As the weather gets warmer and we begin soaking up the sun, often our skin takes a turn for the worst. Allergies, dry skin and lake of hydration take it's toll on your skin and can result in breakouts, redness, irritation, and dryness. So today, I'm going to share my latest discovery in the natural beauty department and make some Skin Toner with Witch Hazel and fresh lemon juice.

Why Even Use A Skin Toner?

A skin toner are the secret weapon to healthy skin and often are the one product missing from your beauty routine according to Dr. Hadley King, A New York City board Dermatologist. Facial toner shrinks the appearance of pores. refreshes skin, moisturizes, restores your skin's natural PH, adds a layer of protection, and can even prevent ingrown hairs. In addition, skin toners often carry added benefits such as controlling oil throughout the day, wrinkle-repair, or acne treatments. They truly could be the missing link in your beauty routine.

Supplies:

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• Witch Hazel
• Lemon Juice
• Funnel
• Glass Bottle with Fine Mist Sprayer

Witch Hazel

So without further ado, let's dive into the ingredients we'll be using to make this all-in-one facial toner. Witch Hazel is a powerful astringent and antioxidant that makes up the majority of our facial toner. (No fillers or excessive dilution here please!) It's natural benefits include the following:

• Removes excess oils from the skin. Since it is a powerful natural astringent, witch hazel pulls impurities that are locked deep within the skin while simultaneously soothing irritation. Unlike most store-bought astringents that After you've cleaned your face, lightly rub your face with witch hazel on a cotton ball and see what it removes. You'll be surprised.
• Reduces inflammation of the pores. Since it pulls excess oils out of your skin, it allows your pores to shrink to their natural size and gives your skin a more toned, balanced look.
• Speeds up healing time for scars, scraps, breakouts, and infections.
• Balances the skin's pH levels. You might be thinking that if witch hazel is so beneficial for oily skin, it's best to stay away if your skin is dry. This is actually the opposite because witch hazel only pulls impurities that your skin doesn't need while also soothing, balancing and moisturizing.
• Decreases redness and soothes irritation (can even be used on sunburns)
• Moisturizes without a greasy residue
• Controls excessive oil. After using this regularly, you will notice that your skin doesn't get oily in the middle of the day like it used to.
• Nourishes dry, sensitive skin. By applying witch hazel immediately after a shower, it seals in the moisture without stripping any natural oils away to leave your skin more toned, refined, and moisturized. It's especially great for dry, winter months.

Lemon Juice

Fresh lemon juice is acidic and can be too powerful when used alone on sensitive skin. To prevent any irritation or dryness, lemon juice will only make up a small portion of our toner to maximize it's positive effects and remain safe for sensitive skin. Some of the amazing benefits of lemon juice for your skin are:

• Reduces discoloration and dark spots
• Evens skin tone and brightens skin
• Heals blemish scars
• Naturally exfoliates
• Removes blackheads and keeps them from returning

How To Make This Facial Toner:

1. Starting with an empty bottle pour the lemon juice in until your bottle is about 1/4 of the way full.
2. Fill the remainder of the bottle with witch hazel
3. Close the bottle and shake to stir
4. Before using this facial toner, shake your bottle again to re-mix the ingredients. It's natural for the lemon juice to separate.

Simple enough right? Now let's get into some extra little tips to use it best....

Application:

After you have washed your face and before you have applied anything else, take a clean cotton pad and rub this across your face to remove anything your cleanser left behind and help your skin benefit from these natural ingredients. You can apply your serums, lotions, etc. immediately afterwards.

Note: Lemon juice can make your skin more sensitive to sun exposure so always (really.... you should do this anyways) be sure to apply sunscreen before you go outside.

I like to keep this with me and use this toner after a workout as well to remove excess oils and leave my skin refreshed. Since this also moisturizes my skin, I don't have to worry about re-applying my entire beauty regimen until I get back home and I'm prepared.

Store your bottle in a cool, dark place (like a bathroom shelf) and shake before applying to re-mix the natural ingredients.

I hope you guys really liked this beauty recipe! For me, this toner has completely calmed my skin down when it was in full-on breakout mode. It also keeps it more balanced throughout the day, less shiny, and definitely has shrunk the size of my pores.

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