Hi Friends! I recently posted about how wonderfully excited I am about Spring finally being here in the Great Northwest, and I am still quite sincere about that! I absolutely LOVE Spring! Warmer weather, green lawns, lilacs... mmmm... lilacs... they are oh, so fragrant!
With the Spring, though, and that beautiful warmer weather and all it holds in store, also comes the change in our skin. Our skin has to adjust from the dry, cold air of Winter, and begin adjusting to the sometimes balmy weather of Spring and early Summer.
My skin usually does rather well adjusting. This year has been another story. Perhaps its age, but I'm certainly not going to admit that! And perhaps its stress... yep, stress and changing weather, that's my story and I'll stick to it!
Whatever the cause, I'm suffering from a mild case of eczema. I haven't had eczema for a good 10 or 11 years, but when it crops up, it refuses to present itself in an inconspicuous place. Oh noooooo! It is determined to find the most obvious place on my body and shout from the rooftops "Marcie has eczema!" right from my chinny-chin-chin!
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| Not my face...but this is what my eczema looked like. |
I really shouldn't complain, I know people who struggle with eczema on a daily basis, and it is to those friends I turned when I refused to open the tube of steroid cream and apply that nasty stuff to my face!
Actually, I didn't turn to those friends first (yes, those are horns holding up my halo!)... I tried scrubbing, masking, washing, and THEN the heavy-duty steroid cream. The steroid cream works great, but only until you stop using it. And then the eczema comes back with a vengeance. Nasty stuff, eczema! The steroid cream doesn't actually heal your skin, it's just a temporary fix... don't do it!!!
Finally, I asked a friend what to do. She has extremely sensitive skin, and I've seen her skin react to different make-up products or foods... This girl knows how to deal with eczema and make it go away rather than just mask it with steroid creams.
Her recommendation? OATMEAL! Yep, plain ol' oatmeal! We spend soooooo much money on facial products (don't get me wrong, I'm one of those people...). But when it comes right down to it, plain-jane oatmeal is your skin's best friend!
Why?
- Oatmeal balances pH levels in your skin
- Oatmeal absorbs extra moisture, making it great for people with oily skin
- Oatmeal also helps hold in the necessary moisture your skin needs, making it great for people with dry skin
- Oatmeal is full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories
- Oatmeal is full of vitamins and minerals our skin needs
- Oatmeal helps your skin create a barrier against irritants
- Oatmeal contains great cleansing properties, making it a great stand-alone face wash for anyone, especially those with sensitive skin
I can attest to the miracle of oatmeal! I've applied a plain oatmeal mask to the offending areas on my face for 15 minutes, once a day over the last several days, and the irritation is noticeably improved. When I rinse the oatmeal off, I don't rub or scrub, I just rinse with warm water.
I always follow the oatmeal mask with almond oil, which also helps to condition and heal the irritated skin and relieve the itchiness of eczema. I seriously can't believe the difference it has made in just TWO DAYS!!
I was so desperate to do treat the eczema that I didn't even think about taking a "before" picture that could be compared with the after pictures. Trust me, though, oatmeal is amazing!!!
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| Still not my face... I'm not quite that brave! :) |
I'm so excited about OATMEAL as a beauty product, that I'm seriously considering some very basic recipes that anyone can throw together. Till next time, friends... enjoy your OATMEAL!
