Use food – not soap – on your face!
When it comes to holistic skin care, ditch the soap and instead raid your kitchen cabinets. I prefer to avoid all types of soap on my face, even “gentle” options like castile soap, because these can strip the skin and disrupt the oil balance. If it suds, it’s out! This may seem counterintuitive coming from someone with oily, acne-prone skin but my skin has thanked me for the change.
In the evenings, I use the Oil Cleansing Method, described here, to remove makeup and deep-cleanse my pores. In the morning, I use the Honey Cleansing Method, described here, to gently cleanse my face without stripping it.
I’ve also incorporated this facial cleansing powder into my routine in the mornings – I alternate between the honey cleansing and this powder. You won’t believe the silky, gentle cleanser created with oatmeal! It leaves my skin soft and clean. Even better, it costs only pennies per use.
Soothing Facial Cleanser Ingredients
Ground oats – The primary ingredient is freshly ground oats, which you can make in a spice grinder, coffee grinder or Magic Bullet. It turns into a silky powder that feels milky and smooth on the skin. Alternatively, you can use oat flour if you have that on hand. The oat powder gently removes impurities but will not damage the skin like scrubs and exfoliants. Oat powder absorbs excess oil without stripping the skin and it also lends a milky texture to the facial cleansing powder when activated with water.
Bentonite clay – Gentle and purifying, bentonite clay helps draw toxins from the skin. It cleanses without disrupting the acid mantle of the skin.
Chamomile – Chamomile soothes and calms all skin types, but it is especially helpful for dry or irritated skin. The most accessible form of chamomile is an organic chamomile tea bag! Simply empty the contents of the tea bag into the spice/coffee grinder with a teaspoon of oats to create a chamomile powder. Alternatively, you can substitute chamomile essential oil as described in the recipe below.
How to use the Facial Cleanser
This facial cleanser recipe creates a facial cleansing powder. It will not remove makeup, so either use this in the morning or first remove any makeup. I recommend my DIY Makeup Remover for that!
To use the cleansing powder, moisten your face with warm water. Put about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the facial cleanser into your palm, and add a few drops of water to moisten it and create a paste. Gently massage it on your face, the rinse. I have had no problems whatsoever with the oat powder clogging my sink drain, but you can run hot water down your skin for a few seconds to help prevent any potential problems.
- ¼ cup dry rolled oats (uncooked)
- 1 teabag of organic chamomile tea (make sure it contains no other ingredients) OR 4 drops of chamomile essential oil
- 1 Tbs. bentonite clay (find it here)
- Glass jar, for storing the facial cleanser (I used an empty spice jar)
- Use a coffee grinder, spice grinder or Magic Bullet to grind the rolled oats into a fine powder. It should be soft and powdery, not gritty. Alternatively, use ¼ cup oat flour. Transfer the oat powder to a bowl.
- In the coffee/spice grinder, place about 1 tsp. of the oat powder along with the contents of the teabag. Grind until the chamomile is a fine powder, then transfer to the bowl. If using the essential oil, skip this step and add the oil directly into the bowl with the oat powder.
- Stir together the oat powder, chamomile powder and bentonite clay. Store in a jar.
- This cleanser will not remove makeup, so it works well in the morning. To use, wet face with warm water. Use about ½ teaspoon of the facial cleanser, add a few drops of warm water, and massage it gently over your face before rinsing it off. Avoid the eye area.
I have a friend highly allergic to oats. Would brown rice flour work? Any other suggestions?
May be ur friend is allergic to gluten in oats, u can use gluten free oats to avoid allergy 🙂
This is such a great idea. I used rooibos tea and the result are amazing. So refreshing. i love the giving conventional chemical loaded products the finger! Thanks a lot!!!
This sounds like an amazing recipe and i am very excited to try it out. I have just started the “oil cleansing method” –how do i incorporate this into my routine? Is it too excessive to use the oatmeal cleanser in the morning, the oil cleansing method after work (about 3:00pm) to take off all my makeup and then the honey cleansing method before i go to bed? Will this routine exhaust my skin? Your recipes sound so amazing i want to try them all!
Can you do camomile with oats and tea tree oil?
Hi! I’m definitely going to make this but I have a few questions:
1. Can I use any type of oats? For example the ones I buy to make oatmeal
2. Can I use green tea instead of chamomile tea?
3. Can coconut oil be used as a moisturizer?
-thank you 🙂
Hi, this receipe is great. I can’t wait to try it! I just wanted to ask, can I add Activated Charcoal to the Cleanser? Thanks.
Yes, and that’s a great idea. My only concern, as someone who has experimented with charcoal in cleanser recipes, is to try a small batch first. I don’t know if the oatmeal is going to remove the black color left from the charcoal.
Hi just wanted to know the shelf life of this oatmeal cleanser …. thanks
I’d say at least 30 days, as it makes enough for 30 uses 😀
I’m confused..how do you apply it if it’s all dry ingredients? what keeps it together?
Apply the powder to damp skin — it will create a bit of a paste that you massage into your skin and rinse.
Hello, how long does this cleanser keep fresh?