Alright so I'm trying out something new - I'm not sure how often I'll be doing what I'll call a "highlight" on an ingredient, but after a few months of great results, I have to share this:
Today I'm going to tell you a little bit about the wonder of oats:
The Aveeno Oatmeal Bath retails at $7-8 for 3 packets (each is good for 2-3 baths), it's available at most drugstores in the US and this particular product usually lurks around the band-aid/ first aid section. I can't speak to the pricing and availability in your area, so feel free to check on ebay.com or amazon.com for it
So as you can see from the photos, there will be two types of oats that I'm going to focus on.
Please note: I know it may seem kinda obvious but please bear in mind - if you have oat or gluten allergies, this is not the product for you.
First off, I've known about the goodness of oats from when I was about 8 years old and got afflicted with the chicken pox, my mum would run baths for me using the Aveeno Oatmeal Bath and I just wouldn't want to get out - it alleviated the worst of skin itchiness and irritation. It works wonderfully for insect bites too - the mosquitoes love me, my ankles must be especially tasty because I'm always getting bitten over there and just soaking my feet in a tub with a bit of the Oatmeal Bath sprinkled in helps a lot. It also makes my skin wonderfully soft and smooth after use.
All that said, I didn't give any thought on using oatmeal on my face until I watched
bubzbeauty's video (watch
here). When I saw the benefits of it on
her face after suffering from horrible skin irritation, since oatmeal is something that's relatively inexpensive and easily accessible to me, I decided to pick some up and give it a try.
Before I go into my experience, I'll go ahead and tell you just why oatmeal is such a skin-friendly ingredient: when applied topically (meaning - to your skin), oats have anti-inflammatory properties - which will help to reduce any redness in your face, they also contain antioxidants which will protect your skin from environmental free radical damage (and that stuff causes wrinkles!!!). It is also very gentle and soothing, making it suitable for very sensitive skin-types. Oatmeal is also a great source of soluble fiber - this means that it lowers the level of "bad" (LDL) cholesterol circulating in your body (that stuff clogs arteries ya know... no bueno) and helps to stabilize blood-glucose levels (this helps you avoid type 2 diabetes). This makes it a star ingredient whether you're putting it on, or in, your body. :3
My experience with simply washing my face with the oatmeal + which texture is better: The way my skin feels after I use oatmeal to wash it is just... baby's butt softness. Instantly! My face only feels that soft when I use real expensive cleansers to wash it. Things like Shiseido's Ibuki Cleanser - and that retails for $30. The reason I put that out there is because I know many people have reservations about putting food on their face and feel that it's a waste of something you could've eaten. I ask you - would you rather pay $2-something for a whole big can of oats, or $30 on a cleanser? In addition to the wonderful softness I feel, the redness in my cheeks also seems to dissipate. I still use, and love, my cleansers for heavy-duty cleansing like taking off my makeup but I prefer oatmeal if I'm not wearing any makeup, or if I want to wash my face post-workout (it really soothes hot sweaty skin). In my experience, I prefer the regular oat texture when washing my face - I feel that the oats do a good job of exfoliating, softening, and cleaning. I just don't get that with the Oatmeal Bath. However, if you have very sensitive skin and can't handle anything even slightly abrasive, I say try the Oatmeal Bath out because it may help to soothe your skin. I also prefer the oats when I do my oatmeal yogurt mask (another thanks to Bubz here :3, it makes my face feel divinely soft) for the same reason, I feel they provide better exfoliation (but are still gentle :3) and give my skin a softer feel. I think that some of the oils that the oats contain kind of dry out when they're milled very fine, like in the Oatmeal Bath which is why it doesn't make my skin feel as soft. If you're worried about the fact that oats have oil in them... I find that because they're a grain, they absorb the oil as well... it's hard to explain but you'll feel it when you use them. To put this in simple terms, it takes out the bad oils in your skin that clog your pores and puts in good oils that will soften your skin. :3 My skin used to bounce around from oily to dry, I'd have oily patches here and dry patches there, the oatmeal definitely helped improve the texture - it's relatively normal/ ever-so-slightly oily now.
However, if you'd like to put oatmeal in your bath and are worried that the oat flakes may clog your drain and/or be tasty to bugs, I highly suggest the Oatmeal Bath because 90% of it dissolves completely (just be sure to stir it up good in your bathwater) and whatever doesn't dissolve is very fine and easy to rinse out - or simply wrap up your regular oats in some cheesecloth or gauze before dropping them into your bath so you can easily fish them out and throw them away later.
I really think that if you aren't using oatmeal to wash your face already, you should give it a try - it can be a bit messy, but your skin will thank you.
Ok, I know you want some recipes:
Oatmeal-Yogurt Mask (adapted from Bubz :3) - makes 1 mask
1 teaspoon plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon oatmeal
Mix oatmeal and yogurt. Spread an even layer on your face (avoid the eye area) and allow 10-20 minutes for the mask to set. Wash off and marvel at how smooth your skin feels.
Some notes about this: Bubz's recipe uses a tablespoon of each - I found that when I did this, the oatmeal absorbed most of the yogurt and made a clumpy mess on my face, plus I had a lot left over and nowhere to store it (we've got 5 people sharing a fridge :|) so I like to make this in small batches. I use plain, fat-free yogurt. You can use one with fat in it, I just use what I eat :P Make sure to look for a yogurt with live & active cultures (it usually states somewhere on the package that they're in there) because these friendly bacteria will help get rid of dead skin and acne, plus they can help your tummy if you have... tummy trouble - they're like Pepto. I don't suggest flavored yogurts - they often contain high quantities of added colorants and sugars that I can't imagine being skin-friendly. Like I said above, I prefer using the plain oats. But if your skin is very sensitive, use the Oatmeal Bath - it dissolves completely in the yogurt and will give you a smooth, creamy mask. I've also tried this with Greek yogurt and it's either higher in acid or bacteria than regular plain yogurt because it made my face very red and irritated post-use - then again, I let it sit for 30 minutes, so if Greek yogurt is your yogurt of choice, be careful. For those of you who are curious, the mask is 100% edible, but it isn't very tasty - add some fruit or preserves if you'd like to eat it. Yes, it's good for you in whichever way you wanna use it... not really much of a mask if you're gonna be eating it though :P
Yummy Cinnamon Oatmeal: Makes 1 serving
3/4 cup oatmeal
1-1.5 cups milk or water (depending on how you like the consistency of your oats, less liquid for thicker oats, more for runnier oats)
1-2 teaspoons brown sugar (you can use light or dark, whichever you like); maple syrup and honey are also good options - I just add a light drizzle
Cinnamon, to taste
Pour liquid into a small pot or saucepan and heat until boiling. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for about 5 minutes (or however long the package tells you to cook it). Enjoy!
Notes: Cinnamon, along with the oatmeal, helps regulate blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes and/or having stable blood sugar is a concern for you - this is the ideal meal/breakfast. It's tasty and isn't too crazy time-consuming to make, plus with winter approaching the Northern hemisphere, it's a nice warm breakfast to warm you up on a chilly morning. :3
Please let me know if you've got any questions or comments.
Disclaimer: I paid for the oatmeal myself, all of it. :P
