Recipes for Facial Cleanser and Facial Toner

It is my 43rd birthday today and as a special treat I have decided to share my own recipes for facial cleanser and facial toner. I have been using them for a while and like them better than any commercial products I have bought for the same purpose.

Last Summer, I came up with the toner recipe. I ran out of the toner that I usually use and realized that it would probably be easy to just make my own. I keep a lot of the ingredients on hand, so it was just an easy experiment. I have read on different websites that people use apple cider vinegar or witch hazel when they want a natural toner. I have tried both of those and haven't been impressed. The scent of the apple cider vinegar turns me off. The witch hazel, by itself, isn't impressive. Witch hazel is a great ingredient for recipes with essential oils because it keeps the oils from separating. I thought about ingredients that are great for skin and aloe vera was at the top of my list. I chose the gel for this one because it is thicker and adds a velvety feel.

I used my old 4 oz toner bottle (no need to invest in a nice bottle for an experiment). I filled 1/2 of the bottle with aloe vera gel and the other half with witch hazel. The next step was to pick out oils. I happen to know which ones are great for skin. I chose 4 of the oils for my experiment:

Frankincense Essential Oil: known for supporting skin regeneration, which is great for wound healing and wrinkles as well as scars and stretch marks.

Geranium Essential Oil: often used topically to help with tissue regeneration, which aids with cuts and wounds. It also helps to balance oil for skin and scalp issues and can be used as a moisturizer.

Lavender Essential Oil: can be used to soothe and promote skin healing for sunburns, burns, scars, cuts, wounds, and blisters.

Melaleuca Essential Oil: known for being a great oil to support the body when dealing with cuts, wounds, skin conditions, and more.

Several months later, when my facial cleanser ran out, I felt confident that I could make a better one of these too. I knew exactly what ingredients I wanted to use.

For the cleanser, I used a foaming pump bottle. I added unscented castile soap, aloe vera liquid (the gel is nice, but clogs the pump), witch hazel (keeps it mixed), and vitamin E oil. I used the same oils, but added an additional one.

Cypress Essential Oil: this is good for promoting circulation. 

At this point, I knew that I was happy with the recipes, so I decided to invest a little money into the bottles and even make labels, which I am sharing with you for free too. You can save them and upload them to Moo.com to have them printed with a professional vinyl coating. (check out all of the free labels on our blog here: Labels).

Here is how they turned out:

Face Map

Just like reflexology, face maps come from Chinese medical practitioners. They swear that internal health issues manifest themselves on the face.  They believe that the face is basically a map of health issues.  This comes from centuries of observations.  Since reflexology is so accurate, I tend to accept their wisdom for face maps at least for adults (teenagers probably have lots of different things going on).  These issues show up as rashes, dark circles and acne. If these are persistent or there is a cluster of pimples in one area, getting to the root of the problem and solving it will improve your health and in turn help your face clear up.  Healing is where oils come in.  I made this diagram of the zones and listed the issues below along with suggested oils.

1. Neck = Illness/Infection

It is believed, that pimples or rashes in this area signal that there is an illness or bacterial infection that the body is fighting.  My first go-to oil would be a blend. I would take it internally in capsules and use 20 drops in my 10 ml roller bottle with FCO on the bottom of my feet. Other oils to consider would be cinnamon, oregano, melaleuca, rosemary, clove and frankincense.

2. Chin = Stomach

The stomach is responsible for disintegrating food using stomach acid.  Oils that help are basil, peppermint, and lemongrass.  These can be taken in a capsule or diluted and applied topically.

3. & 4. Side of the Chin = Hormones/Endocrine System

For support with hormone balance, females usually turn to several different blends for women.  Oils that help with hormones are rose, geranium, ylang ylang, clary sage, jasmine, ginger, fennel, and thyme. Oils for the endocrine system are frankincense, sandalwood, geranium, ylang ylang, clove, lemongrass and rosemary.

5. & 6. Cheeks = Respiratory System

My favorite oil to support the respiratory system is ....respiratory blend.  Other popular oils include eucalyptus, peppermint, white fir, cinnamon, and protective blend.

7. & 8.  Ears = Kidneys

Kidneys are organs that filter waste and extra water from the blood. They convert waste into urine.  They also play an important role in hormone production.  Oils that are used to support kidneys include lemongrass, rosemary, lemon, eucalyptus, and juniper berry.

9. Nose = Cardiovascular System

There are many components to the cardiovascular system.  This system is responsible for transporting blood to the various tissues throughout the body.  Wild orange and cypress are beneficial for the overall system. Other oils include ginger, Ylang Ylang, lavender, lemon and lavender. General circulation can be supported using cypress.  The heart tends to benefit from ylang ylang, marjoram, and geranium.  

10. & 11. Under the Eyes = Kidneys

See 7 & 8

12. Between the Eyes = Liver

The liver helps with digestion, produces cholesterol, removes waste products and old cells from the blood, and metabolizes harmful substances and toxins into harmless chemicals. Oils for supporting the liver include clove, geranium, helichrysum, and digestive blend. Frankincense and myrrh helps too.

13. & 14.  Lower Forehead = Bladder and Digestive System

Lemongrass, rosemary, cypress, juniper berry, and thyme aid with bladder support. The digestive system is comprised of a series of organs and glands. Overall health of the system benefits from peppermint, ginger, lemongrass,and fennel.

Hidden Freckles

It is no secret that I have freckles. In fact, there are many people at my family reunions with freckles. I have gotten use to them over the years and have even grown to appreciate them. I realize, however, that it is a visual sign of sun damage. The video above shows that people often have sun damage that they aren't even aware of. Sun block is great for preventing future damage, but what about what has already occurred? I'm sure it is no surprise to anyone who is learning about oils, that there are oils to support healthy skin! Here are the a few of main oils that seem to make a difference for me:

Geranium
Lavender
Frankincense