Soothing Colloidal Oatmeal Skin Care To Rescue Red, Irritated Skin

One would think that being able to use the stuff in your kitchen is the most practical and affordable way to care for your skin. Well, not really. It takes all the fun out of it when things are so easily achievable. I assume this was the mission statement of brands that got to work on formulating colloidal oatmeal skincare products. You might not agree but that green tea, honey, and olive oil that are about to expire in your kitchen do! DIY is not for everyone. And it doesn’t have to be. Because the best colloidal oatmeal skincare products come in a variety of forms to answer every possible skin concern you have, starting with irritation.

In case you didn’t know, colloidal oatmeal goes through a process to become, well, colloidal oatmeal. It’s produced by finely grounding the oat and then boiling it. And that’s when the magic happens. Because colloidal oatmeal is rich in minerals, vitamins, proteins, and so much more.

And it has numerous benefits for the skin. Colloidal oatmeal is rich in phenols, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. That’s how colloidal oatmeal soothes, calms, and protects the skin. Moreover, it contains lipids, which are oils that support the skin barrier and increase moisture. That’s how it helps with dryness and flaky and scaly skin.

You might think that colloidal oatmeal is more popular among people with very sensitive, dry, and itchy skin, and people with rosacea. Because it’s incredibly soothing for the skin. But you don’t need to have a particular skin condition like eczema to need this superstar. Because we all occasionally deal with redness and sensitivity.

If you’re using retinol, if you have a damaged skin barrier, or if you’ve over-exfoliated, or if the weather has been harsh for your skin, you can benefit a lot from skincare products made with colloidal oatmeal.

Colloidal oatmeal comes in a variety of skincare products. But here’s the thing, it comes in a variety of skincare products! Even my retinol serum has colloidal oatmeal in it.

But if you’re in the majority of the people who are interested in colloidal oatmeal for its calming benefits, you need to be mindful of the other ingredients as well.

If you’re prone to itchy, dry skin, or eczema, or rosacea, look for products that are made to care for your skin, not just something that happens to have oatmeal too.

So from serums to moisturizers and cleansers to masks, below are the best colloidal oatmeal skincare products for instant relief.

Best Colloidal Oatmeal Moisturizer: Tatcha The Indigo Cream

Though a splurge, this is one of the best colloidal oatmeal moisturizers. With a concentration of 2%, it’s made to soothe the skin. And it’s paired with indigo extract, which is equally effective against inflammation. With a signature antioxidant blend of green tea, algae, and rice, it nourishes the skin too.

The cream has a rich, creamy texture made with coconut oil, which makes it especially good for dry skin types. The daily moisturizer is fragrance-free and does not get in the way of your makeup. It’s the perfect mixture to eliminate redness, and irritation and leave the skin calm, and soft.

Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, indigo extract, squalane
Size: 1.7 oz/ 50ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-free, fragrance-free, non-comedogenic

Best Budget Colloidal Oatmeal Moisturizer: Aveeno Calm + Restore Oat Gel Moisturizer

And when drugstore is concerned, Aveeno reigns supreme with their affordable oat-based products. This is a lightweight, gel moisturizer, which is ideal for oily and acne-prone skin types. And there’s no fragrance to aggravate acne either.

The daily moisturizer contains soothing humectant panthenol, aka vitamin B5, and anti-inflammatory feverfew extract. It also contains Centella Asiatica, which is equally helpful in calming inflammation and reducing redness. The moisturizer absorbs easily and replenishes the skin without irritation.

Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, panthenol, Centella Asiatica
Size: 1.7 oz
Good To Know: Fragrance-free

Best Colloidal Oatmeal Serum: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum

This is a super lightweight, oil-free face serum that hydrates, soothes, and repairs. It attracts and binds water to the skin and boosts hydration with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, vitamin B5, and sodium PCA. In addition to colloidal oatmeal to soothe, it has feverfew, allantoin, green tea, and licorice extract.

And they’re all amazing antioxidant-rich botanicals with mad anti-inflammatory benefits. If you’re generally dealing with reactive, dry skin, apply this calming serum before your moisturizer for an additional layer of hydration.

Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, green tea, allantoin, panthenol
Size: 1.7 oz/ 50 ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-free, fragrance-free

Best Colloidal Oatmeal Body Cream: Derma-E Eczema Relief Cream

If you’re dealing with dryness and itchiness on your body too, which is more common in winter, you can try an oatmeal body cream. This is in cream form, but it also comes in lotion form if you prefer something lighter.

And it packs 1% colloidal oatmeal to get rid of itchy, tight skin. It also contains burdock root extract, and allantoin to eliminate post-shower redness. Apply all over to get rid of flaky, dry, and itchy body skin.

Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, allantoin, bearberry extract
Size: 4 oz
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free, hypoallergenic

Best Colloidal Oatmeal Balm: Skinfix Eczema + Dermatitis Face Balm

This is a face balm made with colloidal oatmeal and it’s perfect for very dry skin. It’s like a spot treatment but for dryness. So if your dryness and irritation occur on certain areas of the face, this super-concentrated balm can tackle that with a concentration of 5% oatmeal. It multitasks too, so you can use it for flaky under-eyes or even for flaky skin around the eyebrows.

The balm melts into the skin and locks in moisture with sweet almond oil to instantly eliminate cracked, chapped skin. The fragrance-free formula also has allantoin for additional calming benefits and it’s a must-have in a winter skincare routine.

Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, squalane, shea butter, allantoin
Size: 0.48 oz/ 13.5 ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-free, fragrance-free, non-comedogenic

Best Colloidal Oatmeal Toner: Paula’s Choice Calm Redness Relief Toner

Toners are multi-purpose products that can hydrate, calm, and refresh. If your skin tends to get tight, red, or itchy after the shower, cleansing, or a workout session, or if you’re experiencing rosacea flare-ups in summer, this toner can help relieve that redness and amplify your skincare routine.

So instead of altering your whole skincare routine, you can just add this one in to manage your sensitivity. It hydrates with glycerin and panthenol and soothes with oatmeal and a blend of botanicals. Plus, it also has EGCG, a phenolic compound found in green tea with excellent antioxidant effects.

Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, panthenol, EGCG
Size: 4 oz/ 118 ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-free, fragrance-free

Best Colloidal Oatmeal For Eczema: La Roche Posay Lipikar Eczema Soothing Relief Cream

If you’re looking into oatmeal creams specifically for eczema, this is the one. Because besides 1% oatmeal, this cream also contains niacinamide, which is soothing and helpful in repairing the skin barrier. Keep in mind that though niacinamide is mostly tolerable, some people feel a slight tingling sensation with it.

Other than that, this one is incredibly replenishing and it eliminates moisture loss significantly. It’s made with occlusives like mineral oil and shea butter to lock moisture in and keep the skin soft while oatmeal and thermal water calm the skin. The cream can be used on the face as well as on the neck, hands, and body. Plus, it’s fragrance-free, making it one of the most soothing colloidal oatmeal skincare products out there.

Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, niacinamide, shea butter
Size: 6.76 oz/ 200 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, non-comedogenic

Best Colloidal Oatmeal Cleanser: Dermalogica Ultracalming Cleanser

Being a rosacea sufferer myself, this is one of my favorite cleansers to use on my sensitive skin. This cleanser does not foam. It just moves around on your face and picks up dirt like a cream that does not absorb. And it offers just the right skin soothers for red, easily irritated skin.

Oatmeal, cucumber, and panthenol soothe the skin while willow bark extract reduces inflammation and redness. The oatmeal face wash removes dirt without damaging your skin’s natural protective barrier.

Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, vitamin B5, cucumber extract
Size: 8.4 oz/ 250 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free

Best Colloidal Oatmeal Makeup Remover: The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm

If you regularly wear makeup and you’re dealing with post-cleansing irritation or redness, you might want to consider double-cleansing. Because makeup removal can upset normal skin, let alone sensitive skin. With all the rubbing and harsh cleansing, your skin can easily get irritated.

This is a calming makeup removing balm made with both oat kernel oil and colloidal oatmeal to remove makeup without irritating your skin. The creamy texture melts away and nourishes the skin while prepping it for your second cleanser.

Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, oat kernel oil, sweet almond oil
Size: 5 oz/ 150 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free

So these are some of the best products with colloidal oatmeal. As much as it’s boring in the kitchen, it’s really life-saving for irritated skin.

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