the best gift i'm giving

My Skin Is Hooked on This Oat Face Wash

Photo: Julian Schievelkamp / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm

As a broke-ass writer, I sort of hate the idea of getting people hooked on a $55 face wash, but that’s just what I’m going to do this year when I buy the people I really love the Naturopathica Oat Wash.

I am someone who’s had serious skin problems in the past. I’m an acne survivor. My skin is hypersensitive and I’m afraid of new products. But when I tried the oat wash for the first time, something amazing happened: My skin wasn’t ruddy when I left the shower. It was cool and calm. I learned that the wash, which has actual oats in it, works just as well if you use a little or you use a lot. You can use it as a face wash each morning or night, or as a mask. The beauty of using it as a mask is that the exfoliating beads are so tiny and colorless, you can have it on while having a conversation with your roommate or having sex with your partner. It doesn’t make a mess. It’s so gentle that nothing negative happens if you accidentally leave it on while binge-watching TV.

It’s becoming very popular to say you shouldn’t put anything on your face that you can’t also eat. I haven’t yet eaten the oat wash, but I do exfoliate my lips with it, and I’m going to recommend the friends I give it to this holiday season do the same. And the really good news is that a single bottle lasts at least six months, so they won’t have to go out and buy themselves more for a long time.

Naturopathica Oat Facial Polish

The Strategist is a new site designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best notebook, black T-shirts, fashion-editor-approved jeans, toothbrush, and apartment décor. Note that all prices are subject to change.

My Skin Is Hooked on This Oat Face Wash