i want to share with you one of my favorite skin care recipes- lavender toner. i have issues with my skin & breakouts are a regular occurrence. i followed my dermatologist’s orders for several years, but my skin would continue to breakout with only a few days of clear skin.
i finally decided to shed myself of those old routines & fully immerse myself into affordable, natural skin care products. i visited with my friend, emma- a farmer & natural skin care extraordinaire – & with a barter of photography for skin care products, i began my new, all-natural regimen.
my skin has never been happier. i wake up with an even skin tone & breakout only a few days a month, which i credit to stress & lack of water intake.
of course, interested in this topic & all things homemade, i began to experiment with my own recipes & ingredients. i have yet to master the wonderful foamy-ness of emma’s face wash & i will continue to support her no matter the recipes i create, but i made a comparable lavender toner that i would like to share with you today!
lavender skin toner
perfect for oily & normal skin types
ingredients:
– 1 heaping tablespoon lavender buds
– 1 cup witch hazel
– 8 drops lavender essential oil
supplies:
– mason jar with lid
– bottle with cap, preferably dark for longer storage life
– funnel
– cheesecloth
combine ingredients in a mason jar & screw on lid tightly. label jar with contents & date along with ready date (two weeks from the day you made the recipe). store in a dark, cool place for two weeks to steep.
each day, shake your toner vigorously. it should look like the photo above with tiny bubbles & foam.
after two weeks have passed, strain your lavender toner. wrap your cheesecloth around the funnel & place securely on top of the bottle. empty the toner into the bottle, allowing the liquid to pour into the bottle & your lavender buds to stay in the cheesecloth.
label your creation & store in your bathroom for daily use. no refrigeration is required & toner will last for up to six months.
to apply: after washing your face with a gentle face wash, apply the toner (approximately 1/2 teaspoon or so) using a cotton ball on your entire face, chin area & neck.
enjoy!
love,
natalie
our weekend was a wonderful mix of lazy & productive & for the most part, spent at home. the best kind of weekend, i’m sure of that. i want to share little bits & pieces with you-
we spent our days slowly preparing breakfast, sipping on tea & coffee, ordering seeds for our spring & summer garden & making homemade pizza crust. i painted & experimented with my new watercolor set while he created a planting calendar for our growing season. i rested on sunday, knitting a few rows here & there, finishing up a couple of loads of laundry & basking in my i’m-reading-a-book! glory. it’s feels good to be a “book person.“
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i haven’t talked much about our distance during the week on this space because honestly, life is such a mixed bag full of so much goodness along with struggle, too. but there is struggle & the weekends are really hard unless we are intentional about every moment of our day. spending four days apart during the week means catching up on household chores, garden work & our “us” time when luke is home. all of that leaves little time for much needed rest on the weekends from such a busy work week. so, weekends like this one are so rare that we must savor each moment of slowly preparing breakfast together & sharing our studio while doing little projects we both love. finding that balance is part of life & sharing it with another make it all so much richer.
i hope you, too, had a restful & rejuvenating weekend.
love,
natalie
in january 2013, i will:
– begin & finish my wedding album
– drink more water
– read one book
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i am so excited for these goals! the wedding album is long overdue (almost four years, people!) & everyone could use a little more water. i really love reading, but i never allow myself time to finish a book. i like book people. i want to be one of those people.
happy january!
love,
natalie