What can I do with Porridge?

Skin and oats!
Oats are really great for skincare because of all cereal grains they contain the best balance of amino acids and a high silica content. Oats are also emollients, substances that soften and soothe the skin, which help to restore the skin’s natural moisture.  Not only are oats highly absorptive they are thought to have hypoallergenic properties and can be used to cleanse, exfoliate, soften and soothe skin which makes them suitable for most skin types.

In addition oats have been clinically proven to help heal dry, itchy skin and many people use oats to soothe and ease the discomfort of skin irritations such as rashes, abrasions, insect bites, poison ivy and chicken pox.  Modern manufacturers like Lush, Aveeno and Aveda also commonly use oats in their skin care products.

Oats in homemade skincare.

Oats, when used as a skin cleanser, actually absorb and remove surface dirt whilst removing impurities as well as providing very gentle exfoliation. Oat cleansers leave skin feeling smooth, soft, and clean without needing any soap. As a facial mask, oats deeply cleanse pores without irritating or drying out your skin, which is particularly good if you have dry or very sensitive skin.

When used in facial scrubs oats gently, but effectively, remove dead skin cells to reveal softer, smoother looking skin. In addition, cleansing and exfoliating with oatmeal provides the bonus of a natural, healthy glow.

Oat skincare recipes:

Cleanser:

Put 2 tablespoons of oats in a bowl and cover with a small amount of water, enough to just cover the oats. Leave the oats to turn mushy and the water will turn a cloudy white colour.  Strain the milky liquid and put the softened outs to one side as you can save the oats for the face scrub. Soak a cotton pad in the milky oat liquid and apply to your face evenly. Make sure to avoid your eyes. Leave the oat 'milk' on for 10 mins (you can make the scrub during this time!). When it dries it will turn a cloudy white colour. Then you can apply the scrub to exfoliate, or skip this stage and simply wash off with warm water.

Face scrub:

Using the softened oats from the cleanser gently apply the paste to your face, make sure to avoid your eye area, after using the cleanser and rub in a small circular motion to gently remove dead skin cells.  Leave on your face for up to 10 minutes and then rinse off with warm water.

Face mask:

Put 2 table spoons of oats into a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of full fat natural yogurt and 2 tablespoons of honey. Mix all the ingredients together and place in the fridge for at least three hours to make sure it is cold and allow the oats to soften in the yoghurt. Apply the paste thickly to your face and leave for 30 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water. This mask is suitable for daily use but you may need to use a moisturiser with a good SPF as it may make you more sensitive to sunlight.

Soothing Oat bath:

To make this soothing bath soak you will need 100g of plain oats. Blend your oats into a fine powder using a blender or pestle and mortar. Once you have a fine powder you can add the powder to your bath and stir with your hands, checking the bottom of the bath for any clumps. When the oat powder has turned the water a cloudy white colour and all the lumps have been absorbed your bath is ready. Take care when getting into the bath as it can make it extra slippy.

Alternatively, put some oats into a piece of muslin, cheese cloth or even a thin cotton sock and tie with a piece of string or ribbon and hang the parcel around the taps so it dangles into the bath and infuses into the bath.

The oats themselves are good to scrub off the dead skin in the bath :)

xxVickyxx