Hey guys! Have I ever mentioned that I kinda like oats ;)?  It’s my breakfast 98% of the time, and today morning only contributed to that statistic.  While each serving racks in a hefty amount of nutritional benefits and tastes downright delicious, oats have one more claim to “superfood status”: they also make an excellent face mask…yep you read right!
Over the weekend I went to the spa for a head oil massage.  Although I rarely go for them, the deep conditioning was extremely necessary.  As much as I have been loving to swim lately, the chlorine has done no favors to my hair’s texture.  After seeing the silky smooth results of applying olive oil to my hair, I got inspired to try another natural beauty remedy. Enter in an Oatmeal Exfoliator:
Especially as my normal skin care routine is very low-maintenance (Nivea facewash & Garnier moisturizer, once or twice a day), I wanted to try a basic, chemical-free exfoliator. The last thing I (or anyone for that matter) need is a break-out or bad reaction. I used this recipe, which calls for oats, water and honey…it doesn’t get any easier than that. After leaving the mask on for about 20 minutes, I did notice my face felt smoother and my skin looked healthier. I was curious about how these 3 staple ingredients could create any skin care benefits and here’s what I found:
- The polysaccharides in oats help fight dryness white its lubricating fats have a moisturizing effect. Oats are also natural cleansers that remove dirt and oil from the pores (Source)
- Due to its antiseptic and antibacterial properties, daily application of honey can help keep skin soft, supple and clean. Honey can also prevent secondary infection from pimples and the scarring that results from such infections (Source)
I may or may not have tasted it while applying the mixture to my face, and let’s just say that it’s not deceiving like cocoa butter i.e. it tastes even better than it smells :).
Do you have any natural beauty remedies?
What’s your skin care routine like?
i often use a simple scrub – sugar granules, lemon juice and almond oil[or any oil that suits you]. best for arms, elbows, legs. while i use it on the face too, but some say it’s too harsh for the face.
I’m not sure about the sugar granules and lemon juice but I have heard that applying almond oil on the face produces great results!
and on a different note, here’s blog post that i think you’ll love. very inspiring for anyone who is a work in progress [that makes most of us i guess]. http://www.megfee.com/2013/04/29/thinking-about-fat-talk-and-fun-house-mirrors/#.UYDT1pGNbCM
Thanks for sharing :)- will definitely check it out 🙂
LOL right now as I type this I have honey on my face! I do a manuka face mask every morning for 20-30 minutes and then cleanse with jojoba oil. My skin has improved dramatically since I went the all natural route!
I had never heard of jojoba oil until you mentioned it a while back- I should look out for it next time I am in London!
I’ve never come up with my own homemade beauty remedy, I’ll leave that up to the experts, but I’d be willing to try something that someone else has had success with! Haha and I’d totally taste test it too 😛
In that case, give this a shot…works well and tastes great 😉
I love homemade face scrubs/washes! I used to rip out pages of magazines and try different ones when I was younger but I haven’t done it in awhile. Such interested benefits of the oats and honey, plus doesn’t get much simpler than that!
This is the first time I’ve ever tried a natural moisturiser but I am keen to try other combos now!
Wokay..will be trying this one.
I use cucumber juice(when I can) for undereye circles.
And at times I use malai(cream) with honey and besan, it does make your face shine for few days.
I know that eating malai is fab for skin but that’s interesting about it applying on the face 🙂
I really love natural, at-home beauty remedies. I’ve made an oatmeal face mask before, and it really does work wonders on my skin. So does just using honey if you’re ever not in the mood for making a mask. Just put straight up honey on your face for 20 minutes and wash it off with cold water. I also use coconut oil as a moisturizer and hair treatment. Aaaaand I’ve tried various hair masks made from eggs, avocado, and natural oils. OH! And who can forget the water and baking soda exfoliating scrub. The natural stuff really is the best 🙂
Your comment is a goldmine of ideas- thanks :)! Did you notice a difference after using eggs in your hair? I’ve heard about the benefits on egg yolks on hair but am too nervous to try it myself!
It definitely makes my hair stronger and shinier, but I have straight, fine hair so it’s not hard for me to wash that mess out. I’ve heard it can be a little more difficult for people who have coarser or thicker hair, but it’s always worth giving it a try 🙂
I have thick hair but still want to give it a shot- you are a rather credible source 🙂
The title of this post just cracked me up.
I’ve done a little bit of experimenting with home beauty treatments – I was using coconut oil as a moisturizer for a while (had to stop though – it was giving me breakouts) and I’ve done some experimenting with homemade avocado/honey masks. I’ve never thought to use oatmeal though, I may look into that a little bit in the future!
Yikes I hope you were to able to quickly reverse the effects of coconut oil on your face 🙂
Great idea; I will have to try this and I just so happen to have all the ingredients at home. Thanks.
