Every time I run out of the beauty ingredients that I order online, I find myself trying new things and extremely grateful for it in the end.  I most recently ran out of my usual DIY facial cleanser and decided to try using oatmeal.  Plain oats alone will cleanse, soothe irritation and dryness, and gently exfoliate your skin therefore making oats an incredible, simple, and inexpensive facial cleanser.  I actually LOVE the smell of oats too!

Oats contain saponins, a gentle cleansing agent, and can be used as a mild soap.

Saponins are also high in antioxidants which can calm redness, dry, and itchy skin.  Gentle cleansers like oats are perfect for those dealing with acne, eczema, psoriasis, sunburn, rosacea, and other sensitive skin issues.  Because oatmeal contains a high concentration of starch and beta-gluten, it holds water easily and creates a milky substance once mixed with water, which also makes it the perfect creamy cleansing milk.

Although I have seen others use oatmeal in various ways as a facial cleanser such as soaking a fist full of whole oats in water then massaging into skin which can be messy or using muslin or cotton bags filled with oats, there is a much easier way.

You can either purchase organic oat flour from your grocery store, or colloidal oatmeal from your pharmacy or online, and use it as is.  I use it in the same way I would use rhassoul clay as a face wash, except using plain oats is much more moisturizing for your skin.  I place about a teaspoon or more of colloidal oatmeal or oat flour in the palm of my hand, add a bit of water and mix, then massage it into my skin.  I then rinse thoroughly and continue with my skin care regimen.  I prefer using colloidal oatmeal since it is contains no lumps and is ground extremely fine.

Another way to use the oats that you already have is to grind them yourself in a spice grinder, coffee grinder, food processor, or blender.  Cleansing with oats alone will not remove heavy eye makeup and some mascaras, yet that’s what I like to use oils high in linoleic acid for.  On the days where I need to wash my face after a midday workout, I have found that using oats did not irritate my skin at all.  Plus using oats as a face wash has been extremely helpful to heal my most recent stress related eczema breakout where other simple cleansers were not doing their magic.  I’m so glad to know of yet another simple skin care cleanser that will work for all skin conditions and skin types.

With all of the natural and inexpensive alternatives to skin care, I wish I had known about all of these simple methods years ago.  Have you tried cleansing with oats?

*Mountain Rose Herbs Herbal Facial Kit GIVEAWAY!–Enter by April 23rd!

(Image by Dawn Michelle)

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