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.
