What to Know About Colloidal Oatmeal

If you react to oats or grains, talk to your healthcare provider before using colloidal oatmeal. Be cautious with these products and watch for reactions if exposed to them.

What Is Colloidal Oatmeal?

Adrienne Dellwo is an experienced journalist who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and has written extensively on the topic.

Published on August 08, 2022

Casey Gallagher, MD, is board-certified in dermatology and works as a practicing dermatologist and clinical professor.

Table of Contents
Table of Contents

Colloidal oatmeal helps treat myriad skin problems, including dry skin, itchiness, rashes, and eczema (atopic dermatitis).

Major health insurance companies have faced legal trouble over their claim denial practices. In February 2018, the insurance commissioner of California announced plans to investigate Aetna’s coverage denial practices after a former medical director of the insurance company admitted that he never once looked at a patient’s medical records when deciding whether to deny claims over the three years he worked in the position, according to CNN.

It’s been used for centuries and has been studied for medical uses since the 1950s. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially lists colloidal oatmeal as a skin protectant.

This article explains what colloidal oatmeal is, how it works, its uses and types, its risks and benefits, and how it’s made.

mady70 / Getty Images

What Is Colloidal Oatmeal?

Colloidal oatmeal is finely ground oats ( Avena sativa ) mixed into lotions, creams, other skin care products, or bathwater. It’s an emollient, which means it softens and soothes the skin.

A wide variety of commercially available products contain colloidal oatmeal. You can also make your own colloidal oatmeal.

What Is “Colloidal”?

The term “colloidal” refers to fine, noncrystalline particles mixed into another substance that don’t settle or separate from the second substance, even after filtering.

How It Works

Oatmeal is an effective topical treatment (as well as a healthy food) because it contains:

Fats
Protein
Skin-benefiting nutrients
Antioxidants (antiaging and disease-fighting substances)

It also has anti-inflammatory properties due to its effect on cells in the immune system called cytokines.

Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress is linked to inflammation and illness, including:

Cancer
Diabetes
Heart disease
Liver and kidney problems
Alzheimer’s disease
Parkinson’s disease
Cataracts
Eczema

Uses

Your skin is vital to your health. It keeps germs, chemicals, and other hazards out of your body while performing functions such as keeping your body temperature and water content within balance.

The top layer of skin is called the skin barrier. Research suggests colloidal oatmeal can significantly improve the health and strength of the skin barrier.

Studies have also suggested that colloidal oatmeal:

Improves the microbiome (bacterial ecosystem) of the skin, which includes lowering the level of Staphylococcus bacteria (the cause of staph infection)
Eases dryness, scaling, roughness, and itchiness, likely through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions
Helps heal chronic hand eczema caused by irritants
Helps skin retain moisture and eases the itch of allergy-induced (atopic) dermatitis, and leads to fewer flare-ups.
May prevent atopic dermatitis in babies at high risk for developing it
Is as safe and effective as prescription barrier creams for treating atopic dermatitis in children
Improves irritant-induced and allergic eczema in people with dark skin, which can be challenging to heal

Cancer Treatment Side Effects

Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and targeted therapies can be hard on the skin, leaving behind toxins that cause rashes, discomfort, pain, and hair loss, which can lead to emotional distress.

Research suggests colloidal oatmeal can improve skin side effects safely. That can mean less discomfort during treatment and a better likelihood of patients completing their cancer treatment regimens.

Risks

The risks of using colloidal oatmeal are quite low. One study found that in patch testing of 2,565 people, only 23 people had an adverse reaction. Research has shown that it’s:

Safe in multiple forms
Rarely irritating, even to people with sensitive skin
Highly unlikely to cause an allergic reaction

Oat Allergies

If you have a food allergy to oats, you may react with a rash to skin care products containing colloidal oatmeal. Symptoms of this food allergy include:

Hives
Cough
Shortness of breath
Wheezing
Tight throat/trouble swallowing
Stomachache/nausea
Vomiting

Although it is rare, you may also have a reaction to colloidal oatmeal if you have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity. That’s because oats contain a protein called avenin, similar to gluten. Cross-contamination when oats are grown next to wheat, barley, or rye, which are high in gluten, is a more prominent reason.

If you react to oats or grains, talk to your healthcare provider before using colloidal oatmeal. Be cautious with these products and watch for reactions if exposed to them.

Types

You can buy colloidal oatmeal itself or find it in many types of products, such as:

Lotions, creams, and body butters
Balms
Soaps and bodywashes
Roll-on liquids
Bath additives (e.g., soaks, bubble baths)

Because these products contain other ingredients that may irritate your skin, be sure to check the ingredients list for anything you know can cause a reaction. Your dermatologist or other healthcare provider may be able to help you find a product that will work for you.

How to Make Your Own

You can make colloidal oatmeal with any oats. Just blend them up until you have a fine powder. Then, mix the powder into skin care products or use them in an oatmeal bath. For a bath:

Sprinkle 1 cup of colloidal oatmeal into your bathwater as it’s running.
Use lukewarm water so it doesn’t irritate your skin.
Soak for about 15 minutes (longer baths can dry your skin and aggravate eczema and itching).
Pat your skin dry.
Moisturize right away.

Follow the manufacturer’s directions if you buy a commercial colloidal oatmeal bath product.

