Bath Bags: The French Alternative

Jackie French has a simple remedy for irritated, sensitive skin. Throw away your soap and replace it with bath bag made of rolled oats! The starch in rolled oats really soothes and moisturises inflamed skin.

To make a bath bag, just take a nylon stocking or a pair of pantyhose and cut into lengths about 30cm (1′) long. Tie a knot in one end of a piece of stocking, and pour in some rolled oats. Tie off the other end, and you have an instant bath bag. For a more luxurious version, use a pretty piece of cloth instead of the stocking and add a teaspoon of fragrant oil or some dried herbs like chamomile or lavender to the oats. Bath bags are traditionally quite large and last about one week. However if your skin is very irritated and you’re afraid of infection, make lots of small bags and use a fresh one every day.