5 Ways to Use Oats to Naturally Soften Skin and Thicken Hair
It's a miracle grain!
The whole grain isn’t just good for your health, oats (in all forms!) are also chock-full of nutrients that pamper skin and nourish hair! Read on for simple, spa-inspired oat recipes to beautiful.
Thicken hair with an oat milk conditioner.
Oat milk’s compounds strengthen hair at the root to thwart shedding and breakage while its lipids deeply hydrate to enhance strand shine for a thicker-looking head of hair.
- Try: Klorane Conditioner with Oat Milk, $9
Hydrate skin with an oat oil lotion.
Packed with moisturizing fatty acids, oat oil deeply penetrates skin to moisturize parched patches from the inside out, while its vitamin E repairs damage so skin feels smooth in no time, says Dr. Green. Her tip: Place a warm, damp washcloth onto dry skin and let it sit for 2 minutes prior to applying lotion. This softens skin so hydrating ingredients can absorb better.
Calm rashes with an oat milk compress.
Anti-inflammatory properties in oat milk quickly soothe all types of irritation from rosacea to chafed underarms. Plus, when applied cool, it constricts blood vessels to reduce redness fast.
- Try: Place a washcloth soaked in chilled oat milk on skin; rinse after five minutes.
Soften rough heels with an oatmeal soak.
Unique compounds in oatmeal, including vitamin B-5, penetrate the thick layers of heel skin to restore moisture levels in a snap.
- Try: Create a sachet by cutting the foot off an old pair of pantyhose. Next, fill it with 1⁄2 cup of old-fashioned oats; knot to close. Then toss the sachet into a basin filled with warm water and soak feet for 10 minutes.
Restore radiance with an oatmeal polish.
Oats’ texture helps slough away dead, dry, complex- ion-dulling cells that accumulate on skin’s surface, says New York City dermatologist Michele Green, M.D. Mixing with yogurt (it further exfoliates) and honey (it moisturizes) leaves skin glowing in a flash.
- Try: Mix one tablespoon of old-fashioned oats, one tablespoon of yogurt and one teaspoon of honey. Scrub onto damp skin; rinse.
This story originally appeared in our print magazine.
