Oat to the rescue
Oat has always been a popular food but in recent years it has become also a trending ingredient in beauty products. And no wonder, many of its health benefits translate their power also to skin.
While oat is undoubtedly experiencing a boom, it is by no means a new addition to women's beauty routines. Ancient Romans were using oats to soothe their skin and reduce inflammation. Oat baths were an ailment to skin diseases in Kleopatra’s Egypt and during medieval times, oat was used to help renew skin. One reason for its popularity is the fact that oat grows almost everywhere and it is researched very well across the world.
Science and sentiment
In 2015 a clinical trial found that oat enriched skin care lotion “showed significant clinical improvements in skin dryness, scaling, roughness and itching intensity”. These issues are common especially for dry and sensitive skin, which makes oat an ideal companion to help with balancing and preventing irritation.
Oat is also found to be very well tolerated and in very rare cases causes irritation or allergies. In contrast, it is found in numerous studies to moisturize skin not just immediately, but long-term. In a study published 2012, sustained skin moisturizing was documented with dry skin that lasted up to 2 weeks after product discontinuation.
The secret? Oat works like a protective shield between your skin and the world. Not only it keeps moisture locked in the skin, but it also prevents irritants from getting in. By strengthening skin’s own protective barrier, oat effectively gives it time to heal itself. No wonder it is used also as a treatment for skin conditions like eczema.
Active ingredients in oat powered skincare
Oat is suitable for all skin types. While it benefits dry skin due to its soothing properties, it also benefits normal and even aging skin. Because it doesn’t cause skin to react, it is easy to combine into an existing routine without fear of mixing unsuitable actives together and causing an unwanted reaction.
When you enjoy your morning oatmeal, you are consuming a great source of important vitamins and minerals, such as manganese, iron, and zinc. The active ingredients in skincare quality oat oil or extract from oats include vitamin E, flavonoids and phenolic acid which can help protect your skin from sun damage and inflammation.
The magic that helps even difficult skin conditions happens through a glucose compound that helps bind water but also through beta-glucan, which is not only great for your nidgeston but also helps to form a film on skin that retains moisture. Healthy, lubricating fats and polysaccharides found in oats are a key ingredient in nourishing and improving dry and rough skin.
Benefits of oat in skincare.
If you are still wondering whether it makes sense to include an oat based product into your daily skincare routine, there is not just one, but three good reasons to do it immediately.
- Oat helps skin cope with seasonal change. Whether it is calming winter dry skin or soothing redness and even sunburn in the summer.
- Oat helps retain moisture in the skin. For dry skin it eases moisture-loss, for oily skin it balances excess sebum production.
- Oat combats skin damage. From minor itching to rash and rough skin to even psoriasis, oat comforts skin and helps it get back to its natural healthy state.
Lyhyesti suomeksi
Kaura on suomalaisille tuttuakin tutumpi keittiön kaapissa, mutta yhtä lailla sitä on hyödynnetty kauneudenhoidossa jo vuosituhansien ajan. Muinaisen Rooman ja Egyptin ajoista alkaen kauraa on käytetty rauhoittamaan ja hoitamaan ihoa.
Kauran vaikuttavat aineet, kuten E-vitamiini ja flavonoidit, tekevät siitä ihanteellisen kosteuttajan mutta myös auttavat hoitamaan vaikeitakin ihosairauksia. Kaurapohjaisia tuotteita on tutkittu paljon ja niitä käytetään esimerkiksi kutisevan ja hilseilevän ihon hoitoon.
Kaura auttaa sitomaan kosteutta ihoon, se sopii siis sekä kuivalle että rasvoittuvalle iholle. Se myös auttaa vuodenaikojen vaihtelussa ja helpottaa jopa auringon polttamaa ihoa. Kaurasta on apua moneen isompaan ja pienempään ihovaivaan, oli kyseessä sitten ohimenevä ärsytys tai vaikeampi krooninen sairaus.
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25607907/