I tried my hand at making my own facial toner right when I was running out of my C.O. Bigelow’s Dr. Galen’s Herbal Skin Tonic and I was on an extremely tight budget. This was also at the time I was starting to look for all natural alternatives. Research led me to the conclusion that making toner was one of the easiest things to do and I could customize it to my skin type.

I make mine with a green tea base to soothe and cater to my acne-prone skin.

What you will need:

–       8 oz. bottle – I reused the Dr. Galen’s blue bottle, which is 6.3 oz. and the perfect size for this recipe.

–       Green tea & mason jar or teapot

–       Apple cider vinegar – I use Bragg’s, which is unsulfured, raw and organic

–       Tea tree oil

–       Lavender essential oil

–       Dropper for essential oils – if needed

–       Small funnel

–       Measuring spoons

The day before you want to make the toner, steep 2-3 Tbsp of green tea in about 1-1/2 c. of boiling water. I let mine steep in a mason jar, covered overnight. The more concentrated you can get the green tea, the more of its benefits will go into the toner.

The next day, measure out 16 Tbsp or about 1 c. of cooled green tea into your bottle. I like to only add less than 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar to the mixture, because it ends up being too strong of a scent for me. But you can add more to it if you desire. Keep in mind, even though apple cider vinegar helps breakouts, too much can be harsh for acne-prone skin and dry it out.

I drop about 5-6 drops of tea tree oil to prevent breakouts and 3-4 drops of lavender oil, which is my absolute favorite go-to scent. Add what you like.  Give it a good shake to mix everything together.

I have found since switching to my own homemade toner that it’s not drying on the skin and such a difference compared to widely used, overly marketed ones. I know the ingredients are simple, easily found in my cupboards and good for skin.

Let me know if you’ve tried this recipe or have a variation of your own to suit your needs.