'I tried old wives' tale to cure eczema as a last resort

A mum who explored every medical avenue to get rid of her daughter's eczema without success has hailed an old wives' tale as the only method that worked. Mother-of-three Ellis Kane took to TikTok to explain how she achieved positive results, much to her amazement. "I think I found the cure for my daughter's eczema using something I thought was an old wives' tale," she proudly declared in a video.

Ellis raved: "I'm here to tell you it is not that - it is a fact. A porridge oat bath - I am mind-blown after trying all the creams, the steroids. You name it, we've tried it.

READ MORE: This one fruit is 'scientifically proven' to lower your cholesterol READ MORE: GP claims supplement he would 'never, ever' take can 'increase your mortality rate' Holding up a jar of oats, she said after bathing her in them, her daughter's skin is "like brand new". And explaining the winning method, Ellis said: "All I did is get a sieve, get some porridge [and place it in], and run the bath water through it into the bath." She concluded: "So if you're like me and you thought it was an old wives' tale and a load of cr*p - it's not.

Give it a go." One of Ellis' followers hailed in response: "Sometimes it's the old traditional methods that work the best. I think it's so important that we don't lose the knowledge!" A second person who tested the approach added: "I do this as well.

It soothes but doesn't completely help my daughter. I put the oats in a pair of tights and tie it off, throw it in the bath and give it a squeeze and use it as a sponge as well." A third TikTok user recalled: "My friend's mum used to wrap her arms and legs with soaked oats on the skin wrapped in bandages on the really sore parts and it was fantastic.

It really helped her." And a fourth shared another success story, saying: "I had this so much as a child. These baths were such a relief! I also had really bad patches where my mum part-boiled savoy cabbage leaves.

And she would place on my skin at night rap me up. Amazing." Backing up Ellis' tale, meanwhile, Family Education reports that according to an article published by the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology , colloidal oatmeal formulations in the treatment of atopic dermatitis have been available since 1945.

It adds: "Then several decades after, the [US] Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized colloidal oatmeal as a safe and effective Category I ingredient in 1989. It was approved as a skin protectant in 2003. The main benefit of colloidal oatmeal is that it helps ease dry and itchy skin.

When oatmeal is ground up into a fine consistency, they hold water better and it becomes an emollient that helps soften and soothe the skin. "One of the reasons why oatmeal baths are a safe, simple and effective way to treat skin conditions is because colloidal oatmeal is anti-inflammatory. Its anti-inflammatory properties are due to the antioxidants that are contained in oatmeal.

Specifically, these include aventhramides, vitamin E and ferulic acid.".