Facial Toner and Clay Mask

It's been a while since I've posted anything on homemade face care products, so since I was nearly out of toner, I thought--why not?  And let's be adventurous and throw in a mask for fun!

First thing's first--toner.  What is it?  What is its purpose?  Typically, toner is used to clarify the skin, remove any residue left after cleansing the face, restore the skin's pH balance, and "tone" the face by shrinking pores.  Astringent is the strongest form of toner (over 20% alcohol), and although this toner has a small amount of alcohol in it from a bit of witch hazel I added, it's rather gentle overall.

pH balancer toner:
1 cup distilled water
3 Tbls. raw apple cider vinegar (AC)
1 Tbls. witch hazel
5 drops of essential oil (lavender, rose geranium, and tea tree are good for most types of skins)

As you can see from the picture, I didn't have raw vinegar, so I used what I had--the regular stuff from Giant Eagle.  The vinegar helps to balance the skin's pH, which is naturally slightly acidic (and that acidic environment helps to kill bacteria!)  I've used both kinds of ACV before, and honestly can't tell much of a difference, but at least I know that the raw stuff (Bragg's is the most widely recognized brand) is organic.  The witch hazel is the cheap stuff from Giant Eagle that is 14% alcohol, so I didn't add much, but witch hazel has been used for centuries by the Native Americans for all sorts of skin ailments, everything from treating insect bites to psoriasis to acne to poison ivy.

Mixed together, it looks like weak tea.  After it's mixed, store in bottles (clearly labeled!) for up to a year.  Use about a teaspoon on a cotton ball after each facial cleansing and wipe over face and neck.

Second, I decided to try making a green clay mask.  Green clay has been used for centuries because of it's "drawing" power.  It can draw toxins, oils, water, etc. from the body and so is particularly good for acne prone skin. I bought some from the Co-op a month ago, but hadn't gotten around to trying it.  Now that I've had some flare ups on my face, though, I decided it was time to give it a try.

I did some searching online for a "recipe."  I knew it should have the clay (duh!), distilled water, and my own personal add-in, tea tree oil (which has antibacterial properties and is good for those pimples!).  But there are plenty of other add-ins you can do depending upon your skin type, including yogurt, honey, dried herbs, oatmeal powder, and other essential oils (for more suggestions, visit this website).

I could have sworn that the one site I read said 2 parts water to 1 part clay.  This was clearly wrong as it turned into a soupy mess.  So I kept adding more clay, and in the end, it was probably closer to 2 parts clay to 1 part water.  In this case, I used about 2 Tbls. clay and 1 Tbls. water before it finally became a thick, spreadable paste.

I thought this batch had made a lot, but as I started to apply it to my face and neck (you can layer it on thick--up to 1/2 inch), I realized it was just about the right amount!  But boy--it's cold when you start to put it on (as you can see by the scared expression on my face)!

Here's what I look liked after it was all on--a monster from the deep lagoon--but hey, at least I'm smiling!

Not smiling 15 minutes later, though, when I couldn't move my face at all.  When the clay dries, it pulls on your skin, which is what is supposed to happen, but I kind of felt like my skin was going to rip away from face.  So even though it wasn't all dried, as you can tell by the picture, I decided to wash it off with lots of warm water.

And then I followed it up with my honey facial cleanser, followed by the freshly made toner, and my night time face oil (a mix of jojoba and sweet almond oils, glycerin, and lavender and rose geranium oils.  I bought it about 6 months ago, and it's wonderful!).  There was some slight redness which is starting to go away 20 minutes later, and all in all, my skin feels smooth and tight.  Bit by bit, I'm keeping those wrinkles at bay, and as you can see, I'm quite excited by it!