Having acne can be a very frustrating problem. It is tempting to use harsh products in order to dry out the blemishes but in the long run they will only damage your skin. Today, I’m sharing a DIY toner recipe that has green tea, apple cider vinegar and a blend of essential oils. These natural ingredients will help get your skin back on track without stripping your skin and causing more damage.
I must say, I am seeing quick results using French Green Clay as a mask, my Skin Clearing Serum, and also my Dry Skin Stick. I wanted to make a toner that would balance my very unbalanced skin and also help de-clog pores.
DIY Toner Ingredients
Green Tea is full of antioxidants. It is anti inflammatory. Applying it to the skin can be very helpful. Drinking green tea is even beneficial for balancing hormones, one of the leading causes of acne.
I love apple cider vinegar-I not only drink it, I also apply it to my skin. It will actually exfoliate your skin as well as balance your pH. The skin has a protective acid mantle, which is a thin layer of oil, on the outer surface of the skin. The acid mantle protects your skin and keeps it acidic. Skin is naturally acidic and functions best when it’s at a pH of around 5.5 (any number greater than 0 and less than 7 is acidic).
While ACV has antibacterial and antiseptic properties, it’s main function is to balance skin’s pH. With a pH in balance your skin will either go 1 of 2 ways-it will get oily and clogged or will be over dry. When you add green tea to ACV plus essential oils, you can create an amazingly healthy toner for your face!
Adding essential oils to your toner will majorly boost the clearing action of this toner.
First, I add Frankincense. It’s regeneration properties helps to fade spots and scars. It is antibacterial, antiseptic, and anti fungal. Frankincense is a powerful astringent so it adds to the action of the ACV.
Lavender is also antibacterial, antiseptic and anti fungal as well as anti inflammatory. Lavender is healing and calming. Lemongrass is amazing for acne prone skin.
Lemongrass oil is anti fungal, antimicrobial and antiseptic as well as an astringent, but beware-it can burn (keep it to only 1 drops!!). It cleanses and contracts pores to fight against acne!
DIY Toner w/Green Tea
- 3 TBSP. of fresh brewed organic green tea (find it HERE)
- 1 tablespoons organic ACV (with the mother) (find it HERE)
- 10 drops Frankincense Essential Oil (find it HERE)
- 1 drops Lemongrass Essential Oil (find it HERE) *optional*
- 10 drops Lavender Essential Oil (find it HERE)
Find 2 ounce glass spray bottle HERE. Use this toner up within 1-2 weeks. I have added no preservative so bacteria will grow after 2 weeks!!
I would suggest you use this toner morning and night after cleansing. Follow up with a light moisturizer or my Skin Clearing Serum. You can apply with a cotton ball or mist on. This is such an affordable and effective acne treatment. So many skin issues come from pH being out of balance.
If your skin is sensitive, use this toner with caution. You can reduce the amount of ACV if it burns.
xx, Jenni
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Can raw banana vinegar be substituted for ACV. I can’t get ACV where I live currently, but can get banana vinegar. Would it have the same properties?
Hi Ashley-I’m not 100% sure but I don’t think you can substitute the 2 vinegars. I think banana vinegar is totally different. I tried to do some research but couldn’t find much about it, especially in relation to skin. Not sure about shipping but I have linked it on Amazon. Thanks!! I’ll be keeping my eyes and ears open about banana vinegar though!
Thanks so much for sharing! Just wanted to know, what is the shelf life of this concoction? =)
Hi Amanda! It should last quite a while-I would say 6 months. Thanks!
But in the post, you say to use it up within 1-2 weeks because of no preservative added and it will mold after two weeks. Can you clarify, please?
Tangela-Anytime a recipe has water based products, I recommend making small batches because water is prone to bacteria and mold.
Hi Jenni, What do you think about adding witch hazel to this recipe? Do you think it would help or hurt? Thanks
Rhanda-I would do either ACV or witch hazel, not both. Thanks!
Also, would this need to be stored in fridge to get it to last 6 mos? Thanks!
Rhanda-No, no need for that! It keeps really well in my experience.
Hi 🙂
Im from Costa Rica and I havent found the oils… Can I ommit them?
Thanks!
Luv everything here BTW, Im doing a lot of your recipes already!
Andrea-thanks!! Yes, you can omit the essential oils. You’ll still have an effective toner!
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I use a variation of this recipe which works great for my sensitive mature skin… I use ingredients I know my skin likes.. 1/4 c of fresh strong- brewed green tea & 1/2 teaspoon honey..stir to mix well …add 1/4 cup aloe vera juice & 1/4 cup organic ACV …then add your EO …I use 10 drops frankincense oil & 10 drops lavender oil … Shake well before each use.
It has kept my skin fresh looking, tightened my pores & generally done a good job for me. I like to use a nail polish remover pump dispenser to apply it to a cotton ball for use on my skin .
