Eczema Finds A New Friend In Breakfast Cereal

You may not know that this simple product that you eat for breakfast can actually help you to forget about eczema!

During the winter months, moms often fortify their kids with a good breakfast of hot oatmeal. It's warm, filling, and nutritious – just the right thing for those cold winter mornings. What you may not know if that oatmeal does double duty as an effective dry skin and eczema treatment. Of course, you can't spend your entire day immersed in or covered with oatmeal, so you'll also need a shielding lotion, but these oatmeal skin care recipes will help bring relief.

Although there are several skin care products on the market containing oatmeal, and some are advertised specifically as eczema treatment, commercial products often contain other ingredients that may irritate the skin. However, you can make your own chemical-free oatmeal skin care preparations at home.

As a cleanser, a mixture of oatmeal and honey will clean and soothe any eczema flare. The oatmeal soothes the skin while giving it a deep clean, and the honey's antibacterial properties offer extra protection. Smooth on a mixture of equal parts oatmeal and honey and, if you have the time, lay back and read or a book or relax for half an hour to let it penetrate. Then rinse off gently with warm water, no rubbing.

For a soothing bath, grind the oatmeal to a fine powder in a blender. It should be fine enough to mix easily with water – no lumps. Sprinkle the oatmeal into the running water as it fills the tub and have a soak for about 15 minutes. Oatmeal baths are commonly recommended as eczema treatment. They soothe the skin and help relieve the itching.

When mixed with egg whites, oatmeal also makes a great exfoliating masque. Smooth the mixture over your face and let it dry thoroughly. The oatmeal soothes the skin while drawing out impurities, and the egg whites leave the skin soft and smooth.

Always follow up your oatmeal treatment with a shielding lotion to retain natural moisture and provide a barrier to the environmental and household chemicals that are often the source of eczema flares. Thousands of doctors are now recommending a good shielding lotion for eczema treatment: some have even found shielding lotion alone is enough to bring relief.

So, after you get the kids off to school with their healthy oatmeal breakfast, take a little time for your own oatmeal preparations before you start your day. And don't forget the shielding lotion! Together, they may be all the eczema treatment you need.