I think it’s been established, I have quite the past.
I’ve been a beet-hater (now, a lover). A Chick-Fil-A and fast food lover (before real food). I recently gave up store-bought laundry soap (thank you awesome homemade recipe), but still have yet to give up shampoo (I just can’t do it, yet). If it smells of toxins, I’ve probably smeared it on my body or eaten at least a few bites in my lifetime. It’s true!
Over the past couple of years I’ve been on a mission to not only remove the “dirty” ingredients from our food, but also our personal care products. It hasn’t always been easy. I’ve had some serious ties to many toxic products. Some nostalgic (the smell of Tide), others just too comfortable to give up. The thought of switching store-bought products for homemade versions seemed complicated, far from simple.
I slowly started with my go-to product, foundation powder. Hey, I love my make-up. It’s magical, remember? I was pleasantly surprised how a few simple ingredients and five minutes could make a great product that was safe for my skin. Easy peasy. Since that first experiment, I’ve made: lotion/body butter, surface cleaner, body wash, toothpaste, laundry soap, vapor rub, and boo-boo cream.
Last month I switched-up my homemade skin-care regime. Even with my homemade lotion and natural face wash, I was noticing increased break-outs and peeling. After good counsel from my friend and natural skin-care guru, Jessica, I decided to change things up and create a new lotion/body butter recipe. Every good skin-care regime needs a bit of a change every now and then.
Jessica also recommended trying an astringent after washing and before moisturizing. At the mention of “astringent” my mind drifted to my teenage days and the expensive blueish-green bottles of Clinique. For years, I used those toxic bottles of astringent, never noticing any improvement to my skin (probably more damage). Finally one insightful day, I realized I was much too poor for $30 astringents.
For nine years, I haven’t used any astringent. With the mention from Jessica I decided it was time to revisit astringent, but this time with a homemade version. With three simple ingredients I was able to make a pH-balanced, homemade facial astringent recipe, for just pennies. In fact, the ingredients for this simple and natural astringent were already in my cabinets, just waiting to be used.
This recipe is made with three simple ingredients: distilled water (yes, you need distilled), Apple Cider Vinegar, and a few drops of essential oil (optional, but helpful). The simple ingredients create an astringent that tightens pores, keeping the unwanted junk from entering. Much like the Avengers– protecting and defending you from all the bad guys wanting to wage war on your lovely pores. If you have oily skin, like myself, this astringent is your new best friend. Simply apply using a cotton ball, after cleansing your face in the morning and evening, and follow with a moisturizer.
Simple Homemade Facial Astringent
Ingredients
- 1 cup distilled water this is important to keep bacteria from forming
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 10 drops lemon essential oil (optional) or your favorite essential oil. Other suggestions: lavender or geranium
Instructions
- In a large bottle (use glass, if using essential oils) combine the ingredients. Shake well.
- To use, Keep on the counter away from direct sunlight. Apply a small amount to a cotton ball or pad and wipe face.
I just happened upon this website and been reading it for over 45min. I’m trying to go natural on my skin as I did with my hair.
Question: do these recipes work for an African dry skin? I tried coconut oil as a moisturizer and ended up with a dry skin. To what extend do your recipes work for my skin?
Hey Mwihaki, Welcome to Live Simply! I’m Caucasian so I don’t have much experience with African dry skin. I’m sure many of the ingredients could be googled or researched before using them to make sure they will compliment your skin :).
hey,
I quickly wanted to mention that you don’t have to use distilled water to prevent bacteria from growing in your toner. In water, you always have a certain amount of bacteria. You have to use distilled water to prevent reactions from happening in your toner as bottle water or water from the tap contain minerals. However, you can use these types of water if you want. If you want to higher the healing power of your towner, I would advice using aloe vera juice, rose water or green tea infused water. I really lik using tea for toners! i’ts nice to experiment with.
Thanks for sharing, Sarah.
