oatmeal particles in a suspension, too big to dissolve, too small to sink to the bottom of a solution, oats are an immunostimulant and antiinflammatory
Oatmeal has a very long history of use in helping alleviate skin irritation, discomfort, and inflammation. Oatmeal is very soothing to the skin and has strong anti-inflammatory effects, and colloidal oatmeal is classified by the FDA as a "skin protectant." Oatmeal not only can help with sensitivity but may also have a preventive effect on irritation and may too help buffer and repair damage from other skin stressors. The term "colloidal" simply means very small, in other words, that the oatmeal has been ground into extremely fine particles.