Homemade toner for oily skin should be two things: simple and economical. No long list of required ingredients, and no sourcing ingredients all over town (or all over the internet!). And of course, it needs to be effective for problematic, acne-prone skin.
Luckily, you’ll find everything you need in this DIY toner recipe. And with just two simple ingredients: green tea and apple cider vinegar. These ingredients create a toner for oily skin that combats all the problems you face when your face decides to rebel like a teenager (even when you’re in your 30s).
Why Use a Homemade Toner?
More often than not, commercial toners contain ingredients that irritate the skin and disrupt its natural balance. These ingredients include things like:
- propylene glycol
- harsh exfoliants
- alcohol
- mineral oil
- glycerin
- artificial fragrance
- irritating dyes
And if you’re lucky enough to find a quality toner that doesn’t contain unwanted chemicals, you’ll usually pay a hefty price… for what you might consider to be fancy water. Ugh.
Personally, I don’t feel like you need to sacrifice quality or hard-earned cash for something like facial toner. You can get the best of both worlds by making homemade toner instead!
Two Important Ingredients for Your DIY Toner
My experiments with homemade toner led me to two primary ingredients: fresh green tea and raw apple cider vinegar. These make the perfect toner for oily skin.
Why green tea?
Green tea has strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that repair skin damage and reduce redness. I personally notice a decrease in inflammation within minutes of applying green tea to my skin. As a bonus: the antioxidants in green tea may also fight the aging process. So adding green tea to your homemade toner can banish blemishes and wrinkles in one fell swoop!
Stock up on organic green tea here.
Why raw apple cider vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar gently exfoliates and helps restore the natural pH balance of your skin, which is an important key when making your own homemade toner. Healthy skin is protected by what is called the acid mantle, a natural barrier that guards against pathogenic bacteria.
called the acid mantle, a natural barrier that guards against pathogenic bacteria.In her book The Truth About Beauty, Kat James says this about the acid mantle:
“It can easily be obliterated by skin products that contain detergents, soaps, or antiseptics, and in many women–and even teens!–it is never given the chance to recover or perform its intended function. Its absence inevitably leads to skin problems that can only be controlled but never resolved until we restore the acid mantle.”
Homemade Toner for Acne & Oily Skin
This toner is simple and economical, with two ingredients that nourish and cleanse acne-prone skin.
- 8-oz amber or glass bottle
- 3/4 cup green tea ((strongly brewed))
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
-
Simply pour the green tea and apple cider vinegar into a glass jar or a glass spray bottle.
-
Use a cotton ball to apply your homemade toner after cleansing or as often as desired. I recommend using it each morning and night.
-
Apply your moisturizer as usual.
-
Store this toner in the refrigerator, where it will keep for about two weeks.
While these two ingredients alone are enough to make a spectacular homemade toner, you can also experiment with adding 2-3 drops of my favorite essential oils. Try these to enhance the potency of your toner for oily skin:
- Orange essential oil (cleanses and tightens the skin, balances oil production).
- Lavender essential oil (incredible at soothing and calming the skin).
- Lemon essential oil (brightening and toning).
Learn more about choosing the right essential oils for your skin type here.
Have any other suggestions for homemade toner ingredients? Share your insights in the comments below!
More natural skincare ideas:
- Coconut Oil for Clear Skin
- Raw Honey Mask for Acne
- Soothing Rosacea Cream Recipe
- Calendula Face Scrub
- Charcoal Face Mask Recipe
Also, check out this post: Exploring the Root Causes of Acne