I went a little crazy a few days and threw out all of my face drugstore/high end products that are full of chemicals (moisturizers, cleansers, toners , black head removers, face wash even my DEO etc) and without having a back up plan. So now I am in the search for replacements. I have successfully made my deo ! yey! I made a simple baking soda toothpaste which cleaned my teeth really well, but my mouth still stunk (tmi?) and… when I flossed my gums burned so badly so I think the baking soda is too harsh for me so I have been oil pulling with EVOO and simply flossing , or brushing my teeth with straight coco oil until my Earthpaste order arrives in the mail (yey!). So now , I am not sure what to do for a facial cleaning routine. I ended up ordering a make up remover and cleanser from Origins because I panicked… so now I need a toner and a moisturizer. Would this astringent recipe be considered a toner? Step 2 from clinique? haha( we have all put those chemicals in our faces before :S ) I have also heard about washing your face with oil … castor oil with almond oil or along those lines. I have sensitive oily skin but not super oily but always get pimples. I am a little scared to wash my face with oil… but I am wiling to give it a try. My question is…. if you wash your face with oil this will cover step 1 as face wash and also step 3 as moisturizer correct? and also make up remover? So then you would only have to apply this astringent afterwords ? And your done? I am scared of using coco oil in my face so thats a no no for me.
I apologize for my super long comment. I am all alone in this journey and dont know who to ask!
Hey Claudia, Thank you for sharing your journey!!
For the toothpaste, a lot of baking soda can hurt your gums. I use baking soda in my toothpaste, but try to keep it minimal compared to the other ingredients.
I replaced the Clinique toner with this astringent and found it to be even more beneficial for my skin. Right now, I oil cleanse as much as possible throughout the week, but keep a homemade face wash handy for the nights when I just want to go to bed (without the extra oil cleansing effort). I found my skin really needed a bit more, on top of the oil cleansing (I have acne-prone skin), and use this astringent (which balances PH) and a homemade lotion. For me, this routine works best. Some people prefer just oil cleansing without an added astringent or lotion.
Where do you get your bottles and containers to put your things in? Like the astringent and powder foundation and so on. Tia!
Hey Sabrina, I find many of the containers and bottles at HomeGoods or Target (the $1 section!). I also like to use mason jars and Weck jars for homemade products (I purchase both online).
Do you think adding a drop or two of tea tree oil would be beneficial for acne prone skin?
Hey Jeni, Tea tree oil would be a great addition to the facial astringent for acne-prone skin!
I really want to try this, but I just really feel like I should add that you should be very careful about using the lemon/citrus essential oils on your face if you have sensitive skin, of course everyone is different and will react differently, but if you are prone to contact dermatitis be very careful, I’m speaking from personal experience 🙁
Citrus oils can be very (very!) harsh on the skin, particularly if not applied with anything to dilute them. Thank you for sharing, Colleen. Enjoy the astringent.
Yay! I am so glad I found an easy & effective recipe for an astringent; thanks! Your post about spending all that $$ for years made me chuckle because that’s my story with eye-makeup remover. Bottles & bottles of the stuff & now I use a simple, 3-ingredient recipe to take any & all makeup off, without leaving any oily residue! Just distilled water, olive oil & Dr. Bronner’s soap. Voila! Found the recipe here: http://domesticatedduchess.blogspot.com/2012/04/homemade-all-natural-eye-makeup-remover.html.
That’s awesome, Vicki! I love how simple remedies save money and work so well. Thank you for sharing. Enjoy!!
This sounds lovely and I do enjoy natural things particularly things with ACV. I would like to mention though that while lavender is popular and used for many things it does cause cell death and I would caution against putting it directly on ones face, we have enough to deal with without hurrying the aging process. 🙂
Hey Teresa,
Thanks for sharing. I haven’t read in all my research about lavender causing cell death in a way that it shouldn’t be used on the skin. It’s actually used in many salves and remedies to heal, even for burns. Lavender is also one of the few essential oils that can be applied neat (directly to the skin.) Can you share the sources for this information. I’d love to read more.
