Get Ready to Feel Your Oats!

I love my morning oatmeal, and for more than just its flavor. The Mayo Clinic ranks oatmeal among the top five foods for lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol. And studies galore indicate that eating oatmeal on a regular basis can help reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes, lower your blood pressure, guard against heart disease and cancer, and boost your immune system. But did you know that oatmeal also has the amazing power to soften and nourish your skin? Here’s how:

·        A bowl a day keeps wrinkles away. Set aside a tablespoon or so of cooked oatmeal until after breakfast. Then mix it with just enough olive oil to make it spreadable, and massage it into your face and neck. Leave it on for about 30 minutes, and wash it off with lukewarm water.

·        Relax in an oats, milk, and honey bath. Moisturizing, relaxing baths don’t come any better (or easier) than this one: Put ½ cup of uncooked oatmeal, ¼ cup of dry whole milk, and 2 tablespoons of raw honey in an all-cotton muslin or cheesecloth bag. Tie it shut with a cord, and hang it under the spigot as you fill the tub. The running water will disperse the super-softening trio throughout your bath.

·        Dry-clean your hair. Here’s the perfect helper to keep on hand for those times when your hair needs a little freshening, but you don’t have the time or inclination for a full-scale shampoo. Grind 3 tablespoons of uncooked oatmeal into a powder using a coffee grinder or food processor. Mix it with 3 tablespoons each of cornstarch and baking soda, and grind the mixture again to get the finest-possible texture. Store the blend in a large shaker (a powdered sugar shaker is perfect). Then whenever your “do” needs a quick pick-me-up, sprinkle a little of the powder onto your roots, and massage it into your scalp.