Try This: Oatmeal as an Exfoliant

One of my most often committed skincare crimes is over-exfoliation.  Perhaps I'm addicted to the smooth feeling that occurs immediately afterwards or maybe it's because I'm just a product junkie and exfoliants are always one of my favorite purchases. I'm thinking it's mostly the latter, but at any rate, over-exfoliation in the winter just doesn't fly.

See, the thing is that in the winter my skin (and yours too) needs that extra layer of skin to keep the cold, dry air from destroying it.  In the summer, I can get away with exfoliating four to five times a week, but during the winter, I can only exfoliate a max of two times before I send my skin in to a tizzy. Also, instead of using harsher exfoliants like my Clarisonic, I tend to switch it up to something a little gentler, like oatmeal.

*Photo via acnease.com

Oatmeal? What? You heard that right.  Oatmeal is one of my favorite winter exfoliants for a multitude of reasons.  First of all, it contains polysaccharides that, when moistened, create a slight film that protects skin from the elements. Secondly, oatmeal is cheap and readily available making it perfect for those of us who are still in school.

*Photo via wikipedia.org

All you need to do to activate the oatmeal goodness is place a little oatmeal in the palm of your hand and moisten it with water. Next, mix it around with your fingers until it has formed a paste. After this, simply apply it to your face and scrub gently.  Or, you can even combine your oatmeal with honey or your facial oil of choice and leave it on as a mask. It's anybody's game and that's why I love it!

When it comes to exfoliating in the winter, how do you do it? Have you tried oatmeal?