The Benefits of Oat Ingredients in your Skincare Routine
As the saying goes – you are what you eat. In terms of staying fit and healthy, the ingredients in your food are an important consideration to make for everyone. And it’s no different when it comes to taking care of your skin.
When choosing these skincare products, look out for the presence of beneficial ingredients like prebiotics. After all, your skin is your natural barrier against bacteria, UV rays and other hazardous external forces, so it makes sense to use gentle products help keep in balance.
Oat ingredients have long been celebrated as one of the most effective at helping to maintain the balance of the skin’s natural microbiome and moisturising to give you that healthy looking complexion. For centuries, those who suffered from dry itchy skin were recommended to take an oatmeal bath6.
Colloidal oatmeal, oat extract and oat oil are found in Aveeno’s Range of skincare products, from body washes and shampoos to moisturising lotions and hand creams. The formula, with triple oat complex helps soothe and protect your skin while helping to maintain the balance of the skin’s natural microbiome. Learn how to care for sensitive skin with our guide on the benefits of oat ingredients in skincare.
- What are colloidal oatmeal and extract?
- How does oatmeal impact skincare?
- Oatmeal, side effects and allergies
What are Colloidal Oatmeal and Oat Extract?
In spite of its centuries-old reputation as a dynamic skincare treatment, colloidal oatmeal is really no different to the oats you might have for breakfast. Oats themselves are an ingredient which works in tandem with your skin to soothe, cleanse and moisturise. They help to protect your skin by helping to relieve:
- Dry, itchy skin
The only difference between the oats in your kitchen cupboard and those in the bathroom cabinet, is the way they are processed.
The compounds found in all forms of oatmeal4 include:
- Saponins - designed to absorb dirt on the skin, ideal for cleansing
- Polysaccharides - which bind to skin fluids to help create a protective barrier
- Carbohydrates - which have hydrophilic qualities, making them perfect for moisturising
- Proteins - which moisturise and emulsify, helping to create a protective barrier for your skin
- Lipids and flavonoids.
In skincare products, there are two main ways that this can be done. Both produce types of oat ingredient with significant benefits for the skin.
Colloidal Oatmeal
Colloidal oatmeal is the name given to oats that have been ground down into a fine powder during the milling process – which first came to prominence back in 19451. By grinding the whole seed, it means that all the prebiotic goodness of the oats is retained, including:
- Proteins
- Lipids
- Enzymes
Once oats have been picked and dehulled, they are exposed to intense steaming to deactivate lipase enzymes to reduce the level of free fatty acids. This is an important stage, as these free fatty acids cause oats to go rancid and may lead to skin irritation2.
The oats will then be rolled and pulverised to ensure the grains are the right size. This process allows the oats to achieve the right consistency to be suspended in liquid and dispersed evenly throughout products.
Colloidal oatmeal is packed full of goodness. Studies have shown that it is made up of a range of beneficial components, like:
- Proteins
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Lipids
- Polysaccharides3
All of these work together to give it the beneficial qualities colloidal oatmeal is known for. It is typically used for its soothing qualities, which make it the ideal option for treating dry, itchy skin.
Aveeno Triple Oat Complex
As well as using colloidal oatmeal to moistuirise, the Aveeno® Skin Relief range uses two other oatmeal products, oat extract and oat oil. All three combine to create Aveeno’s unique prebiotic Triple Oat Complex, the formula, which helps improve the skin’s natural microbiome balance for healthy looking, more resilient skin from day 1.
The Aveeno® Dermexa range also uses the Triple Oat Complex however, also has the additional benefits of Ceramides.
How Does Oatmeal Impact Skincare?
As a skincare ingredient, oats and oatmeal can have a significant impact on the appearance of your skin, as well as helping soothe dry, flaky, irritated skin.
Oatmeal not only brings moisture to the surface layers of your skin, they also use their properties to soothe and cool itchiness and aid the protective performance of your skin’s outer layer. As such, they are perfect for dry skin and helping to maintain the balance of your skin’s microbiome – the ecosystem of bacteria that keeps your skin looking healthy and glowing.
Oatmeal works with your skin to do a number of things, including:
- Restoring moisture to dry skin to improve its appearance and reduce irritation
- Help to maintain the protective barrier, known as the skin microbiome, on the surface of the skin.
- Helping your skin maintain optimal pH levels.
- Soothing sensitive skin and reducing the effects of itchiness and irritation.
- Cleaning the skin by sticking to dirt and dead skin cells to allow them to be washed away more easily
REFERENCES
[1] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235995930_oatmeal_in_dermatology
[2] https://www.aveenomd.com/our-ingredients/oat
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3508548/
[4] https://www.aveenomd.com/our-ingredients/oat
[6] https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/eczema/colloidal-oatmeal-baths