This Oatmeal Bath with Milk and Honey combines ingredients used throughout history for health and beauty. Using a combination of milk, honey, and soothing oats, this milk bath is exactly what tired skin needs to recuperate.
Milk Bath With Oats and Honey
Deeply nourishing, this bath treatment fights against dry, itchy skin — especially when your skin is feeling dull in the middle of the winter. In addition, this oatmeal bath helps ease the inflammation from sunburn and contact with poison ivy. The occasional end-of-the-day bath is also a fantastic way to unwind before bed and to melt away stress and tension.
Bathing rituals have been around for centuries, and for good reason. Before you hop in the tub, we encourage you to start with dry skin before stepping foot into the tub and treat yourself by dry brushing your skin. There are many benefits, from detoxication to stimulating circulation.
Be sure to disconnect from tech and completely remove it from the room and the room you will retire in.
Then, follow the steps outlined below in this recipe. Soak for 20 to 30 minutes, and follow with a freezing shower to close pores (it's worth it, trust us). While your skin is still wet, apply body oil or body butter to provide soothing moisture to your entire body. Allow the body to relax, cool down, and do some deep breathing.
Taking a nice milk and honey bath with oats is similar to meditating. If you make this into a nightly ritual, you will sleep better and improve your overall vitality.
Why You'll Love This Milk and Honey Bath
- Oatmeal acts as a protectant
- It soothes dehydrated, itchy, and inflamed skin
- Relaxing and rejuvinating
- A unique way to wind down

Benefits of a Milk Bath with Honey
Take stock of an old beauty secret when you draw this DIY bath! There are so many benefits of a milk bath with honey to enjoy.
Dating back to the time of Cleopatra, luxe baths were often infused with honey, oil, flowers, and herbs. Milk and honey work wonders for the skin, soothing, lightening, and naturally brightening skin and leaving it silky soft with a healthy glow. Milk can remove impurities thanks to enzymes that remove dead skin cells with lactic acid. Milk and honey are hydrating and exfoliating.
Both milk and honey are hydrating and exfoliating. Add colloidal oats, and you have a recipe that your skin will thank you for in the form of an oatmeal, milk, and honey bath.
Oats are as good for the skin as they are for the heart. This long-standing breakfast cereal contains omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. Oatmeal is a fiber-rich superfood that lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol and helps keep arteries clear, supporting healthy heart function when eaten.
Oats hold a lot of water when used on the skin due to an abundance of starches and beta-glucans in oatmeal. Oatmeal has a natural anti-inflammatory effect on the skin and can naturally soften the skin due to oats' phenols. When ground into a powder, oats readily absorb into the skin.

lavender plants
For this treatment, we recommend using lavender essential oil. You may use whatever essential oil you prefer but stay clear of peppermint oil on the skin, especially if the goal is soothing irritated skin.
Milk, honey, and oatmeal baths provide an all-natural, DIY home spa treatment that contributes to your overall health. Combine these simple food-grade ingredients into your regimen and watch a beautiful transformation occur to you and your skin. Historically, oat baths soothe dry, itchy skin.
If you wonder if there's something else you can make and enjoy while soaking in this bath, we have the answer! Try this honey oat scrub while soaking for a full head-to-toe at-home spa treatment straight out of your pantry. You will love the way that you feel.
Ingredients & Substitutions
You'll need only a handful of ingredients to make this oatmeal bath. The good news is most of these ingredients are probably already in your pantry and refrigerator!
Full Fat Milk
Honey - We have several different varietals to try.
Old Fashioned Oats - Use organic oats if you can, as they tend to be higher quality and don't include any extra nasties.
Almond Oil - To make this milk and honey bath even more soothing
Lavender Essential Oil - You could also use your favorite essential oil blend.
How to Make an Oatmeal Bath

Step 1: Raid the fridge and pantry for your ingredients
Gather your ingredients and then add the milk and honey to a saucepan and mix well. Do not overheat this mixture. Transfer the liquid to a measuring cup (or bowl with a spout) that is easy to handle.

Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients
Mix the remaining ingredients, including the oatmeal and almond oil, and stir for a few minutes until everything is well blended. Then add the lavender essential oil. Stir well. Bring the treatment to your bathroom, and light a few candles. Turn on soft music. Set your intention to relax and reset.

Step 3: Dry brush your skin
Next, get ready to take a bath. Dry brush your skin to get the blood circulating and stimulate cells and your skin. Dry brushing the skin is excellent for exfoliation, and proper exfoliation allows the skin to hydrate more effectively when moisturizer is applied.
We know fans of the practice say that their skin has been the softest it’s ever been. Some have even reported using dry brushing techniques to combat cellulite.

Step 4: Add the oatmeal, milk, and honey mixture to the water and step into this soothing bath
Run a warm tub and add the ingredients to the running water. Stir well with your feet or hands. Add your favorite organic flower petals. They can be dried or fresh, whatever is available! We've also used orange slices for added aromatherapy. Step into the tub and allow your mind and body to rest. Soak and relax.
If you want to soak in the tub and exfoliate your skin, try our Wild Strawberry Scrub

Does this DIY Oatmeal Bath Recipe Have a Long Shelf Life?
No. Mix and use this recipe immediately. Do not store this bath treatment. If you’re looking for honey skin and body care products with a longer shelf life, shop scrubs and soaks for handmade products made with lots of love.
How Long Should I Soak in a Milk and Honey Bath With Oatmeal?
The recommended soaking time can vary, but typically it is advised to soak for around 10 to 15 minutes. However, it's important to pay attention to your skin's reaction and adjust the soaking time accordingly. If your skin starts to feel dry or irritated, it's best to end the bath.
Can I Use Instant Oatmeal Packets for this Oatmeal, Milk, and Honey Bath?
We wouldn't recommend it. Instant oatmeal often contains additional additives, flavorings, or sweeteners that may not be ideal for a bath. It's best to opt for plain, unflavored, and unsweetened oats for the most natural and effective results.
Try These Complementary DIY Treatments To Fully Harness the Benefits of a Milk Bath
- DIY Spirulina Face Mask or this honey avocado mask, or enjoy our dry mask treatments.
- De-puff the eyes with this DIY honey cucumber eye treatment
- This DIY Honey Body Scrub is spectacular, especially when you start with crystallized honey!
