We’ve proudly sung the praises of oats – yep, as in the breakfast food – once before, but today we’re doubling down on the many benefits of this skincare ingredient. Sure, it may not sound quite as sexy as vitamin C or hyaluronic acid, but oats can actually do wonders for your skin. Even Aveeno (the scientific name for the common oat) concocted an entire skincare line based on the stuff, and it’s incorporated into some of today’s trendiest products.

“The oats found in skincare products are very finely milled to a powder, known as colloidal oatmeal, which is processed with the whole bran and then boiled down to produce an extract,” says Dr. Peterson Pierre, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist. “This extract is full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, oil-replenishing lipids, as well as moisturizing beta-glucans that moisturize, soothe, and protect your skin.”

This oat extract also acts as a humectant, which means it draws water into your skin, and its lipid content means it also helps create a protective barrier across your skin. Dr. Pierre says it’s an especially legit miracle worker for those with sensitive skin – including those with acne, eczema, and psoriasis – and can help soothe itchiness, dryness, and inflammation.

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“Avoid talking on your cell phone or having it ring at any point during the encounter–from the second you walk in the door until the time you exit the office. It is very frustrating and disruptive on a busy clinic day when a physician walks into an exam room and their patient is talking on the phone. The scenario becomes even more intolerable when they put their finger or hand up to signal that they will only be a minute and worst of all, when the phone rings during the visit and they actually answer the call!” says Craig Tifford, MD, a Yale Medicine orthopedic surgeon.

The Remedy Rx: “Whether you’re on the phone, texting or emailing, put it away and give the doctor your undivided attention. You took time away from your life, drove to the office, paid your copay for some valuable information but you’re too busy to listen to what the doctor has to say? Respect your time and respect the doctor’s. I’ve had to walk out on patients who expected me to wait for them to finish their conversation. I have other patients waiting so I move on,” says dermatologist Dr. Peterson Pierre, of the Pierre Skin Care Institute in Thousand Oaks, CA.

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