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DIY Facial Toner with Essential Oils

diy facial toner

This diy facial toner recipe will leave your skin feeling fresh, clean and balanced without drying it out. It’s really easy to make. You don’t need a lot of ingredients and you probably already have most if them in your home. It’s also customizable and not filled with unknown toxins. That’s one of the main reasons why I love making my own products.

I’m a super simple lady so I need a very simple routine, especially if i’m to be consistent and do it regularly. I actually don’t wear makeup anymore so I basically just wash and rinse my face with water and a cotton face towel. After I pat dry, I’ll spritz on a few pumps of the diy facial toner and apply my diy facial serum. In the winter months, if I’m really dry, I’ll also use moisturizer on top of the serum.

diy facial toner

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

The benefits of using a facial toner:

Toners help balance your skin after cleansing, hydrates and refreshes your skin. It can also minimizes pores and helps soothe and calm any inflammation. It sort of acts as a primer for serums and moisturizers. You can also add essential oils for added benefits.

Natural toners

Witch hazel – an astringent that helps calm the skin.

Rose water – is gentle and hydrating. naturally balance your skin’s pH.

Apple cider vinegar – naturally exfoliates your skin so it’s brighter and more even.

Why add essential oils?

In natural skin care, essential oils aren’t added just for their wonderful scent but for their therapeutic benefits. They’re potent plant extracts that should be used carefully and minimally. 

Great oils to add in toners

Geranium – Great for conditioning, balancing, soothing and reduces the signs of aging. Can be used on cuts and wounds to help fight infection.

Frankincense – improves skin tone, elasticity and fights against blemishes. Also a skin brightener.

Copaiba – Helps clear skin of blemishes, reduce inflammation and is calming. Known for enhancing the effects of other oils.

Lavender – Reduce redness, soothe and calm the skin and rapidly heal minor cuts, scrapes and rashes.

Tea Tree – Soothes dry and itchy skin. Used for healing acne and combating oily skin.

Rose – Excellent source of various vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, making it fantastic for tackling dry skin, acne, inflammation, redness and helps balance the skin’s pH.

Myrrh – Great for anti-aging, skin rejuvenation, stretch marks and eczema.

Lemon – Use to speed healing. Helps with brightening your skin, excellent for clearing acne and helps reduce signs of aging.

Adding essential oils can be very beneficial for the skin but remember a little goes a long way. Essential oils are very potent and should be diluted properly. You can use any combination of oils you’d like, that’s the main reason why I love making my own products. Beware of citrus oils, some people may be sensitive because they’re photosensitive and shouldn’t be worn if you’re going to be in direct sunlight. I’m actually sensitive so I avoid using citrus oils on my skin if I know I’ll be outside.

My DIY Facial Toner Recipe

Ingredients and tools I used:
Geranium essential oil
Frankincense essential oil
Copaiba essential oil
Witch Hazel
4oz glass spray bottle

how to make it:
in a 4oz glass spray bottle add
5 drops Geranium
5 drops Frankincense
5 drops Copaiba
top off with Witch Hazel

how to use it:
After you wash your face, spritz on a few pumps of the diy facial toner all over your face and pat dry. Then apply a facial serum or moisturizer of your choice.

I hope you try this! I’ll be back with a DIY Face Serum.

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5 Easy Swaps For A Low Tox Home

What are 5 easy swaps for a low tox home? Navigating the world of natural living doesn’t have to be hard. There are many simple changes or swaps you can slowly make along the way. There are definitely huge health benefits by doing these five and you can start slow so it’s sustainable.

easy swaps for a low tox home

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

There are so many synthetic chemicals in our environment. It’s hard to remove everything so by being conscious about what you use in your home and on your body, you can improve your mind, body and planet.

Are you ready to make some easy swaps for a low tox home? Here’s are a few easy ones!

5 Easy Swaps For A Low Tox Home

Swap Plastic for Glass and Stainless Steel

easy swaps for a low tox home

Plastics contain BPA and phthalates which are endocrine disruptors – chemicals that can enter the body through food and personal care products and interfere with hormones our body produces. Keep in mind that BPA-free products still leach chemicals having significant levels of estrogenic activity. (Environmental Health) If you have to use plastic, don’t heat it or let it touch your food.

