If your skin appears dull, uneven, or unhealthy even after a good natural cleansing – it’s time to try using a toner between cleansing and moisturizing your face. A toner can help cleanse your skin even more by removing dead skin cells, along with dirt, oil and traces of cleanser left behind after washing your face.
A toner will also help minimize the appearance of pores, and can help balance the pH level of your skin to reduce bacteria growth so your skin is bright and beautiful.
The toners you’ll find in most stores though use synthetic ingredients, phthalates for fragrance, and parabens as preservatives. Toners for oily skin also often contain salicylic acid, and benzyl alcohol – both of which are neurotoxins and skin irritants!
Instead of using products with unnecessary and toxic ingredients you can opt for a natural route: Green Tea.
Sure, drinking green tea is great for your overall health, but when applied to your face as a toner it’s perfect for brightening, evening, cleansing and even hydrating your skin.
Green tea contains tannins—biomolecules that bind with amino acids in your body. Tannins are naturally astringent compounds so they work directly as a skin toner to even out the appearance of your skin. And tannins shrink your pores so they are less likely to clog. Tannins also help regulate your skin’s sebum production. Most products strip your skin of oil, causing inflammation, but green tea addresses the root cause by minimizing oil production in your skin cells.
You can make a green tea toner by steeping the a couple tea bags for 5 minutes, allowing them to cool to room temperature. Then, either pat onto your face, apply with cotton pads or pour into a spray bottle and spritz onto clean skin.
