Oatmeal is great for releiving skin irritations, itching and redness due to allergy, wind exposure, and other causes. It also has excellent emollient properties. Oats are good for individuals with sensitive skin and are recommended for use with both infant and geriatric skin care.  Oats contain protein, starch, beta glucan, and lipids, which are valuable for use on all skin types.

Oatmeal is an ingredient with a long history of use for skin treatment but until recently its properties have been accepted on an empirical basis.  In 1978 the FDA approved the use of colloidal oatmeal as a Category 1 skin protectant and it appears in the German Pharmacopoeia as an infusion for the relief of skin itchiness. A paper presented at the IFSCC Congress 2000 [7] described an investigation into the anti-irritant properties of oatmeal. Despite the outer kernel of the oatmeal being rich in phenol compounds the authors found that an extract of the whole grain was more effective. A combination of selective chromatographic techniques together with specifically designed HPLC steps disclosed five main fractions of the oat kernel extract:

• Prolamine proteins
• UV-adsorbing non-polar fraction (avenacins, alkyl ferulates)
• Flavonoids
• Avenanthramides
• Saponins (Avenacins, Avenacosides)

The five different fractions were evaluated for their ability to reduce UV-induced skin erythema in humans and analysis of the data revealed that nearly all the anti-irritant potential of the oat extract originates from the avenanthramides.