Oats are rich with B-vitamins, which are as good for your skin and hair as they are for your diet. B-vitamins help moisturize both skin and hair. They soothe dry and itchy skin, and penetrating the outer layer of your hair to help each individual hair retain moisture, increase elasticity and protect against breakage.
Check out this oatmeal and almond oil hair mask from Naturally Curly – it’s easy to make and will leave your hair feeling silky and smooth after! All you need are oats, almond oil, milk and about 20 minutes of your time. This mask is nourishing and rejuvenating for any hair type, but especially beneficial for curly hair, which may be more susceptible to breakage.
Now that we’ve got our hair looking and feeling great, let’s move on to skin care. A quick online search for “oatmeal face masks” will bring up a lot of different recipes from bloggers all over the world. Oats have anti-inflammatory properties, and studies have shown oatmeal lotion is effective at treating moderate to severe dry and itchy skin. Oats leave a protective layer on the skin which helps your skin stay hydrated, even on dry days.
Chances are, your pantry has everything you need to make a soothing oatmeal face mask at home. Combine 4 tablespoons of oat flour with 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 egg. Mix thoroughly and apply to your skin. Let the mask sit for 15 minutes and then rinse it off with warm water.
Oats can also act as an exfoliant, so be careful not to rub the mask in – unless of course that’s what you want! Instead of just using this mixture as a mask, you can use it as a gentle, yet effective facial scrub to exfoliate your skin and leave it with a healthy glow. Some bloggers even recommend using oatmeal face masks to treat acne, since oats can absorb excess oil from your skin while they exfoliate.
As an all-natural ingredient to soothe, moisturize and protect skin and hair, oats are as beneficial for your beauty routine as they are for your health!