Homemade Vodka tea lemon toner

So if you're like me you start out the day with beautiful glowing skin and by mid-day you look like someone's slapped a chicken all over it. That's okay, you're not alone. Although buying a combination-skin moisturizer is a very good first step, you most likely need to take others. Which is why I've researched a very fun, innovative approach to taming oily skin.

Vodka tea lemon toner

4 tablespoons of Russian vodka
4 tablespoons of Rose hips tea (or a blend that contains it)
4 tablespoons of Lemon juice
4 tablespoons of aloe vera gel

How it works

1- Mix all of the ingredients and place in a clean, dry container. The measurements gave me enough toner for a 60ml bottle
2- With a cotton ball, apply the toner to your face, after cleaning and before moisturizing.
3- Store your toner in the refrigerator as it will help with conservation (a few weeks) and with the tightening of your pores because of the colder temperature

Why it works

- Vodka: is an astringent, we're just not used to thinking about alcohol for beauty related purposes. It works the same way as vinegar.
- Rose hips tea: is also astringent as it has a very high concentration of Vitamin C and helps protect your skin from damage as it contains antioxidants
- Lemon juice: The antibacterial properties makes it perfect to combat acne and it will exfoliate your skin to remove the excess oils
- Aloe vera: will keep the skin hydrated and will prevent the burning sensation of the toner being too concentrated with astringents. It also helps heal scars.

This recipe is pretty straight forward but maybe this video tutorial can help:

Youtube video tutorial

Homemade anti-aging/acne-fighting night cream

Night creams can be quite pricy! You could buy a really expensive not assuredly effective night cream or... you can create an easy multi-beneficial cream from natural ingredients:

Best night cream ever

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sweet almond oil
1/2 teaspoon jojoba oil
1/2 teaspoon tea-tree oil
1/2 teaspoon bergamot oil

Place all of the ingredients in a clean, dry container. Store the container in a cool dry place, away from sunlight. If you do not have acne or breakouts, you can skip the bergamot and tea-tree oils. Use a few drops applied evenly, every night on your freshly washed face. If you can, it would be beneficial to add a few drops (maximum 15) of carrot oil and grape seed oil to the mix.

- Olive oil benefits the healing and fading of acne scars much as it does for other scarring. The best part is that olive oil does not clog pores so it will not cause zits to form
- Jojoba oil is great for all types of skin problems such as dryness and oily skin as it regulates the secretion of sebum. It also has anti-wrinkle properties as it boosts the elasticity of the skin. I also contains Vitamin E which protects the skin from free radicals
- Tea-tree oil and bergamot oils both effectively fight and prevent acne
- Grape-seed oil has anti-wrinkle properties, works to lighten the skin and regulates sebum secretions
- Carrot oil has anti-wrinkle properties and works for skin tone regulation

By now you're probably thinking; you MUST be crazy, my skin is already oily which is why it's acne prone, I'm not putting oils on there! At first I was thinking the same thing but these oils are very light weight and will not make your face feel greasy. Also, since it's a light film you apply on your face, it's almost completely gone in the morning. At that point you simply wash your face and apply your day cream or moisturizer.

***Caution:

1- Tea tree and bergamot oils are photosensitive therefore it's REALLY important to use this concoction as a night cream. You should not expose yourself to the sun or UV rays after using this.
2- Beware of essential oils if you have food allergies
3- Bergamot oil is not recommended for women that are pregnant or nursing.

Let me know if you would like a list of addresses where you can purchase these oils in the Greater Montreal area and don't forget to subscribe :)