DIY: Facial Toner

A couple weeks back I went and had my first facial.  Having grown up with acne, I spent a good deal of time washing my face with that odd-smelling Neutrogena acne wash.  But when my skin finally cleared itself up, the time spent on my face also disappeared.  So when I visited the esthetician, it was no wonder why she wrote out a loooong prescription of facial to-do's, neatly transcribed on a bundle of green post-it notes.  Of the utmost importance (in her opinion) was the toner.  Apparently this was going to rejuvenate and revitalize my face, giving me baby soft skin.  Well, I no longer have a baby, but I do have a 3 year old and that was motivation enough.  So it was with a sense of urgency that I left her office and headed straight to Sephora's to seek out this so-called miracle in a bottle.

When I arrived at Sephora and asked where I could find the toner, I was promptly directed to a bottle no bigger than a salt shaker selling for $499.95.  Okay, not quite that much, but $24 for a couple ounces of liquid did seem a bit outrageous to me, so I kindly asked for a sample - you know, to test and see if I like it - and headed out the door, tonerless.

I spent the ride home weighing out the pros and cons of spending that kind of money on a miracle.  But was it even a miracle?  Hmmm....maybe not.  When I got home, I researched toners because that's what I do - research. And I found that about half the people out there say toners are useless.  Really?  It definitely made me glad I didn't plop down my life savings for such a small bottle of uselessness, but I also wondered why the esthetician so strongly encouraged it.

It was then that I came up with the solution of solutions:  I'll use toner.  But not any toner.  My OWN toner.  I had heard that apple cider vinegar has a million uses, so I researched several recipes and came upon one that had some amazing reviews and would cost pennies:

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (I used organic)

1/2 cup water (I used distilled)

2 tbs honey (I used organic)

I whisked all the ingredients together and poured them into an adorable bottle that I picked up for $2 .99 at World Market (but essentially got for free with the use of a coupon and rewards).  The instructions say to keep it in a cool dark place.  Since I don't live in a cave, I figured my bathroom cabinet would be the next best place.  And though the smell is nothing to brag about, the product itself cost me next to nothing, contains all natural, organic ingredients, and leaves my face feeling super refreshed!!!  

I'll update in the future to let you know if any miracles occur.