Oatmeal is inexpensive, readily available, and works wonderfully with a range of add-in ingredients. This cereal also possesses incredible beauty benefits when used externally.
The avenanthramides and phenols in oats provide skin-soothing properties perfect for soothing poison ivy, poison oak, chicken pox rashes, sunburn, and psoriasis. Because oats contain a high concentration in starches and beta-glucan it offers protective and water-holding abilities. The phenols provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and even act as ultraviolet absorbers, making oatmeal a fine anti-inflammatory agent, cleanser, and moisturizer.
Five Ways to Incorporate Oatmeal into your Beauty Routine
1. A Soothing Bath
Pour oats into a cheesecloth and tie securely. Add this to your bath for aid in easing the discomfort of chicken pox, poison ivy, or sunburn.
2. Sensational Soap and Facial Tonic
Oats contain compounds called saponins that work as natural cleansers to remove the oil and debris from your pores. Mix whole oatmeal with warm water and a teaspoon of honey to create a paste to cleanse the skin. To make your own skin tonic, soak oats in water, and then apply the liquid to your face with a cotton ball. Proteins found in oatmeal help to maintain the skin’s natural barrier and offer protection from chemicals and pollutants.
3. Make Your Own Mask
For help in dealing with breakouts and acne, try a skin-soothing oatmeal mask.
1) Pour hot water on oats and prepare as if making oatmeal.
2) Let cool until comfortable to the touch, then apply it to the face, neck, chest, and other problem areas.
3) Let sit for 15 minutes, then rinse. The mask will remove oil, dirt, and bacteria and exfoliate dead skin cells, leaving you with silkier, clean, and comforted skin.
4. Healthy Hair Treatment
For healthy and shiny hair, make an oat mask for the hair and scalp. Oats contain omega-6 fatty acids that can help revive damaged hair.
DIY Mask
1) Combine 3 tablespoons of ground plain oats, ½ cup of milk, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, and 1 tablespoon honey.
2) Mix well and apply the mask to scalp and hair.
3) Let it condition for 30 minutes, then shampoo your hair as usual.
5. Get Going with a Dry Shampoo
To create a dry shampoo, combine colloidal oatmeal with an equal part baking soda. Rub into the hair and then brush it out to remove oil and dirt.
Oatmeal is wonderful as a pantry staple, and it is also fantastic as a natural beauty aid to look and feel your best.