Carol-Thanks for sharing! I love it! You are so right-once you find what your skin responds to keep going with it. It can be hard to see results when you are figuring your skin out. I like the idea of using a nail polish remover pump!
This is brilliant! Thank you for sharing! Does this amount of honey leave any stickiness or tackiness at all? I will be trying this recipe too!
Ashlynn-Do you mean ACV? There is no honey in this one! But no, this isn’t a sticky toner!
I was referring to the toner recipe Carol King posted 😉 I did try this toner and it burned terribly so I omitted the Lemongrass and now it is great!
Ashlynn-Oh no! I’ve never thought of lemongrass being “hot” but I’m going to reduce the drops. So sorry!!
Hi what is the shelf life for this product? I made it back in February and still have some left. Should I still be using it?
Stephanie-It’s fine-It has a shelf life of about 6 mos.!
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Great post! I’m quite distressed with my acne-prone skin and the scars on my face always take long time to heal. Will definitely try this toner (I LOVE green tea!) and hope my face condition could be improved soon 🙂
Ivy
Thanks Ivy! Good luck!
hey what kind of a cleanser would you suggest before using this toner? and also can i use essential oils (geranium+lavender+almond) as a moisturiser after applying this toner?
Will it spoil if the weather is about 28 degrees Celsius?
That’s not too warm for this recipe but it depends on when you made it. Thanks!
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Just made it a few minutes ago. I hope it will work. 🙂
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There’s definately a lot to find out about this subject.
I love all of the points you made.
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Another lovely DIY jenni! I used my organic jasmin flower and green tea for this and used the 10 drops frankincense with10 drops lavender and 5 lemongrass instead since lemongrass is a “hot” oil for me. I am excited to see how it does for me!
Can you use any other essential oils in place of lemongrass? My daughter has struggled for years with terrible acne. We have seen a dermatologist for all of that time trying different solutions with no improvement. I am really hoping this will help.
Yes, for sure! Many oils will work or you can omit it completely. I like carrot seed, geranium, lavender, meleleuca and frankincense the most for acne. Good luck! Has she tried the Oil Cleansing Method?
She hasn’t tried the oil cleansing method yet because I read in the comments that some people were experiencing clogged pores. What would you recommend?
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Hi Jenni,
Just wanted to thank you for the recipe and let you know we linked to it in our big 200 DIY Beauty Products round up on MoneyPantry.
Thank you!!
Do you prefer one brand of essential oil to another? What do you look for in essential oils?
Shelly-I prefer Spark Naturals. I started out using Young Living because I knew their quality was very high but the prices and having to order through an individual just annoyed me. Spark is the same high quality minus the high prices and they have a web site you can order from. You can also use my coupon code at anytime to get an extra 10% off. It’s JENNIRAINCLOUD if you are interested. http://www.sparknaturals.com
Hi Jenny
Just a short question – I’m from Europe and I’m not sure what exactly you mean with cider. Is it vinegar or rather wine? There’s no exact translation and I don’t want to risk using the false ingredient.
Thanks very much,
Katrin
Katrin-It’s apple cider vinegar-click on the link to see a pic of the bottle. I’d be shocked if you couldn’t find it. It is a vinegar though.
Thanks Jenni, for your help.
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I love your blog! I am new to DIY skincare and was wondering how much preservative I need to add to increase the shelf-life.
Rajam-Thank you!!! For 2 oz. of toner you should use about 1/8tsp of Leucidal Liquid. I find mine at Lotion Crafter.
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for this great recipe!
I am making this for a friend, and so I would like it to have a 6 month shelf life … Do you think this will last? Or should i omit the hoeny and aloe vera, or perhaps just the Aloe Vera and keep the honey? thank you in advance!
2 TBSP. of VERY strong brewed organic green tea
1 TBS of aloe vera, from garden no preservatives
2 TBS organic ACV (with the mother)
1/4 TSP honey
1 TSP Vitamin E oil
6 drops Frankincense Essential Oil
5 drops BERGAMOT Essential Oil
2 drops cinnamon EOIL
5Drops Camomile Eoil
6 drops Lavender Essential Oil
Hi Angela-You’re welcome! I don’t think your recipe will last more then a couple of weeks unfortunately. The green tea and aloe will mess things up. The essential oils and vitamin E might help a little bit but it’s hard to say how much. If you make this or have made it, I would keep it in the fridge for sure. I also think you might have an issue with everything mixing enough. It’s just hard to say without experimenting. Hope this helps!!
Hi Jenni! Can I add liquid Vit E to this? How much would you suggest if so?
Amanday-I wouldn’t. Oils and water don’t mix so you’ll always have to shake it up. If you really want it in there, it won’t hurt anything though. I would add 1 tsp. and no more than that.