Is Your Baby Suffering From Prickly Heat or Heat Rash? Try This DIY Remedy!

My baby girl was just a month old and breaking out with this terrible heat rash that spread from her face to the rest of her body. often times we forget that babies are unable to regulate their own body temperature for a few months, so overdressing or underdressing your little baba can cause a bit of discomfort.

Sensitive skin is no stranger to me and my family. My little boy can break out in the blink of an eye, and I've written about my battle with eczema and seborrheic dermatitis. Baby girl didn't seem to be in any real discomfort but it looked so painful. I decided to give her an oatmeal bath to soothe and heal the skin.

1. 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 normally 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.

2. 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.
• Try combining the oatmeal with essential oils that soothe and nourish your skin

3. 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.

• The loose oatmeal may create a thin film in the bathtub once it has been drained.

4. Soak baby for 10 minutes. The powdered oatmeal will make the bath extra slippery, so be careful. Relax baby and soak until the water has cooled to room temperature. If the baby feels somewhat sticky when you're done, rinse her off with clean warm water after you get out of the bath. Use a towel to gently pat her dry and ensure that the oatmeal remains under the surface of the skin to provide a protective barrier.

• For people with persistent ailments like chickenpox, taking multiple oatmeal baths a day can provide much-needed comfort.