Honestly, I never really knew what a toner was for, except that you applied it after you washed your face. So, I came across some recipes on Youtube, decided to learn more about it, and in no time I prepared my own toner from ingredients I already had.
After I tried my home made green tea and apple cider vinegar toner, I looked at the cotton ball and was amazed at the dirt/make-up my face wash hadn't removed!
Green tea is not only beneficial to drink but is also good for your skin when applied. It reduces inflammation, helps reduce signs of aging, contains vitamin E and antioxidants, which can help repair sun damaged skin.
Apple cider vinegar maintains the normal pH of your skin, reduces redness and reduces acne via lactic and malic acids.
I was going to add a few drops of tea tree oil but I couldn't find my bottle so for now this is what I'm using:
I filled a 3 oz travel bottle with:
1 oz cooled, brewed green tea (I only had some with lemon flavoring)
Almost 1 oz with apple cider vinegar
And the rest with filtered water.
I've been using this for almost a week and the biggest difference I've noticed is the glow of my face. I think my skin looks more even with less redness and I look more awake. My acne is healing, but most of it is hormonal, so it will probably come back in a couple weeks. :/
But hopefully, the acne will be less inflamed using this toner. After the toner, I've been using the Garnier Moisture Renewal gel and spf daytime moisturizers.
For more specific recipes, search on Youtube. There are a lot of combinations of ingredients for different purposes.
I love cinnamon in oatmeal, in deserts, in ethnic foods, and... in my coffee! Just a dash adds a whole new flavor to your brew. Most of the time I add it when I buy a cup at coffee shops but you can add it at any time.
Why should you consider adding a dash of cinnamon to your cup' o jo? Cinnamon has some great health benefits. Cinnamon lowers blood sugar which contributes to overall balanced blood sugar levels. This in turn regulates your appetite because when you have spikes/dips in blood sugar your appetite spikes as well!
Added to balanced caloric nutrition over the course of a day will reduce your cravings and your appetite for too much food in one sitting. Cinnamon also slows down the amount of time food passes from your stomach into your small intestines, increasing the amount of time you feel satisfied.
Cinnamon also:
- improves in brain function
- prevents & treats diarrhea in conjunction with other ingredients
- increases alertness
- reduces your risk for yeast infections
- relieves some arthritis pain
- can reduce ulcers
- can prevent type II diabetes (along with other measures)
- is a natural anti-bacterial (in food & your body)
- is a natural anti-coagulant
- is one of the many spices that can prevent cancer
- may inhibit growth of cancer cells
- contains important minerals such as iron and magnesium
As you've read down below, I used a Turmeric mask for my acne flare up. The night after that I used another mask, but with less ingredients for a better paste. It was thicker (but it looked like a thinner film on my face) and easier to apply.
Last night, I used a more discreet method because Brennan and I have a guest and I didn't want them asking me what the hell was on my face!
I sprinkled about 1/8 tsp Turmeric in the palm of my hand and then added just enough olive oil to saturate the powder (about 1/8 tsp). Then I used this as a cleansing oil before my usual face wash. I massaged this into my face after splashing my face with warm water to open my pores.
I left it on while I did some other stuff in the bathroom: painted my toenails, cleaned the counter of any residue (It stains everything so be careful!), scooped the kitty litter, and got ready to take my shower.
In the shower I washed my face with a gentle cleanser twice, once to initially massage the mask off and another quick wash to get the rest of the color and leftover oil off your face.
I used Basis Face Wash to remove this mask. I usually use this after any face mask because it's gentle, simple and moisture preserving.
I really liked this method of using Turmeric in your cleansing oil. I read about someone doing this and had to give it a try. I will still use Turmeric masks because they have other beneficial ingredients and it stays on your face longer, but now I have another use for it.
Give it a try! Using olive oil and/or turmeric is beneficial for all skin types even if you don't have acne. Comment down below if you have any questions.
RSS Feed