DIY Witch Hazel & Glycerin Toner



If you read my review of Balm Balm's Witch Hazel Toner, you'll remember that I loved the extra moisture from the glycerin, but couldn't stand the sticky feeling it left on my face.  So, I set out to DIY my own witch hazel and glycerin toner - one that would hydrate without leaving that yucky, tacky feeling.  Several of you were interested in hearing about my experiment and I'm happy to report that it's been a big success!  Here's the recipe I've come up with:

1/2 cup (12o ml) witch hazel
20 drops vegetable glycerin
10 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops frankincense essential oil

Add all ingredients to a glass bottle and shake to mix.  And you're done!  

It takes next to no time to mix up this recipe and it works incredibly well.  I like applying it with a cotton ball, but you could absolutely use a spray bottle and mist your face instead.  The homemade toner has just enough glycerin to be noticeable, but not enough that it leaves my face feeling sticky.  The glycerin makes the toner a little more gentle, but I haven't added enough to change the effectiveness of the witch hazel.  My homemade toner keeps my pores just as clean as straight witch hazel, and I never get that tight, dry feeling that I was sometimes left with when using witch hazel alone.  

I do change up the essential oils pretty much every time I mix up a new batch, but lavender and frankincense are some of my favorites.  You can use whatever essential oils you want, or leave them out entirely.  For me, the oils are a must, not only for their skin benefits, but also because I don't like the smell of witch hazel and they do a great job masking it.  If you do use essential oils, I recommend storing the toner in a glass bottle, since many essential oils will eat away at plastic, and you really don't want to be rubbing that all over your face!



Price Breakdown/Comparison

Balm Balm Toner: 
100ml for £13.25 (approx. $20) 

Homemade Toner: 
480ml witch hazel for $4.74 
120ml vegetable glycerin for $4.80
=100ml for less than $2 

So, not counting any (optional) essential oils, my homemade toner is less than 1/10th of the cost of the comparable Balm Balm toner.  AND you can easily tailor it to suit your individual skin needs. Pretty awesome!



Disclosure: Post contains affiliate links to iherb.

17 comments

  1. I'll have to try this! I love how clean witch hazel leaves my face, but my skin has been a lot drier since I've started using it.

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    1. This might be perfect then :) The glycerin is fantastic at keeping the witch hazel from being too drying.

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  2. Thanks for sharing! Maybe I'll stop being lazy and try making this too lol

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    1. You should! It takes literally 2 minutes :)

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  3. This looks excellent... not where would you recommend I find Vegetable glycerin?
    x

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    1. Thanks! I bought mine from Vitacost, but I think it's also in most health food stores :)

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  4. This sounds amazing! I hate the smell of witch hazel and how drying it can be. I might have to try this out for myself. Thanks for sharing :)

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    1. You're welcome! I'm really happy with how this recipe turned out. It does a good job with both the smell and preventing any dryness:)

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  5. I'm getting set to make an apple cider vinegar toner because I'm so in love with the S.W. Basics one. This looks fun, though. I think I'd use some citrus essential oils.

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    1. I tend to switch up the essential oils every time I make this...one of the best parts of making your own! I keep hearing great things about apple cider vinegar as a toner, but I've never actually tried it. Maybe next time :)

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  6. Will have to try out this recipe! Thanks for sharing.

    Sita xx
    http://buttonsapart.blogspot.co.uk/

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  7. I put some dried rose petals in witch hazel and let it infuse for 2 weeks (shaking daily), strained, and then added the vegetable glycerin. It's pretty awesome and a gorgeous light pink color. It would work with lavender or calendula as well. Thanks for the recipe!

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    1. Infusing the witch hazel is such a great idea! I'm definitely going to have to try it :)

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  8. I realize I'm very late to the party, but if you see this...
    To make this do you use the witch hazel with alcohol or alcohol-free? I buy the alcohol-free and use it straight. The one I have now is Thayer's and it also has lavender and aloe vera.

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    1. I usually use witch hazel with alcohol, because I don't like the preservatives used in a lot of alcohol free ones. You can definitely use alcohol free instead though! Thayers' toners already have the glycerin too, so you're pretty set with those as they come :)

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  9. Hi, thank you for the great information. May I know how long can the toner last in room temperature, especially in humid country

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    1. You really aren't adding enough to the witch hazel to affect it's longevity, so I'd say that whatever the shelf life of the witch hazel you're using should carry over to the toner. Hope that helps!

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