Skin Friendly Oatmeal Soap Recipe
by Jumneez Swensen

Oatmeal is a delicious breakfast cereal taken with milk and/or fruits. It has been in the limelight due to its valuable health benefits and recently, as a recognized natural ingredient, it has also been found out to have beneficial effects on the skin. A good oatmeal soap recipe that can help protect and nourish the skin and can be used to remove dead skin is available here for you to try. Ingredients: 1 bar of mild soap (a large Dove bar soap is recommended) 3 to 4 tablespoon oatmeal 4 to 5 tablespoon water Procedure: 1. Finely grind the oatmeal in a blender or miller. It should be finely ground but not too powdery. 2. Using a cheese grater, grate the bar of mild soap in a microwavable bowl.

3. Add the 4 to 5 tablespoons of water to the grated mild soap.
4. Put the soap and water mixture in a microwave for 2 to 3 minutes on high temperature. The mixture will tend to rise due to the heat. Do not let it bubble over. When the mixture rises, stir the mixture before it bubbles over.
5. If the soap has dissolved, take out the bowl of mixture from the microwave.
6. Gradually add in 3 to 4 tablespoons of the finely ground oatmeal, mixing well after each addition. Add and mix the oatmeal until the consistency of the mixture and the proportion of the oatmeal to the soap are to your liking.
7. Pour the mixture into your molds. Suggested molds for oatmeal soap are muffin pans, small bowls or 1 inch height round tin cans (you can use taller ones but you will have to remove both ends and slice the soap into round bars once it is cooled).
8. When the oatmeal soap mixture has slightly solidified but still warm, remove it from the mold and let it stand to cool thoroughly.
9. When the oatmeal soaps have completely cooled, wrap or package as desired.

Oatmeal soap is a good exfoliant and can be used to relieve itchiness due to insect bites and dry skin. Aside from its beneficial effects on the skin, you can also add lavender or eucalyptus oil for aromatherapy use. You can also add a little goat's milk to your soap mixture that will make your skin soft and silky or add a drop of vanilla or cinnamon for a sweet fragrance. Adding cocoa butter will make your oatmeal soap a great skin softener with a natural chocolate aroma.

Here is another product you can match with your soap. To a 4-ounce bottle of unscented body lotion, just add around ¼ cup of finely ground oatmeal. Mix or shake well to make your matching oatmeal lotion. You can pack your oatmeal soap and lotion with a loofa sponge together to give as a nice gift or to sell.