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Vitamin C
Something i was not aware of when i originally started making these toners, is that the anti-oxidants only last so long after it's been brewed. What you can do to preserve them for much, much longer, is to purchase pure ascorbic acid powder. (vitamin C powder) Now brand sells it at whole foods and online. Pure encapsulations sells a powder, and numerous other online retailers. I add around half a teaspoon to the mixture. The added benefit of doing this is not only preservation of the anti-oxidants in the green tea, but also the addition of another huge anti-oxidant and skin protecting substance. Vitamin C is extremely beneficial to skin, in so many ways. Make sure the only ingredient is ascorbic acid crystals. (Also if sea salt is too drying for your skin, i'd simply take it out. Or use it only occasionally) Thanks to Sepsi for bringing this to my attention in regards to vitamin C preserving the anti-oxidants
(For those sensitive to caffeine)
Rooibos tea is thought to have even more antioxidant
power than green tea. But the red color wouldn't be
ideal for a toner. Thankfully, they have a green Rooibos
tea as well, and this would be the best option for those
sensitive to caffeine. Caffeine gets absorbed through
the skin and can keep you from getting a deep sleep.
Those of you trying the green tea toner currently might
even branch out and give this a shot. It could work even
better given the greater amount of antioxidant power found
in the Rooibos bush leaves. Here's a brand i've found in
stores, but i'm sure there are others
One of the issues people may have with this toner is in regards to how pigmented it is. And even when using white tea it can look rather dark on the skin. So...
What I suggest doing is creating the batch I discuss below for overnight use. Then, you can create a batch for daytime use using the equivalent of 4-6 teabags. You can still use the same amount of sea salt in both. Also i found out that they sell distilled water at wal mart and many other grocery stores by the gallon. If you can, i'd suggest picking up one of these specifically for use in creating homemade toners. (And while you're at it, you can pick up more and use it for drinking water.)
Distillation removes fluoride from the water, but chlorine boils before water does, so it can still be found in the distilled water. Everything i've read says that the chlorine left in the water can be removed using a carbon filter, such as a Brita water pitcher. (Anywhere from $15-30) Or, you can pour the distilled water into a bowl and let it sit out for a while. Chlorine's boiling point is around -30 degrees F, so it will turn to gas if left out. If you go the filtering route, it's a small process, but you simply have to pour the distilled water into the pitcher to be filtered, and then use the filtered water. Apparently some pesticides and herbicides that make it into water supplies have low boiling points as well, and these can be filtered out with a carbon filter as well. If you're worried about the removal of trace minerals and electrolytes, you can add these back in to your drinking water.
OP
Anyone who has researched green tea knows how effective it is at combating acne internally and externally, as well as providing a great skin tone, without the harsh side effects that arise from store bought toners/creams/serums or washes. Sea salt is equally as impressive at providing a healthy, acne free complexion.
Well...i combined the two using a high concentration of green tea and love the results. I've been acne free for a year now, but that was due to changing my diet and eliminating all topicals. But before i switched my diet, i was using green tea topically and it was the single best thing i'd ever done for my skin.
So i wanted to go back and explore it again, but this time adding sea salt to the solution.
The concoction:
1) 16-20 green tea bags of your choice. Could even be a mint green tea. I'd avoid honey green tea, in order to keep it light on the face
2) A good quality brand of sea salt. Dead sea salt, Himalayan, Celtic, or a good quality Mediterranean are great, but there are others. Just make sure that if it's a sea salt, that it has been dried naturally by the sun and has no processing involved or added ingredients. I found a grinder at wal mart that uses Himalayan pink salt, so if you don't have access to a whole foods store, you might check your local wal mart
How to:
In a small pan, bring the tea bags to a boil with 1 and a 1/2 cups of (*edit) distilled water. Remove from burner and let it steep for about ten minutes
Next, stir or slosh in about a heaping 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. This concentration has worked great for me and i have sensitive skin
Finally, pour the mixture into a lock tight container and store in the fridge
Application:
I use circular cotton pads (the good kind that don't easily fall apart) and simply dip the pad in the solution and apply. I use one for my forehead, another for my nose and upper cheeks, another for my mouth and lower cheeks, and then another for my neck area. This way the pads don't fall apart. (You can also simply use your fingers, and this works really well too. A bit messy, but it depends on your technique)
- - -
That's it. Once or twice a day and you're set. You shouldn't use any cleanser that you couldn't eat, if that makes any sense. I don't use a cleanser at all, and you shouldn't need a moisturizer either, especially one that isn't 100% natural
When people try green tea and don't see results, it's because they take one tea bag and rub it on their face, which is not a high enough concentration. It's proven to be as and more effective at eliminating acne than benzoyl peroxide, but without the burning and long term skin damaging effects associated with BP. And a good quality sea salt alongside this provides a double whammy of acne fighting and skin healing properties
But remember, diet needs to be addressed if you want to eliminate acne completely, and there is loads of info in the nutrition section of this site. Please go check it out, because that is the first major step in clearing your acne. But this significantly helps when fighting it from the outside
Edited by onefatalgoose, 23 March 2013 - 02:38 AM.
