will get rid of the redness and irritation of diaper rash in infants. Simply pour a small amount of finely blended oatmeal into a warm bath (about half as much as you would use for an adult) as you clean your baby. Pat the area with a dry towel. The oatmeal-infused water works much better than regular soaps and powders for clearing up diaper rash, and can be safely repeated as often as you like.[11]
Allow the irritated skin to dry completely and rub on a little anti-rash ointment before putting on a fresh diaper.
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Soothe a sunburn. For mild sunburns, a specially formulated oatmeal bath can work wonders. Simply add a little powdered milk, mint and aloe vera to the oatmeal as you run the bath. Together, the ingredients can ease pain while speeding up the healing process of sun damage.[12]
Taking an oatmeal bath with mint and aloe is an easier way to get full body relief from a sunburn than applying topical creams.
Severe sunburns should always receive medical attention. If you have a sunburn that is swollen, blistered or discolored, see a doctor immediately.[13]
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Moisturize and exfoliate your skin. Even people who don’t suffer from irritating dermatological conditions can benefit from regular oatmeal baths. When combined with additives like sea salt, lavender blossoms, baking soda and essential oils, oatmeal restores skin to full health while drawing dirt and oil out from the pores. Best of all, it will leave your skin soft to the touch.[14]
Olive, coconut and almond oil make great natural moisturizers when paired with oatmeal.[15]
Schedule a relaxing oatmeal bath once a week to pamper yourself as part of a home spa session.

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