First Thoughts
Toner is not a product I've ever considered an absolute necessity for my skin care routine, and because of the cost of natural skin care products, it is a step I have often skipped. I’ve also found a lot of toners to be either too astringent or abrasive for my skin. This homemade toner is inexpensive and super easy to make. It is also extremely gentle and non-irritating. I’ve been using it for about 2 months now and have noticed definite improvements in my skin.
For tea, I’ve been using Yogi’s Green Tea Kombucha blend, just because that is what I had on hand. In addition to green tea leaves, it contains lemongrass, spearmint, kombucha, and natural fruit flavours. Any tea that is mainly green tea leaves should work, but make sure it does not contain any artificial flavours, which could potentially be irritating to your skin.
Ingredients
1 green teabag (or 1 teaspoon loose green tea leaves)
1 cup boiling water
4 capsules Vitamin E (400 IU each) or equivalent in Vitamin E oil
1 tablespoon honey
Directions
1) If using a teabag, cut off the top of tea bag and pour tea leaves into a mug. *Using just the tea leaves will prevent getting any traces of chlorine from the teabag in your toner* Pour boiling water over tea leaves and let steep 5-10 minutes.
2) While tea is still warm, add honey and mix until dissolved.
3) Add Vitamin E and mix well. Because Vitamin E is an oil, it might not fully emulsify in the tea and could appear to stay as an oily film on the top. If this happens, it's fine, when you shake the toner before each use, it will distribute itself in the liquid.
4) Let cool completely and transfer to an airtight bottle or container.
How to Use
After cleansing your face, shake toner well, saturate a cotton ball with toner and swipe all over your face and neck. Let dry on your skin before applying moisturizer or other products.
This is also great as a refreshing mist, especially in the summer, and can be spritzed on throughout the day. You could also use it as a makeup setting spray, but you may want to reduce the amount of Vitamin E oil if you will be using it in either of these ways.
Why It Works
Green Tea has numerous skin benefits. It contains catechins, antioxidants that fight damage caused by free radicals and can soothe acne. It has also been proven to prevent skin cancer, rejuvenate skin cells, and fight inflammation.
Vitamin E has anti-aging benefits and can reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles. It is also high in antioxidants and can increase the effectiveness of sunscreens.
Final Thoughts
This is a very gentle, but effective toner. It is simple and inexpensive to make and should be effective for all skin types. If you prefer a more astringent toner, decrease the water to ¾ cup and stir in ¼ cup witch hazel after tea is partially cooled.
how long does this toner last?
ReplyDeleteSince there's no preservative in it, I probably wouldn't keep it more than a week. Maybe 2 if you store it in the fridge :)
DeleteIs it necessary to refrigerate this
ReplyDelete