What I use: glass food containersoven safe containerswater bottles and mixing bowls

Swap Non Stick for Cast Iron and Stainless Steel

non toxic cookware

The coating on nonstick cookware releases toxic chemicals into the air and food. They’re called PFAS “forever chemicals” and they’ve been linked to cancer, liver damage, infertility, asthma and thyroid issues. We only use cast iron and stainless steel pots and pans. Some other good options are ceramic and glass. Be careful of other accessories like deep fryers, baking sheets, rice cookers, and crockpots because they could also have that same nonstick coating.

What I use: stainless steel potpan set and cast iron pan

Swap Dryer Sheets for Dryer Balls

non toxic dryer sheet replacement

Photo by Sana Saidi on Unsplash

This one is a very easy swap and it saves you money. Commercial dryer sheets contain quaternary ammonium which make clothes feel soft but are known to trigger asthma and may be toxic to the reproductive system, as well as fragrance, preservatives, and colorants. (EWG) Plus what are they made of? I also know they’re not 100% natural like cotton or linen, so that means you’re also adding synthetic material into your hot dryer as well.

You can use wool dryer balls on their own or add essential oils if you’d like a nice added scent that’s natural plus they help aerate the clothing while it’s turning in the dryer.

What I use: wool dryer balls and essential oils (lemongrass and purification)

Swap Commercial Cleaning Supplies for Thieves Household Cleaner

Most commercial cleaners are filled with toxic chemicals. Those that claim to be green, eco friendly or natural are greenwashed. If you look at the ingredients list you’ll most likely see fragrance or parfum. Common fragranced products emitted hazardous air pollutants and can trigger adverse health effects like skin issues, migraine headaches and respiratory difficulties. (National Library of Medicine)

I found the perfect solution which is an all natural plant based cleaner. It’s so concentrated that I only use a capful along with a few simple ingredients to make my own specific cleaners. I have a lot of DIY’s with this cleaner that I’ll write about soon.

What I use: glass spray bottlethieves household cleanerbaking soda, and lemon essential oil

Swap Candles for Diffusing Essential Oils

If you like to make your home smell good with scented candles you should know that they may use synthetic fragrances and dyes that give off dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air and carcinogens. Over all they have a negative impact on your home’s indoor air quality. Some severe health issues caused by soot particles: allergies, asthma, respiratory infections, heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. (National Library of Medicine)

What I use: aria diffuser, and essential oils (citrus freshsacred mountain, and gentle baby)

There you have it! Just a few easy swaps for a low tox home. Remember you don’t have to swap everything all at once. That will be overwhelming and unmanageable.

Are we hanging out on instagram yet? if not, I’m @hellojenneng. Come say hi and let me know you’re coming from my blog.

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welcome!

in the kitchen

Hi I’m Jenn. I’m starting this blog because I know how overwhelming social media can be with all the little snippets of info so I want to slow it down and have this space to share more in depth on the things I’ve learned, am still exploring and some handmade things.

in the kitchen
in the kitchen
or outside #1000hoursoutside

Here are some things about me and what you can expect in this space:

  • I’m a stay at home wife and mama.
  • we’ve been semi low tox and eco conscious for years.
  • I became a first time mom at 40.
  • my passion grew on holistic living and conscious parenting.
  • we lived in a one bedroom apartment in New York City three blocks north of Central Park, so that was like our back yard.
  • we transitioned from city life to country living in December 2020.
  • we live simply in Pennsylvania on 4 acres in a 1900’s Colonial Cottage surrounded by beautiful mountains and lakes.
  • our home definitely needs a lot of fixing up but we’re taking it slow. Living in it as it is so we can figure out the best solutions.
  • with our move, my baby becoming a toddler and a loss in the family I was dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety which I didn’t know I had.
  • I started using essential oils for home cleaning, emotional and wellness support while discovering what a huge issue greenwashing was.
  • I run a bag making business and am a brand partner of young living part time and of course caring for our home and land and will soon be homeschooling our little boy.
  • we are learning how to tend our land and grow vegetables while slowly fixing up our home.
our home
our home the first day we moved in
barn
our barn

I’m truly so glad you’re here!

We have a lot to figure out with this old house, transitioning to this semi country living, raising our little boy and still trying to be creative. I hope you come back and join me on this adventure. I’ll be sharing things on natural living, homemaking, making things by hand and keeping my small business running.

If we’re not hanging out and chatting on instagram yet? I’m @hellojenneng. Come say hi and let’s connect, tell me you’re coming from my website.