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I may be in my 20’s (ok fine, really late 20’s), but my face still breaks out from time to time. You’d think my skin would have figured it out by now, but it still struggles like it did when I was in my teens. Albeit, nowhere near as bad, but enough that it’s still annoying. I’ve used just about every product out there on the market including all the fancy full-strength expensive ones prescribed by a dermatologist. Ones that worked fairly well were of course the insanely expensive and chock-full-of-harsh-chemical ones.
Since, I’ve settled on a simple face wash followed by a swipe all around my face with a little of my homemade astringent (only at night). I decided to start going the more natural route in my skin care regimen, and it’s helped my skin tremendously!
Astringents are great for oily and acne prone skin and help to shrink and close pores by blocking the dirt from clogging them. However, most astringents found in stores contain harsh chemicals to our skin, such as alcohol and salicylic acid, as well as fragrances and dyes that are unnecessary. Alcohol can really dry out your skin, and every time I used store bought astringents, it would sting terribly!
So instead of putting your skin through all that; just make your own! Not only is it easy, it’s so much better for your skin, too! It doesn’t dry out my skin with daily use, even in the dry winter months. This homemade facial astringent also only uses two ingredients. I told you it was easy!
Ingredients:
- 100% Natural Witch Hazel
- Essential Oils
Witch hazel is actually a plant, and has many different medical uses. As an astringent, it naturally tightens skin. Witch hazel also contains tannins which help to reduce swelling, fight bacteria, and help to repair broken skin. Woohoo!
And even better, the essential oils are an added bonus! They provide some extra health benefits, and they smell good! You can read some more info on which ones are best to use down below.
You will also need a simple glass bottle or jar to store the astringent in. I like to use the bottles that I use for cooking oil because it’s a lot easier to just dab a little on my cotton ball.
To make your astringent, simply pour the witch hazel into your bottle until it’s about full. Add 20 drops total of your favorite essential oils. I like to use a mixture of lavender and the purification oil blend, but the possibilities are endless!
To use, after washing your face with your normal cleanser, simply dab some on a cotton ball and wipe your face. I notice it even helps take off any extra makeup left behind from my face wash, and my face never stings or feels tight after I use it. Seriously guys, it’s so refreshing!
Recommended Essential Oils to use:
Oily skin: Cedarwood, Eucalytus Radiata, Helichrysum, Lavender, Lemon, Melaleuca Altenifolia (Tea Tree), Patchouli, Roman Chamomile, Tea Tree, Ylang Ylang
Sensitive Skin: Helichrysum, Neroli, Roman Chamomile, Rose,
Aging skin: Frankincense, Geranium, Helichrysum, Neroli, Myrrh, Patchouli, Rose, Ylang Ylang
You can mix and match these oils to your liking, but I usually use a mix of lavender and purification (an oil blend) or frankincense. I like to have a little acne help with the lavender, and the frankincense helps to improve the healthy look of my skin (yes, please!)!
(If you decide to use lemon in your astringent, make sure to only use your astringent at night as lemon makes your skin more sensitive to sunlight.)
So, are you ready to make your own astringent? Your skin will love you for it! 🙂
If you want to learn more about essential oils and join our community, click HERE!
Have a fabulous weekend, friends!
(I link up at these fun parties!)
Wow, you are coming up with so many homemade remedies with these oils! It is neat to read about what you’ve come up with next. I used to always use an astringent on my face, but stopped… this sounds really gentle and effective, tho. What has really helped my break outs is my clarisonic I got last summer for my bday! I love it. I have really big pores (bleh!) tho, so now you have me wanting to try an astringent again…
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom recently posted…Ipsy Review (#4) and Meal Plan Week 53
Ha, thanks Carrie!! It’s been so fun trying to come up with new ways to use them, and to be healthier, too! This is SO gentle, and super effective. I love it! Oohhh I haven’t tried the Clarisonic, but have heard good things!! Totally try this, you might really like it, too1 🙂 Happy Saturday!
This is soo interesting, Amanda! Never thought to use it on my face! SO good to know…. I’ve really stopped to think about the chemicals that are going into my body! Have a wonderful weekend, sweet lady!
Thanks, Kendra! It’s amazing the things we use but really don’t know or question what’s in them! I’ve been doing that a lot lately, too. 🙂 Hope your weekend is going great!!
This is great! I’m in love with my oil cleansing method (yeah I totally clean my face with oil!) and so I think this is a next awesome step to my skin care regimen that keeps chemicals away from my face!
Meaghan | Cook. Craft. Love. recently posted…How to Move Without Tearing Your Hair Out
Yes! I’ve totally heard about the oil cleansing method, and that’s so awesome! I think I might need to give that a try, too! I’m all about getting the chems off my face. 🙂 Thanks for visiting, hope you’re week is going great!
Yes, I need to try this. I love all of these oils – just need to get some witch hazel.
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This stuff works great! Witch hazel is amazing too, and cheap for a big bottle of it that lasts months, too! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
I am making this ASAP! I am also in my (very late) 20’s and have suddenly started breaking out. Apparently my body decided to let me have clear skin while I was a teenager but give me breakouts as a grown up. Ugh!! Awesome post, so glad to have found your blog!
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Ahh! I’m totally with you on that, Amanda! It sucks! I’ve never had clear skin, even as a teenager. However, my skin DID clear up when I was pregnant! It’s been better since, but still have that occasional break out. Boo! Hope this works as well for you as it does for me! So glad you stopped by, happy to have you here! 🙂
What a great idea. I’ve always avoided store-bought stuff cause I remember it stinging when I used it as a teenager. This looks way better and I love that it uses natural ingredients!
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The stinging totally sucked! And it really dried out my face. This doesn’t dry it out at ALL, which is awesome since it’s already super dry here. I’d much rather use natural ingredients! Thanks for checking it out! Happy Easter! 🙂
I had no idea facial astringent could be so easy to make! Putting this on my to-do list!
Amy@HomeRemedies recently posted…Spring Dining Room Tour
It’s super easy, Amy! AND it’s good for your skin. A bonus! 🙂 Hope your week is going great!
Would I be able to use orange essential oil?
Hi Nicole, you could absolutely use orange essential oil in this! Just make sure you use it at night, since citrus oils can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight! 🙂
Does the ratio of witch hazel need to be precise? Is it possible to use a smaller amount of witch hazel and less essential oils?
Hi Rosalie! No, the ratio doesn’t need to be very exact. A smaller amount of both would work just as well, too! 🙂
could u make this as a face wipes in a mason jar, like a 4oz how much w/h an then how many drops of each oils
Hi Michele! That’s a great idea! I haven’t tried it before so I’m not totally sure how well it’d work, but let me know if you do try it. It depends on how big the mason jar is for the oils, but I’d say 10-15 drops total are safe! 🙂
Hi there, I have a question for ya. I have been using this astringent and am loving it. I am having to use about a 5 oz. bottle until I can find something a little bigger. Should I reduce the amount of essential oil drops?
Hi Leslie! Yes, I’d reduce it by maybe half. 🙂
HI Leslie! Yes, I’d reduce the amount of essential oils by about half. Hope that helps! 🙂