Oatmeal Body Butter

I am now in my 36th week of my pregnancy! One of the main issues I've been dealing with is dry, itchy skin that has led to patches of eczema on my hands, legs, elbows, and shoulders. At one point, in my 2nd trimester, my doctor sent me in to see the dermatologist because the eczema had become really bad. I was covered in rashes and was having trouble sleeping. I had to use a corticosteroid cream to get it under control, plus take a Benadryl at night so I could get some sleep. It eventually got better, but I still get regular flair ups. My hands are by far the worst area for itchiness. I still have to use the prescription cream on occasion, but it is quite drying itself, so I have to be careful.

Regular lotions would make my skin sting and itch, so I've been making by own body butter. I've been changing up the recipe, but I always use coconut oil. I always buy the solid coconut oil. Other ingredients that I've been playing around with are cocoa butter, shea butter, and olive oil. I vary with the measurements, but coconut oil is always the primary ingredient. I always melt the ingredients together, let cool, and then whip with an electric hand mixer. Glass jars work great for storage.

I've been having regular oatmeal bath soaks to help with the itchiness. Ground oatmeal is great for skin itch. You do have to be careful the bath water doesn't get too warm or your skin will just get itchy again. I buy regular rolled oats from the grocery store (I usually find it in the cereal isle) and then grind it up in a coffee grinder to a fine powder. I then add the ground oatmeal to the bath water (about a 1/2 cup or so) and soak for at least 20 minutes. Playing some relaxing music can add to the ambiance.

I don't always have time to have a 20 minute soak, so I started to think that adding oatmeal to my lotion would help with the itchiness and save some time. I came across a recipe online and then modified it to work with the ingredients that I have.

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Here is the recipe for Oatmeal Body Butter:

3/4 cup of solid Coconut Oil
(or 1/2 cup of Coconut Oil and 1/4 cup of Cocoa Butter)
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
1/4 cup of fine ground Oatmeal

Melt the Coconut Oil in a double boiler. Then add the Olive Oil and ground Oatmeal. Mix well and let cool. Putting the mixture in the fridge for about an hour will help it to cool faster. Once it is solid, remove from fridge and whip up with an electric hand mixer. Whipping up the mixture will help to evenly distribute the Oatmeal since it tends to settle to the bottom while it's cooling. Once you get the consistency you like, then place the mixture in a glass jar for storage. Canning jars work great. Feel free to double the recipe.

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The consistency might be slightly gritty from the oatmeal. Make sure you ground the oatmeal really well in the coffee grinder before you add it to the mixture. But a bit of oatmeal grittiness will be okay.

Here is a picture of the butter I just made. I find the oatmeal helps the butter to absorb quicker than the previous recipes I was making.

Enjoy!