Recipe For Homemade Oatmeal Facial Mask

When your skin feels irritated or needs a quick pick-me-up, try this homemade oatmeal facial mask.

Oatmeal is made of the seeds of the oat plant (Avena sativa). Oat seeds are made into oatmeal by drying, steaming, and then flattening them to make the rolled oats, or oatmeal, sold in the supermarket. Oat seeds are also ground into flour and made into bread. The stems of oat plants are dried into straw and used to feed livestock, as a filling for mattresses or chairs, or as a building material. Oats are also used in cosmetic preparations and industrial products.

What are the Benefits of Using Oatmeal?

There are several therapeutic uses for oatmeal. It is made into a tea or extract and taken internally for nervous disorders. As a food, oats are high in protein and fiber, and low in fat, helping to prevent coronary heart disease.

Oatmeal is ground into a fine powder known as colloidal oats, which are effective in relieving itching caused by eczema or hives. Colloidal oats dissolve easily in warm water and create a protective barrier on the skin to help defend it from irritations such as pollutants, exposure to the sun, or chemicals in soaps or make-up.

Oat seeds contain two substances, avenanthramides and beta glucan that are beneficial for the skin. Both are now being used in cosmetic applications. Avenanthramides are responsible for the skin soothing properties of oats and help relive skin irritations.

Beta glucan, a polysaccharide or sugar, helps to keep skin hydrated. It also promotes healing in the top layers of the skin. Oats also contain silicon, which has been shown to reduce the size of keloids on the skin.

Oatmeal Facial Mask Recipe

Try this quick and easy recipe for a facial mask using oatmeal and other basic ingredients** found in the kitchen. Each ingredient in the facial mask has a specific role. Oatmeal is used for soothing irritated skin; the glycolic acid and fine grains of sugar are used for exfoliating, and the jojoba oil is a greaseless emollient that soothes skin. Lemon juice has antiseptic properties and removes discoloration, and the comfrey root extract contains allantoin for wound healing and skin repair.

3 tablespoons of Oatmeal (Rolled Oats)

1 rounded teaspoon of Sugar

1 tablespoon of Jojoba Oil

Juice of half a Lemon

14 drops (1/2 ounce) of Comfrey Root Extract

1. Pulverize the oatmeal using a mortar and pestle.

2. Mix the oatmeal and sugar together in small bowl.

3. Add the jojoba oil in a thin stream while stirring constantly.

4. Place a whole lemon in the microwave for 15 seconds to release juices. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the mixture. Stir.

5. Add the comfrey root extract, and stir again until smooth.

6. Apply the mixture to your face. Leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes.

7. Rinse with lukewarm water, then pat your face dry.

** To create variations in the facial mask, substitute the following ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil or almond oil may be substituted for jojoba oil

Whole milk yogurt containing lactic acid, can be used instead of sugar

Plantain or chamomile extract can be used instead of comfrey root extract

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