I use water/acv as an astringent. My skin is combination and it works well. I’ve slowly been getting into using essential oils and love the brand Plant Therapy too. 🙂 I read that geranium eo is great at balancing oily/dry skin. I think I should buy some and add that in.
That’s great, Melissa! I’ll have to add geranium to my next astringent.
Hi Kristin, my family friend (who has worked in the health and beauty industry) as recently warned me of harmful effects of using geranium in beauty products, particularly for women. It promotes irregularity with menstrual cycles and aborting. I would look into these effects before adding them to your products in the future! 🙂
Hey Ellycia, Thanks for sharing. Very interesting. If geranium essential oil is used in the correct dilution amounts (which is very small), I haven’t read about any issues with it. I know geranium may be used to help with menstrual cramps. Can you share the research supporting their belief? I’d love to read more about this.
I just want to know where you got the bottle from? Lol
Hi Tiffany, it was bought from Homegoods many years ago.
LS Team
I used ACV straight (no water) to clear up my cystic acne condition. It has worked wonders! If you have more stubborn problem skin, you may want to play with increasing the ACV. Go Bragg’s ACV!
Good to know. Thanks for sharing, Tanya.
do you have a natural receipe for eye puffiness? Thanks, Maureen
Hey Maureen, I don’t have a recipe for eye puffiness, yet. I think I need to create one! I’ll let you know what I come up with.
Hi Kristin, you mention using natural face wash. What do you use/recommend as a natural face wash? (BTW I have fairly dry skin) I’ve been working towards using less and less chemicals in our lives also and prefer to make my own when possible.
Hey Cindy, Great question! I use the oil-cleansing method to clean my face. Here’s a bit more information on the oil-cleansing method and what oils are appropriate for various skin types: http://www.auracacia.com/auracacia/aclearn/oil-cleansing-method.php?utm_source=post&utm_medium=twitter&utm_content=oil_cleansing&utm_campaign=carrier_oils.
I have been using ACV / water as astringent for a couple years and totally love it! I also sometimes mix in some green tea for antioxidants too!
Hey Shirley, That’s awesome. I love that something so simple can be incredibly effective! What a great idea to add green tea…I need to try that next time.
Hello! I was wondering about how to store the astringent, and also how long its shelf life is since it has water in it? I would ideally like to keep this in my bathroom for easy access 🙂 Thanks!
Hey Meebs, If you’re using distilled water the astringent will keep for at least a couple months. If using regular water I’d only keep it for a couple weeks to prevent bacteria growth. I store my astringent on the bathroom counter.
This looks so easy! Do you find the lemon oil causes any sun sensitivity to your skin? I’ve read that it could and wondered if the tiny amt in this recipe would be an issue. Thx!!
Hi Megan, That’s a great question. There is very little essential oil to liquid (water and ACV) in this recipe, so the lemon essential oil is okay for stepping out in the sun. If you plan to go to the beach for a day, I may skip the astringent.
Hello,
Thanks for sharing this recipe as well as the moisturizer one. These seem like they could be exactly what I need. Do you have a favorite cleanser for your face? Or do you use the body wash recipe that you generously shared with us?
Hey Sarah, You’re very welcome :). I use sweet almond oil (this–>http://amzn.to/1kJDpQT) on a cotton ball to clean my face. I simply squirt the oil on the cotton ball and wipe my face. I wash the oil off with a warm, wet washcloth. The oil removes the dirt and make-up from my face. I follow up with this astringent and the homemade lotion.
Great, thanks. Do you use it alone or with a carrier oil? I am 34 and have combination skin that rarely breaks out. However, it is starting to look “tired”. I have no skin care routine to speak of and never wear makeup. So I simply need to find a way to get my glow back. I am a happy wife and blessed homeschooling mama of 5 boys, and honestly makeup seems like a lot of extra work at this time in my life. Hopefully just a little extra TLC is what my skin needs.
