Oatmeal, like chamomile, honey, and vinegar, are, in my opinion, the staples of home beauty and natural treatments. Unlike the oatmeal itself, oatmeal products available at the stores are way higher priced then I think they should be. During a dry winter, when my face is flushed or when acne gets the upper hand I go reaching for my oatmeal products, but what I grab isn’t what you’d find already bottled on the store’s shelves.
If you love your oatmeal products, it’s easier than ever to make them at home when ever you need them. The most important ingredient to oatmeal skin care is, of course, oatmeal. I usually try and buy what is called “Irish Oats,” or steel cut oats, but rolled oats are fine to use also. Add a few cups of your oats to your food processor and grind until your oats have the consistency of a powder, almost like flour. Store the oat flour in a jar or Zip-loc bag. I reuse cleaned mayonnaise or spaghetti jars and then I store mine in the fridge, but it keeps well in the pantry or bathroom cabinets also.
Now that you have your oatmeal flour you can mix it with various things, depending on your need.
Bath Soak– add a couple of heaping spoons to your bathtub while its filling for an all over skin irritation, dry skin, itchy skin, or just for a soothing soak. Add chamomile for an extra soothing experience.
Face Mask– in a small bowl make a paste using the oatmeal flour and water, spread on face and neck and leave on for five minutes then rinse off. Milk can also be used for extra moisturizing or aloe vera for cooling sunkissed skin.
Foot and Hand Scrub– mix a few spoons of the oatmeal flour with equal amounts of regular table salt and your favorite body wash in a small bowl and then massage onto your feet or hands. Do this for three minutes on the feet and a minute or two on the hands, then rinse. For rougher skin simply massage the skin longer, and for tired feet add a spoon of epsom salt.
Body Wash– in a travel sized bottle add oatmeal flour and your favorite body wash with a small amount of water. Shake before applying to your loofah and use as you would your normal body wash.
Oatmeal Body Bar– shave your favorite bar soap into large slivers, add a small amount of water and melt in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave. Keep an eye on it and when it liquifies (close to three minutes) remove from microwave and mix in the oatmeal flour and a spoonful of regular rolled oats, and pour into molds.
Molds– I use a variety of household objects for molds such as egg cartons, salsa bowls, single serving sized Pringles cans, be creative. I have even rolled oatmeal soap into balls (usually requiring a few more spoons unground oats) Let soap cool to reharden, and then wrap in plastic wrap and store in a cool, dry place.
I save a ton of money making my own beauty products at home, and it’s an easy way to feel creative without all the added hard work. Plus the oatmeal flour is a great and affordable gift to give in a mason jar with a wooden spoon and recipe card tied on with pretty ribbon. You can even make a fancy printed label on your computer with the recipes you love (I use mailing labels)