Emollient wash

A query surfaced recently on a Yahoo group for herbalists. One practitioner was trying to wean a couple of patients with itchy skin problems off using Aqueous Cream as a wash. But every time they stopped using the stuff they'd start itching again.

Thought I'd have a go at making my own emollient wash out of simple kitchen ingredients.

We usually use soap or a detergent such as a liquid soap or shower gel to clean ourselves. These products bind with the fat on the surface of the skin and help to wash us clean. Of course this means that we lose a protective layer of sebum (skin oil) which exists to help protect the skin and prevent water loss. Not good if you have itchy skin to start with.

I found some honey, but it had started to crystallise, so I put the pot in a water bath to heat gently. I also had some finely milled oats, but thought that it might still be a bit rough, so I whizzed it in my coffee grinder then sieved out any coarse bits of bran. Both of these ingredients are brilliant at cleaning and soothing sore skin. I ended up with of 50g of nicely runny honey and 20g of sieved oats, to which I added 20g of olive oil. Mind you, if I'd had any chickweed oil left, that would have been fabulous.

It worked quite well as a hand wash. I put it in a small jar, spooned a small amount out, then massaged it into wet hands. My skin felt lovely and smooth. The next day, however, I wasn't sure that the mix wasn't fermenting a little. There seemed to be some bubbles near the surface.

What if I re-heated the mix to destroy bacteria, then made it into a solid bar! Easy to use, less chance of going mouldy. The mixture was placed into a small pan and heated with more oats - straight from the pack this time - and some cocoa butter. None of this was measured.

I ended up with a bar like a soggy flapjack. It was no easier to use than the original gloop, but the dog appreciated a small lump of it as a treat.

If I were to repeat this experiment I would recommend either simmering the sieved, ground oats briefly with the honey to kill off bacteria, or toasting it on a tray in a low oven which would also reduce the moisture content. I don't feel that the addition of extra oats and cocoa butter helped in the least.