Lemon Face Toner

Today I made a new type of face toner! I had planned to make more pine-infused toner, but I ran across this recipe an I haven't had time to go collect pine needles...so...I tried this instead!

Ingredients are pretty straight forward, and like other things I've made, this is SOOOO much cheaper than buying it yourself.  Doing a quick google search for "lemon face toner", I found that you can buy similar products for $6-$20 per bottle! I think I spent $3 for the witch hazel and probably between $2-$3 for the lemon juice.  Both of which I had plenty left over to make more or use for other purposes.

As I've said before, toners are great for your skin and should be a part of your skin care routine (though I'm still trying to make sure I don't slack off in this department!). They tighten your pores to help prevent breakouts and the lemon juice in this one adds brightness to your skin as well.

This fun little recipe uses only three ingredients. Let's start with water. It's always a good idea to use distilled water when making your own bath and body products, but if you don't have any available you can use filtered tap water. It is really important to use filtered tap water if you have extremely hard water as the minerals could interfere with the quality of your products.  However, if your water is relatively soft and you feel a little lazy, it should be fine.

Witch hazel is an astringent derived from a plant and is very good for your skin. It's often used as a base for various types of tinctures.  It's not only an astringent, but also an antimicrobial agent, an anti-inflammatory, and it contains tannins that tighten skin and promote healing.  The tannins make it useful for as an anti-aging ingredient.  It is also used to treat dry skin conditions because it has moisturizing properties.  It is used to treat eczema and even sunburns! It can be picked up rather cheaply from grocery/drug stores for no more than a few bucks per bottle.

Finally, the lemon juice! This ingredient has lots of vitamin C and citric acid, both of which brighten skin and reduce the appearance of scars.  It also helps to exfoliate the skin.  It has astringent properties and acts as a natural skin bleach. (This helps to reduce the appearance of blotches and freckles.)

I made this little batch and poured it into a clean glass bottle that once held tonic. (My hubby loves his gin & tonics...and I love reusing things when possible!)  Okay, here's that recipe! Enjoy! :)

Lemon Skin-Brightening Facial Toner

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

1/2 cup Distilled Water

1/3 cup Witch Hazel

1) Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight jar.

To Use: Add a small amount of toner to a cotton ball and apply to a clean face and neck twice a day.

*~*Ideal for people with normal to dry skin.
For oily skin, add 2 Tbsp. Isopropyl Alcohol.*~*

*~*This should keep at room temperature for about a month.*~*