As well as being a tasty breakfast ingredient, oats can easily be incorporated into your skincare routine to calm your skin.

While you can smear your breakfast oatmeal on your face, oats to be used for skin care purposes are processed in a particular way for defined particle size.

Colloidal oatmeal, the name given to oats that have been ground into a fine powder, is a skin-supporting ingredient that can be found in many skincare products.

It works towards calming and soothing the skin while nourishing and moisturising it.

Colloidal oatmeal is a well-known ingredient that can help soothe dry skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

Breakfast and Colloidal Oatmeal Differences

Whilst breakfast oats do not differ significantly from the oatmeal commonly included in skincare products, there is still one key difference between the two.

Colloidal oatmeal is the finely milled, dehulled oat grain made by grinding oats and boiling the fine granules to extract the colloidal.

This allows micro-particles to disperse into the water to form a protective film on the skin to make a humectant-rich occlusive barrier that nourishes and moisturises the skin.

It is important to note that humectants pull water into the skin and occlusive seals prevent the hydration from evaporating.

As colloidal oatmeal is specially ground into a fine powder for the skin, the benefits of the skin-supporting ingredient are easily dispersed.

Colloidal oatmeal, alongside regular oats, is high in proteins that moisturise and emulsify, helping to create a protective barrier for your skin.

As a result of this protective barrier, your skin is likely to feel and look calmer as it will not get easily irritated.

Oatmeal Skin Benefits

Colloidal oatmeal is incredibly beneficial for the skin as it offers humectant, emollient and occlusive properties, as well as being able to calm your skin.

There are many benefits to using oats-based skincare products as oats are rich in B vitamins, omega fatty acids including linoleic fatty acid, and the antioxidant ferulic acid.

B vitamins help rejuvenate and brighten the skin, while linoleic acid is helpful for oily, acne-prone skin.

Oats are also rich in beta-glucan, which is responsible for the colloid film formed when dispersed in a liquid.

Beta-glucans are strong humectants, which means they have the ability to hold on to water.

Moreover, like Aloe Vera, oats have gentle cleansing properties as well due to the presence of naturally occurring cleansing agents called saponins.

You can reap all the benefits of oatmeal for your skin by simply grinding regular oatmeal into a fine powder in a spice or coffee grinder and using it in your DIY skincare routine.

How to Use Oats for Skincare

Oatmeal is a perfectly safe ingredient to include in your skincare routine.

There are a variety of ways that you can nourish your skin with the ingredient, and your skin will surely reap the rewards.

From oily to dry, every skin type can benefit from this superfood ingredient.

The excellent anti-inflammatory and oil-absorbing properties of oats make them a safe and effective ingredient, especially for oily, acne-prone skin.

For very dry, irritated skin, you can gently cleanse with oatmeal, make a nourishing toner using it, gently scrub away your dead skin or let it sit on your face as a mask.

Here are some safe and effective DIYs that can help you reap the benefits of oatmeal for your skin.

These DIY recipes use ingredients that are easily accessible and are simple enough to make in your kitchen.

Cleanse using oats

If you are suffering from very dry, irritated skin, gently cleansing with oats may help to ease the feeling of tightness while simultaneously cleansing your skin, removing any grime and layers of dead skin.

This method of cleansing targets impurities, dry skin, redness or any kind of inflammation that may be caused due to acne.

As oatmeal can be abrasive for some skin types, it is best to tread carefully and use oatmeal as a cleanser a few times a week to test your skin’s reaction to it.

While oily skin is thicker, dry skin is on the thinner side and tends to be more sensitive.

Therefore, oilier skin types may find using oatmeal as a cleanser much more effective. Whereas, those with dry skin may need to consistently use it before seeing results.

Make a toner using oats

The job of a toner is to restore the normal pH balance of your skin once it has been disturbed after cleansing unless it is a pH neutral cleanser.

Oatmeal can help restore a ‘normal’ pH level in skin conditions.

A toner with oats as the main ingredient can also fortify the skin barrier as it hydrates, relieves, and soothes skin – all of which makes oatmeal a perfect ingredient for a DIY toner.

Ingredients

• ½ tbsp of aloe vera gel
• 2 tbsp of ground oatmeal
• ½ tbsp glycerine
• 1 tbsp honey
• 3 ½ tbsp water

Method

1. Wash the aloe vera plant leaf.
2. If you’re using an aloe vera leaf instead of bottled aloe gel, cut the serrated edges of the leaf and dip it in a bowl of water for 10-15 minutes.
3. Peel the upper rind of the leaf off and scoop out the gel using a spoon.
4. Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender.
5. Store the toner into a jar or a spray bottle and spritz it over your face whenever your skin craves a soothing mist of hydration.

The oatmeal toner can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 weeks maximum.

Exfoliate dead skin cells with oats

When used as a face scrub, oats can manually buff away dull skin.

Even though oats are incredibly soothing to the skin, it is important to make sure the oats are finely powdered to be used as a gentle scrub.

There’s no denying that physical scrubs can provide an instant glow, so if you love a good body scrub or even a face scrub, these DIY oatmeal scrubs will work wonderfully.

The oatmeal particles need to be finely milled so that only provide exfoliation to the outer layer of dead skin cells without damaging your skin.

This scrub can also be used as a 2-in-1 face scrub and mask, and it will absorb excess sebum without drying out your skin.

Regular use of this recipe as a face mask may help to reduce the appearance of blackheads, however, remember to exfoliate no more than only 2-3 times a week.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp of chickpea flour
• 1 tsp of ground turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp of yoghurt
• A handful of oats, ground into a powder

Method

1. Mix the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Gently massage the mixture over your face or body in circular motions for 5-7 minutes.
3. Rinse thoroughly and pat your skin dry with a towel.

Use oatmeal in your DIY face masks

There can be no better way to reap the full benefits of oats for your skin than to let the gooey goodness sit on your skin as a face mask while you relax.

The combination of ingredients in this face mask recipe will help to calm your skin while leaving it soft, supple and bright.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup cooked oatmeal
• 2-3 tbsp plain yoghurt
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 mashed strawberry
• 1 tbsp matcha powder

Method

1. Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl until it creates a thick paste.
2. Apply the mask on your face and neck with clean fingertips.
3. Gently massage the mixture into your skin for a few seconds and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before rinsing off with lukewarm water.

Whilst oats can be used in a variety of ways, many add the ingredient into their beauty routine to calm their skin.

Whether you cook them, add them to your smoothie, or incorporate them into your skincare regimen, this superfood ingredient is accessible and highly effective.

With so many benefits, it’s no surprise why so many people rely on this superfood to calm their skin.

Moisturising, protecting, exfoliating and cleansing – oats can do it all.

So, what are you waiting for? Add oats to your beauty routine to instantly reap the rewards.