Summary

Colloidal oatmeal is a safe and effective treatment for skin problems, including eczema, rashes, dryness, itching, irritation, and infection. It can also help with skin irritation due to cancer treatments. You can make colloidal oatmeal by grinding oats to a powder in a blender. It’s also available in myriad skin care products. Side effects and allergies are rare. However, if you have an oat allergy or sensitivity, you may not tolerate the topical use of colloidal oatmeal.

A Word From Verywell

Skin problems can significantly impact your health and quality of life. Few complementary and alternative treatments have been studied as much as colloidal oatmeal, so it’s one most people can use without worry. Ask your dermatologist or other healthcare provider about commercial products before using them to ensure all ingredients are safe for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is colloidal oatmeal the same as oatmeal?

Yes, colloidal oatmeal and oatmeal basically are the same. The word “colloidal” means that it’s finely ground. Colloidal oatmeal also grinds up some parts of the oat that may be removed for food products, such as the bran and germ.

Can I make colloidal oatmeal from Quaker oats?

Yes, you can make colloidal oatmeal from oats you buy at the grocery store. Just make sure it’s plain oats, not flavored oatmeal with added ingredients.

Can I use colloidal oatmeal daily?

Yes, you can use it every day. In fact, for atopic dermatitis (eczema), it’s usually recommended twice a day.

19 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Reynertson KA, Garay M, Nebus J, et al. Anti-inflammatory activities of colloidal oatmeal (Avena sativa) contribute to the effectiveness of oats in treatment of itch associated with dry, irritated skin. J Drugs Dermatol. 2015;14(1):43-48.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Over-the-counter (OTC) monograph M016: Skin protectant drug products for over-the-counter human use.
Perrelli A, Goitre L, Salzano AM, Moglia A, Scaloni A, Retta SF. Biological activities, health benefits, and therapeutic properties of avenanthramides: From skin protection to prevention and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2018;2018:6015351. doi:10.1155/2018/6015351
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Ilnytska O, Kaur S, Chon S, et al. Colloidal oatmeal (Avena sativa) improves skin barrier through multi-therapy activity. J Drugs Dermatol. 2016;15(6):684-690.
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Sobhan M, Hojati M, Vafaie SY, Ahmadimoghaddam D, Mohammadi Y, Mehrpooya M. The efficacy of colloidal oatmeal cream 1% as add-on therapy in the management of chronic irritant hand eczema: A double-blind study. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2020;13:241-251. doi:10.2147/CCID.S246021
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Lisante TA, Nuñez C, Zhang P. Efficacy and safety of an over-the-counter 1% colloidal oatmeal cream in the management of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in children: a double-blind, randomized, active-controlled study. J Dermatolog Treat. 2017;28(7):659-667. doi:10.1080/09546634.2017.1303569
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DermNet New Zealand Trust. Oatmeal.

What to Know About Colloidal Oatmeal

Colloidal oatmeal is used in some skin care products for its soothing effects. It’s no different than the oatmeal in your kitchen, aside from how it’s prepared.

What Is Colloidal Oatmeal?

It’s ground from the kernels of oats and is blended into a fine powder that dissolves in water. It’s used to soothe skin conditions like:

Atopic dermatitis
Contact dermatitis
Chickenpox
Dry skin
Reactions to insect bites‌
Reactions to plants such as poison ivy

Skin care products that use colloidal oatmeal are available in many grocery and drug stores. You’ll find it in:

Cleansers
Body wash
Bath soak
Moisturizing creams‌
Lotion

You don’t have to spend money on extra products at the store if you have whole, uncooked oats at home. Add the oats to your blender or food processor and grind it up until it forms a fine powder.

Take a pinch of the oatmeal powder and add it to water. If it dissolves and turns the water a milky white, that’s the right consistency. If it floats or sinks to the bottom, you need to grind it longer. You can add the powder to your lotions and creams. You can also add colloidal oatmeal to your bathwater for soaking.

Pros of Colloidal Oatmeal

Skin protection. While it doesn’t heal your skin, it does offer a layer of protection. When you put it on your skin, it blocks harmful irritants, giving your skin relief from minor irritations.

Soothes and moisturizes. Colloidal oatmeal binds to your skin and locks in moisture, giving your skin a chance to rehydrate.

It also softens your skin and soothes itching. Its anti-inflammatory properties make it great for people who have dry skin, because it helps balance your skin’s natural pH levels.

Cons of Colloidal Oatmeal

Celiac disease. If you have this health condition, eating gluten can set off stomach problems or other symptoms. It is rare, but putting colloidal oatmeal on your skin might trigger a rash. If you think you’re having a reaction, stop using colloidal oatmeal right away and call your doctor. Going forward, read product labels to check for colloidal oatmeal as an ingredient.

Effectiveness. If you have a skin condition, colloidal oatmeal won’t fix it. Talk to your doctor to find a treatment that’s right for you.

Show Sources

Celiac Disease Foundation: “What is Celiac Disease?”

Cosmetics Info: “Colloidal Oatmeal and Oat Kernel Meal.”

DermNet NZ: “Oatmeal.”

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology: “Colloidal oatmeal: history, chemistry and clinical properties.”

Mayo Clinic: “Celiac Disease.”

What to Know About Colloidal Oatmeal

What Is Colloidal Oatmeal?