Natural Homemade Toner : For Oily Or Acne Prone Skin
This all natural homemade toner is great for those of us with oily or acne prone skin. It is easy to make, all natural and alcohol free so it wont have the effect of overly drying out your skin.
I have always had oily skin, I can thank my Mediterranean genes for that and it can be a challenge to find a nice facial toner that leaves my skin feeling refreshed without having all the moisture sucked out of it. Personally, I do not like applying a toner to my face only to afterwards feel like one of those dolls whose head is made out of dehydrated or dried out apples. Remember making those in school?
After trying out this recipe I was pleased with results.
I enjoyed how my skin felt refreshed, clean, calm and even cooling especially after a work out or time spent in the sun.
Because of the natural properties in the herbs used in the recipe this is also good to have around for minor cuts, scrapes or abrasions and can even be used as a hair rinse if you have an oily scalp. For blondes, this can be a good hair rinse too because of the chamomile and its natural highlighting effects. Hey who doesn’t like a versatile product right?
Ingredients and Gadgets –
2 Cups Distilled Water – The reason for the distilled is to reduce any bacteria that may be in your water source. Inexpensive and available at any grocery store
1 Tablespoon Chamomile Flowers – Your local herbal store will have chamomile flowers or you can order it online at mountain rose herbs. I am sure many of you have a tea bag of chamomile in your cupboard, you could try to use that just keep in mind that many of its healing and medicinal properties may not be at its fullest effect. Also it is the little yellow flowers you want in this case.
1 Tablespoon Yarrow – Again Yarrow is a herb you can find at a local herbal store or online at Mountain Rose herbs.
4-6 Drops of Peppermint Essential Oil – Found at your local health food store or online.
A Bottle to Store Finished Product in – A glass bottle works great, you can get a spray top or even screw top and use a cotton pad to apply to face (preferred method). There are also plastic bottles you can use.
Funnel – Optional not required just makes it easier to get the finished product into the bottle.
Coffee Filter – Optional for straining purposes.
Preparation – Making Your Toner
In a small pot or skillet bring your water to a boil. Remove from heat, add both Chamomile Flowers and Yarrow to it, cover and let infuse or steep for 20 to 30 mins.
Add the 4-6 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil. The amount you choose to use is really a personal preference. However, do not use too much or more than the recommended 6 drops essential oils are stronger than you might think. A little goes a long way, a lot of power in one drop.
Stir it well.
Strain the mixture – this is where I use a funnel and coffee filter. The coffee filter is great because it really keeps all those little floating pieces out of your final product and it fits perfectly into a funnel. I strained it directly into my bottle.
Because it is an all natural product with no preservatives it is best to use within 1-2 weeks. Keep it stored in the refrigerator for longer life. Definitely keep it out of direct sunlight.
Apply the toner to face, shoulder, neck and back with a cotton pad. Great if you are having an acne breakout as it has antibacterial properties as well as calming the skin and cooling down redness.
Because it doesn’t have a long shelf life I did use the last of it as a hair rinse and it felt good, not to mention it made my hair smell yummy.
Why Is This Toner Good For Oily or Acne Prone Skin?
The reason this toner works great for those of us with oily or acne prone skin is that it will soak up the excess oil without drying us out. The properties of the herbs and essential oil work naturally with our body chemistry, it does not rip away, replace or add any chemicals to our skin. It is often thought that excess in oil is the cause of acne so we will often take drastic measures over scrubbing or drying or skin out. This will actually cause our skin to produce more oil, or throw it so off-balance we end up with more blemishes, as you can see it can become a vicious cycle.
Ideally for those of us with oily skin we want to clear away the oil without leaving it feeling violated or stripped down.
Chamomile is very calming to our skin, so for acne it calms down the agitation, irritation and redness of the skin. Soothes our skin and even helps with puffiness around the eyes.
Yarrow is both an astringent and anti-inflammatory. This helps with both the over production of oils and for acne. Yarrow is also why this toner can be great for cuts and scrapes.
Peppermint Essential Oil – Renews, refreshes and cools down the skin. Stimulates blood circulation which assists in the rejuvenation of the skin. It also helps in the reduction of pain caused from acne.