Hope you like it 🙂
I am too scared to try anything new lately because my current regimen (bunch of chemicals sadly) is working on my skin. However, I have tried plain honey on my face as a mask and it did have a toning effect on my skin. I am not too adventurous about beauty/hair treatment but this oatmeal honey mask sounds and probably taste good too. I do hair oil massage every other week or so and it really helps the texture of my hair.
Glad to hear that your current routine is working on your skin! At least for now, there’s no need to mess with a good thing 🙂
I am so bad and use nothing on my face… I am so terrible with beauty products and such
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it 🙂
Will have to give this a try! I am all about simple (and as chemical free as possible) skincare routines. As you know, I’ve dealt with my fair share of headaches when it comes to my skin. Although it’s no where near perfect, it has gotten a lot better. And I think it’s because I simplified my routine and started using moisturizer before bed.
So glad that you’ve been seeing progress on your skin and here’s hoping it only gets better 🙂
Hi. I’ve tried oatmeal besan and curd ! And have seen an instant difference 🙂
I’ve heard that oatmeal and curd are great on the face but definitely interesting about besan!
I JUST switched up my skin care routine to something super simple. I’ve been very health conscious of what I put on my skin and I am trying to really turn around my bathing habits to match me eating habits. I use Dr. Bronners natural soaps on my skin, and I use coconut oil for lotion..DASS IT! I even use it on my face and so far so good!! I just have to find something for my hair, weeks of no washing and attempting to wash with Bronners or baking soda is just not working.
Okay I am sliiightly jealous that your hair can last WEEKS without washing!!!
I’ve been trying natural beauty remedies… well once in a while. I haven’t done a post because I wanna try it a few times before saying this rocks. I tried one with honey and lemon, it was good. Honey can do wonders for your skin, it’s one of the best things you can use.
I use neutrogena face wash twice a day, and estee lauder moisturizer in the morning, and moisturizer or nothing at night.
🙂
I LOVE BEAUTY POSTS! 🙂
Haha and I love your enthusiasm…which I’m going to assume given the use of CAPS-LOCK! I alternate between Nivea & Neutrogena face wash and am a big fan of the latter too 🙂
Sounds like a great idea!!
I too love oats in the morning….breakfast of champions! My recently-discovered oaty-treat is the new Oats So Simple sweet cinnamon flavour… I know it is laden with sugar and probably processed too but it’s lovely to indulge in once in a while 🙂
Ah those OSS packets kicked off my love for oats. Like you said, they are full of sugar and heavily processed buuuuut they sure taste great. The Golden Syrup was my favorite! As an alternative, try mixing a sachet with 2 well-whisked egg whites and either making it into a pancake or baking it in the oven for about 10 minutes….you will thank me :)!
Love the idea of make your own beauty products. Natural and simple! I’ll have to try this. I have never ending battles with my skin.
I figure that if I can get away with using minimal amount of products, I’m better off 🙂 !
Hehe, the title of this post made me smile. :-p However, I sure wish you’d included a photo OF your oatmeal face! 😉
I’ve always been interested in experimenting with natural skin care remedies, however, I have yet to dip my toes (err, face?) in. My dad is a dermatologist, so I grew up with access to a myriad of not-so-natural products, but the irony is that I’ve never really used them! To this day, my skin care routine is *extremely* simple. I use all natural mineral makeup (Bare Escentuals), and only wash my face with Neutrogena or Simple cleansing wipes and water. That’s it! I may have to give the oatmeal mask a try, though, especially because you had such a positive experience. I have no doubt that I’d get a kick out of covering my face with food, too. 😉
Happy Wednesday, Khushboo! Hugs! <3
Hahah my main reason for NOT putting up a pic of my oatmeal face is to avoid scaring off readers ;)! I’m so bad about washing my face at night but I’m going to look into Simple cleansing wipes…that seems doable!…and very cool that your dad is a dermatologist! 🙂
I heard about these loooong ago! Now I want to do it! I like to mix baking soda with water for a gentle exfoliant.
Considering I rarely bake cookies, this sounds like a fantastic alternative use of baking soda :)!
Okay…I’m SO into this oatmeal face mask shebang. I was actually washing my face with raw honey for a while and I loved it! I’m all about the face washes and exfoliators that aren’t supercharged with chemicals, so this looks totally perfect. Awesome that it’s edible, too 🙂
One spoon on my face, one spoon in my mouth….and repeat 😉
I’ve done that mask before! And yeah, definitely snuck a little taste while I was waiting to be beauti-ma-fied! 😉 But seriously, I loved how soft my skin felt afterwards!
I really want to try out more natural beauty care recipes. Right now I use a face wash that is formulated for combination skin followed by coconut oil at night and an SPF moisturizer in the morning. I should probably look into some anti-wrinkle creams though…I ain’t getting any younga! 😉
Hahah I’m staying away from anti-wrinkle cream for as long as my skin lets me 🙂
Love how simple this is! Gotta try it–I avoid the store products since they just have so much junk–just simple soap for washing and coconut oil for any and everything moisturizing!
Less is more right 🙂
Hi is the water warm or cold?
I used room temperature water!