Oats
Whether topped with brown sugar or smoothed over your face, oats really hit the spot. They’re rich in avenanthramides, potent antioxidants that help deter free radical damage. They’re also important for keeping the skin’s outermost layer, the barrier, strong and intact. “A damaged barrier can’t hold on to moisture and exposes the deeper layers of skin to outside irritants,” says Macrene Alexiades, MD, PhD, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale. “Your skin could end up looking dry, red, or inflamed, and wrinkles may become more visible.” When applied topically, ingredients such as colloidal oatmeal (oat flour) and oat kernel oil form an invisible film that seals in moisture. Oat-based products are long lasting, too: A study in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology showed that subjects who stopped using them were still enjoying the moisturizing benefits up to two weeks later.
Find it in: Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($15; drugstores)
From the
February 2018 issue of
O, The Oprah Magazine
