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Oats have been touted as asuperfood for thousands of years. They are gluten-free, high in fiber, and have even been shown to regulate blood sugar and cholesterol. While we all might be familiar with oatmeal as a healthy breakfast, what aboutoats for skin health? Recent research has shown that many of the same properties which make oats such a healthy dietary choice may also make the perfect ingredient forsoaps,exfoliants, and much more!
With this in mind, today we will take a look at 6 ways in which oats can be used to help achieve healthy, beautiful skin.
Many of us can think of moisturizers as being thick, creamy skincare products like anall-natural foot cream. While these types of products are great for moisturization, that is only half of the story. Oats moisturize the skin by acting as anemollient.
Emollients penetrate the top layer of skin,smoothing and toning the skin from within. Essentially, emollients fill gaps that can be left behind when your skin becomes dry and damaged. Unlike thick and heavy moisturizers, oats leave the skin feeling light and refreshed, and they can be used daily.
There are two types of exfoliation: mechanical exfoliation and chemical exfoliation. The former refers to exfoliants that remove dead skin cells, sebum, and other impurities with gentle abrasives. Chemical exfoliation is the use of chemicals to “burn” away the top layer of skin.
Oats are a perfect example of anatural, mechanical exfoliant. Mechanical exfoliation is effective without any of the potential side effects of putting chemical peels directly onto your skin. Combined with their natural restorative properties, exfoliants that use oats are perfect for sensitive skin!
Oats contain awide range of antioxidants including Vitamin E, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, phytic acid, sterols, and much more. Antioxidants are powerful weapons against free radicals which can damage the skin. Free radicals are essentially unpaired electrons. Antioxidants correct this imbalance, which leaves you with stronger, healthier skin.
Many signs of skin aging and skin blemishes stem from inflammation. Our skin is highly reactive, and inflammation is one of the first lines of defense. Theanti-inflammatory properties of raw oats fight against swelling, redness, and more which can occur naturally on the surface of our skin.
Natural anti-inflammatory ingredients are also useful for fighting against common skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema. Though oats will certainly not cure any of these conditions, they may calm your skin and allow your skin to repair itself in time.
So how can we actually use oats in our daily skincare routines? Unless you plan on mashing your raw oats into a paste and rubbing them on your face (not necessarily recommended) there are many skincare products that utilize oats as a primary ingredient.
These products will commonly come in the form of soaps, exfoliants, and moisturizers. The key to finding an effective skincare product is finding one with all of the ingredients you want, and none that you don’t. Many soaps and moisturizers slap “oats” on the front of the bottle, but their product’s first ingredient islauryl sulfate (SLS). Finding the best skin care products is as much about what is left out as what is put in!
Believe it or not, one of the most potent remedies for sunburn is a nice, temperate bath with acup full of oats. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powers of oats can really shine through even in small doses.
In fact,oatmeal baths have been used to manage a number of common skin maladies including chickenpox, hives, poison ivy, dermatitis, dry skin, insect bites, and much more! The key is to take a bath in lukewarm water. If the water is too hot, that may lead to skin damage. If the water is too cold, the oats may not activate sufficiently.
Oatmeal baths are also great because oats are hypoallergenic, meaning it is very unlikely to cause a skin reaction. For those with sensitive skin or those who are just looking to relax after a long day (or year), an oatmeal bath is a perfect solution!
AtThe Yellow Bird, we are always looking for natural, organic ingredients to use in ourskincare products. We have harnessed the power of oats in one of our favorite products: ourGoat’s Milk Lavender Soap Bar. Packed with natural oils like lavender and coconut oil, this cold processed soap is ideal for daily use! Like all of our soaps, it is 100 percent free of parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes, synthetic fragrances, and GMOs.
