Comments on: DIY Skin Care Month: Step 2 – Astringents and Toners

By: Andi Marie

Andi Marie — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:04:23 +0000

I used to use Clinique toners because I have always had combination/oily skin but I realized that they were doing more damage than good, drying out my face to only produce more oil. Now I use Avalon Organics Vitamin C Balancing Facial Toner, it has made a HUGE difference to my complexion! I think a lot of people are under the impression that using a drying (alcohol based) toner on acne prone skin is how to get rid of the acne, but it just irritates the skin instead. Thanks for sharing these tips with us! I’m really looking forward to trying green tea or chamomile tea as a toner in the near future!

By: Katie Glenn

Katie Glenn — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:48:45 +0000

Aww, thank you so much for saying such sweet things! I’m so happy to help and I love that so many gigglers shared their natural solutions too.
This week is all about moisturizers and next week (the last week of DIY Skin Care Month) will be all about the eyes! I’ll make sure there is a section for under eye circles.
Thanks again for your lovely compliment!

By: Katie Glenn

Katie Glenn — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:39:38 +0000

Such a great and easy ritual! Green tea is high in antioxidants, so it definitely helps brighten skin and prevent acne. It also has strong anti-inflammatory properties, so it can reduce the swelling sometimes associated with blemishes. Love this idea, thanks for sharing with everyone!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:35:34 +0000

I just want to say that this series is changing my perspective on skin care! I don’t know why I’d always treated my skin like a problem child, but I did. This is teaching me that if I just let it do it’s own thing a little more is actually incredibly well behaved. And such easy cheap solutions! Thank you so much, Katie.

Have you ever done anything on under eye circles? If so could you post a link here? If not maybe after DIY skin care month? Pretty please??

By: Kristina Rivero

Kristina Rivero — Fri, 18 May 2012 20:19:15 +0000

I use straight-up green tea as a toner, even though I have acne prone skin. It gives my skin a brighter, more even complexion and has significantly improved the marks blemishes leave behind. Usually I brew the tea as soon as I wake up, let it steep while I’m showering, cool down while i’m getting my outfit and things together, then apply it and moisturize Sometimes I don’t do it if I’m too tired or in a hurry, but I swear my skin looks and feels worse on those days!

By: Katie Glenn

Katie Glenn — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:49:50 +0000

Hahaha, get to the store! For the readers that want to give this a try, it’s a great suggestion! Brew the tea (about 1 bag per cup of water) in distilled water for 20-30 minutes. Any time you’re brewing herbs for medicinal use, always steep for at least 20 minutes. Thanks Katrina!

By: Katrina Everett

Katrina Everett — Fri, 18 May 2012 08:23:41 +0000

I use witch hazel and love it, but before that I used to use chamomile tea (2 bags steeped in water in a jar I kept in my fridge for about a week) It cleared up my skin and gave it a healthy glow, the only reason I don’t anymore because I always forget to buy more tea :p

By: Katie Glenn

Katie Glenn — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:38:21 +0000

That sounds like a good one too. If you have sensitive, sometimes dry skin, then I would stay away from the tea tree oil, while it is great stuff, you may experience a reaction to it. For anyone with dry or sensitive skin, I always have them start with the gentle stuff first then move up if needed. For you, I would recommend leaving out the lemon juice and tea tree oil. If you’re looking for a way to achieve a more-even skin tone (ie. acne scar healing) you could add chamomile tea to the mix. I’d say, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup green tea and 1 cup chamomile tea. Both the chamomile and green tea will help reduce acne scaring and even skin tone, but should be gentle enough not to irritate your skin. For the dryness, I would suggest doing a honey mask like this one: http://hellogiggles.com/calming-oatmeal-facial. Once a week, should help and it’s gentle. Thanks for stopping by!