Although winter's beauty and drama can't be denied, (think crackling fires, gently falling snow, and steaming hot chocolate) as far as your skin is concerned there are certainly some less pleasant side effects of the season. The drier climate and heightened indoor heat brings with it the potential for dry, red, itchy skin.
Regardless of how much you increase your moisturizing efforts with serums and creams, dry skin stays dry without some light exfoliation. For those with severely dry or sensitive skin conditions, a gentle oat scrub twice a week can be the perfect solution. There are lots of other reasons to incorporate oat enzyme into your skincare routine. And you don't have to mash a bowl of sticky oatmeal onto your face - our Oat Enzyme Mask is finely ground so it mixes easily with your other DIY ingredients (add honey, yogurt, avocado or mix with water) and application is a breeze.
Here are a few of the reasons to add oats to your skincare menu and check out the mask recipe at the end of this post.
It helps keep skin hydrated by forming an occlusive layer on the surface that helps retain water in the skin.
It allows natural and gentle cleansing of skin due to presence of saponins (a natural group of carbohydrates found in plants that have been shown to have skin-soothing and antioxidant properties.)
It provides gentle exfoliation.
It imparts moisturizing, soothing, conditioning, and nourishing qualities, significantly improving skin dryness and roughness.
It helps reduce skin inflammation.
It contains antioxidant properties from the presence of phenols including ferulic and caffeic acids.
It contains flavonoids that are strong UVA screens (absorb UVA rays).
It has low allergenic potential and it excellent for treating p-acnes bacteria.
It’s suited for all skin types including sensitive and problem skin such as acne, eczema and psoriasis.
It’s inexpensive and readily available!
Oats & Honey Face Mask
A gentle exfoliating mask to soothe skin, balance your natural pH, and slough off dead skin. Apple Cider vinegar gently exfoliates while maintaining the acid mantle, while honey soothes, hydrates and is antibacterial.
1 tablespoon Oat Enzyme Mask
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon rosewater (or water, or any other type of floral / hydrosol water)
Blend all ingredients together in a small bowl. Apply to clean skin in a thin layer. Let dry about 10 minutes. Wash off with warm water, and follow with appropriate serum and/or moisturizer for your skin type.