Again thanks for your time.
Hey Sarah, The almond oil is a “carrier oil” vs. an essential oil, so it’s very safe to use directly on the skin, just like you would with coconut oil or another skin-appropriate oil. I’m thirty this year and have noticed my skin looking tired, but between this lotion, the astringent, and using the oil to cleanse, my skin is looking healthy and refreshed again. Also, consuming health fats: grass-fed butter, healthy oils- coconut and olive oil, and drinking homemade broths can really help with skin collagen.
I would like to start using essential oils for cleaning, skincare and more but I am a newbie at it. When looking for essential oils should I look for 100% therapeutic, organic…what are the tag words I should be aware of? What brands have a good reputation over other brands etc?
I haven’t been using anything special on my skin for so long and it would be great to make my own. I can’t afford to go out an buy all the ready made pure and healthy skincare that is out on the market. Thank you for sharing your experiences and recipes! It gives me somewhere to being!
Hey Jennifer, I completely understand the not being able to afford all the pure and healthy skin care out there. That’s the main reason (and the assurance of the ingredients) for making my own products. The cost of making your own can be a little costly up front (if you don’t have the supplies), but once you have what you need, a few ingredients make a ton of different products and saves lots of money.
As far as essential oils, there aren’t many certified standards. So, when a company says, “therapeutic” it’s not a certified credential. Most oils on the market from reputable brands are therapeutic. “Organic” does carry weight as the plants which the extracts come from can’t be sprayed with toxic chemicals. For some oils this can be important and others which aren’t likely to be heavily sprayed, it’s not. I personally love Plant Therapy brand. You can find them on Amazon or through their online retail store. I also have a local herbal store that sells their own blends. Here’s one of the best sites for information on essential oils: http://www.learningabouteos.com/.
Hi! I recently stopped using my old commercial cleanser and started oil cleanising. I’m 45 and have always suffered with really oily skin and have been a scrubber as well. This year, my skin took a turn for the worse– actually, the worst it’s ever been in terms of redness, dryness, and peeling. Nothing I put on it made any difference and actually made it worse. I worried (still do) that I have developed rosacea or some sort of food or other allergy. Coconut oil made my jaw itch, made my skin even drier and more irritated, and made my eyes red, itchy and dry when I made a make-up remover with the oil. I switched to grapeseed oil with a few drops of argan oil which seems to be much less irritating. Just using oil for moisturizing after oil washing was not sufficient, so I started using Avalon Organics Lavender night cream that I really like for morning as well.
My question is this: do you think using an astringent will help or harm my dry, sensitive skin at this point? I’d like to close my pores but not enough to risk more dryness. I can always try it and see what it does, but I wondered if you have heard anyone else trying this with very dry skin. Thank you so much– love your blog! ~Jimae
Hi Jimae, I’m so glad you’ve found some products to work for your skin. I’ve had the same issue over the years, it’s taken a lot of tweaking to find what works just right for my skin. For the astringent, I know people with oily to acne prone skin usually find astringents very helpful. I’m not sure about drier skin. I might test a small amount on a small area of your skin, and watch the response over a week. You could even make a much smaller amount of this recipe for testing purposes. I’d also go with something like lavender for the EO, for a calming effect. Let me know how it goes.
Instead of ACV, can I use kombucha? I have some that fermented a little too long and is more vinegary than it should be. Thank you.
Hi Lori, I’m not sure about Kombucha. My concern would be the tea and how it would effect the skin. Maybe try a small amount on a test area of your skin- like your hand- and see what happens over a week. Let me know how it works.
This sounds amazing, can’t wait to do it!
I’m a new reader so I’m still going through all your past posts for more awesome ideas and recipes. I came across the homemade Neosporin. I don’t have much knowledge on essential oils but once I saw in your post that a few are antibacterial….do you think it’s possible to make a natural hand sanitizer spray?