• Total Time:

  • 5 - 10 minutes

  • Skill Level:

  • Beginner

  • Estimated Cost:

  • $10-20

Skin is porous, meaning everything that goes onto it eventually makes its way inside. Since conventional facial cleansers and other skin products are often full of unnatural ingredients, it’s best to avoid them completely. After all, who needs plastic micro-beads to exfoliate when you’ve got almonds and oatmeal on hand?

From increasing moisture to tightening skin, this oatmeal scrub offers plenty of benefits. The oatmeal exfoliates, the almonds moisturize, and the lavender-chamomile combination is soothing. Make your skin glow with this lovely and simple DIY recipe.

Why Exfoliate?

Exfoliating is the process of removing the top layer of dead skin cells. This process deep cleans the skin and unclogs pores. Exfoliating has the added benefit of promoting skin cell regeneration while evening out texture and leaving the skin soft. It is a common task particularly for more mature skin, since the shedding of the outer layer decreases with age. Exfoliating can also help treat acne scars or discoloration, according to one study.

But exfoliating is not for everyone. The American Academy of Dermatology Association warns that exfoliating can cause more harm than good if not performed correctly. Following the tips in this article can ensure you get the most out of your oatmeal-almond scrub.

What You’ll Need

Tools

  • 1
  • spice grinder or food processor
  • 1
  • bowl
  • 1
  • stirring spoon
  • 1
  • air tight container

Materials

  • 1/4
  • cup raw almonds or 2 tbsp of almond flour
  • 4
  • tbsp oatmeal
  • 1
  • tbsp cornstarch
  • 1
  • tbsp dried chamomile flowers
  • 2
  • tsp lavender oil

Instructions

  • Grind the Almonds
  • Treehugger / Sanja Kostic
  • Chop raw almonds in a spice grinder or food processor until they are a fine powder. Skip this step if using almond flour.
  • Stir in Remaining Ingredients
  • Treehugger / Sanja Kostic
  • Add in oatmeal, cornstarch, dried flowers, and oil. Blend well until mixture is a soft granular powder.
  • Put in Air Tight Container
  • Treehugger / Sanja Kostic
  • Transfer the scrub into an air tight container. Keeping the scrub in a well-sealed glass jar will keep it fresh for months.
  • Add Water
  • Treehugger / Sanja Kostic
  • When you are ready to use the scrub, put half a tablespoon of this mixture in your palm and add just a couple of drops of water. Rub hands together to make a paste.
  • Apply and Wash Off
  • Treehugger / Sanja Kostic
  • Gently rub and massage it onto damp skin in circular motions to exfoliate. Wash off with warm water or a warm, damp washcloth; end with a splash of cold water.

Benefits of Oatmeal

Oatmeal’s ability to decrease dryness allows it to combat a variety of skin conditions. Oatmeal can aid in burns, itching, eczema, and even reduce inflammation. Skin products with as little as 1% of colloidal oatmeal (oats that have been ground up) have shown significant improvements in skin pH, barrier function, and hydration.

Grind the Almonds

Chop raw almonds in a spice grinder or food processor until they are a fine powder. Skip this step if using almond flour.

Stir in Remaining Ingredients

Add in oatmeal, cornstarch, dried flowers, and oil. Blend well until mixture is a soft granular powder.

Put in Air Tight Container

Transfer the scrub into an air tight container. Keeping the scrub in a well-sealed glass jar will keep it fresh for months.

Add Water

When you are ready to use the scrub, put half a tablespoon of this mixture in your palm and add just a couple of drops of water. Rub hands together to make a paste.

Apply and Wash Off

Gently rub and massage it onto damp skin in circular motions to exfoliate. Wash off with warm water or a warm, damp washcloth; end with a splash of cold water.

Benefits of Chamomile

Though widely known for its calming effects as a tea, chamomile is a popular skincare ingredient for similar reasons. Chamomile has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties when applied topically, which makes it useful in beauty products. Just as the oats in the scrub help improve a variety of skin conditions, chamomile is beneficial to burns and varying skin irritations.

Good Scrub Practices

To get the most out of your oatmeal scrub, follow this simple tips.

  • Apply gently. To reduce the risk of irritation don’t rub too hard when applying the scrub.Take your time. Exfoliate when you have some time and aren’t in a rush. Rushing can lead to rough application and you want to be gentle with your skin.Apply moisturizer. Regardless of the moisturizing benefits of the oatmeal scrub, you will want to apply your usual moisturizer directly after exfoliating.

Treehugger Tips

Sometimes you just can’t get what you need. However, you can substitute some ingredients that are a little more difficult to find.

  • Are DIY scrubs eco-friendlier than store-bought versions?
  • You can see from the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep cosmetics database that conventional scrubs contain all sorts of toxic ingredients, from petroleum-derived fragrances to parabens. They all wind up in waterways and in the bodies of marine life, so making scrubs at home using only natural products is much better for the environment.
  • How often should you exfoliate?
  • You should exfoliate no more than two to three times per week. If you’re new to exfoliating or you’re trying a product for the first time, start with only once per week.
  • When is the best time to exfoliate?
  • The best time to exfoliate is immediately after (i.e., within five minutes of) a warm shower because it’s easier to remove dead skin cells from moist skin.

You can see from the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep cosmetics database that conventional scrubs contain all sorts of toxic ingredients, from petroleum-derived fragrances to parabens. They all wind up in waterways and in the bodies of marine life, so making scrubs at home using only natural products is much better for the environment.

You should exfoliate no more than two to three times per week. If you’re new to exfoliating or you’re trying a product for the first time, start with only once per week.

The best time to exfoliate is immediately after (i.e., within five minutes of) a warm shower because it’s easier to remove dead skin cells from moist skin.

  • DeHaven, Charlene. “Mechanisms of Exfoliation.” Innovative Skincare, 2015.
  • Grajqevci-Kotori, Merita, and Allma Kocinaj. “Exfoliative Skin-Peeling, Benefits From This Procedure and Our Experience.” Medical Archives, vol. 69, no. 6, 2015, pp. 414-416., doi:10.5455/medarh.2015.69.414-416
  • Reynertson, Kurt A., et al. “Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Colloidal Oatmeal (Avena sativa) Contribute to the Effectiveness of Oats in Treatment of Itch Associated with Dry, Irritated Skin.” Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, vol. 14, no. 1, 2015, pp. 43-48.
  • Capone, Kimberly, et al. “Effects of Colloidal Oatmeal Topical Atopic Dermatitis Cream on Skin Microbiome and Skin Barrier Properties.” Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, vol. 19, no. 5, 2020, pp. 524-531.
  • Lin, Tzu-Kai, et al. “Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 19, no. 1, 2018, pp. 70., doi:10.3390/ijms19010070