Discovering There Are Two Kinds of Oatmeal Soap

I recently made a batch of oatmeal soap to try out my single-use soap idea. You can read about it here: https://marykisner.com/single-use-soap/

It was obvious the block of soap base had bits of oatmeal mixed in. When melted, the soap got much thicker, just the way cooked oatmeal would. It made a hefty bar of soap.

You can see colloidal oatmeal is the first ingredient on the block of soap base:

The colloidal oatmeal is obvious when I cut it into cubes:

The mixture got thicker as it melted:

I listed Colloidal Oatmeal soap base as the first ingredient on the card.

This week I wanted to make another batch of oatmeal soap, so I ordered another block of oatmeal soap base. When it arrived, I was convinced they sent me the wrong soap…it was a white soap base with no evidence of bits of oatmeal!!

The package said “Oatmeal Soap Base” but there was no listing for Colloidal Oatmeal, which is the flaked/rolled oats ground fine and embedded when making the soap base.

A closer look at the ingredient list showed Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract.

Hmmm. Time to do a little research!

According to Dr. Tess Mauricio, a board-certified dermatologist, colloidal oatmeal and Avena Sativa extract are two ingredients that are derived from the oat plant and are clinically proven to protect our skin from environmental stressors and other concerns.

Colloidal oat is found in the bran of the plant, while Avena Sativa extract comes from the stems and leaves. Colloidal oatmeal seems to be best used for more serious skin concerns like eczema, rosacea and dermatitis. Avena Sativa extract is better suited for more general dryness or irritation.

It was time to make another batch of “oatmeal” soap to see the difference. I added the same Vitamin E oil, Orange and Manuka Essential oils and the same color tint (2 drops).

Of course, the card to go with the new soap had to be changed:

My plan is to add a paw-shaped soap to each tin of single-use soap and see if folks prefer one over the other. Now I have two choices when I want to make oatmeal soap!