Hi there! I was getting ready to make this concoction when I realized that my Green Tea was MINT green tea. Is this a problem?
Thanks in advance for the help!
Personally i use a mint green tea, so i say go for it. Again i wouldn't recommend a honey green tea, because those end up feeling, well, like you have honey on your face the whole day. But mint is a good option
how long does it take to be clear?
Hah! Well...that is going to be different from person to person. And it's also going to depend on whether you are addressing treating your acne from the inside out as well by altering your diet. There are many variables when it comes to acne, so it's hard to say 'it's going to take this much time'. But try it out and see for yourself. And also check out the nutrition board, and make sure to look at the pinned topics at the top of the page as well, cause they are full of useful information on how to deal with acne via what you eat
i finally remembered to pick up all the ingredients tonight! 
i'm very excited about trying this!! i will report back over the next week!
question: before tonight (for the past week) i have been using a cotton pad soaked in cold water with 6-8 drops of tea tree oil after i wash w/dr bronners baby soap. do u suggest i use the green tea toner instead of the tea tree oil or in addition to? thanks in advance!!
do u suggest i use the green tea toner instead of the tea tree oil or in addition to? thanks in advance!!
No problem rose. What's to say you couldn't add the tea tree oil to this concoction if you're having success with the oil already? I've heard great things about tea tree oil, but i've also heard you can't add too much because it is very strong. So if you haven't already, i'd read up on how much to add to a cup and half of water, which is how much i use for each batch of this toner. If you do add this to the toner, you're really going to have to shake it up well each time to get the oil and water to mix properly. They are always going to separate, but you can get pretty close by shaking it up and applying right away
i am wondering if this green tea toner would be a good aftershave for guys, whether they have acne or not. It has such a soothing effect on my skin ever since I started using it a few weeks ago and it got me thinking about this.
For sure i bet it would be. God knows what's in the typical aftershave balm to supposedly help 'soothe' your skin.
And while we're on shaving...
Personally i use the trimmer on the back of an electric, as i've found this to be the most non-irritating approach to shaving. It doesn't cut quite as close, but you still look very clean shaven. Also this way you don't risk ingrown hairs and added irritation to the skin. You just have to make sure you get a good quality shaver that has a good trimmer tool. I personally found the best experience with Remmington, and the kind where the blades on the main shaver swing back and fourth. The kind with the circles tend to tug out the hairs, and the trimmers on the back are near useless. This has been my personal experience with them anyway
i finally remembered to pick up all the ingredients tonight!
i'm very excited about trying this!! i will report back over the next week!
question: before tonight (for the past week) i have been using a cotton pad soaked in cold water with 6-8 drops of tea tree oil after i wash w/dr bronners baby soap. do u suggest i use the green tea toner instead of the tea tree oil or in addition to? thanks in advance!!
Just wondering...are you seeing results with the tea tree oil? Are you spot treating or applying all over?
hi ginger! i've been using the tea tree oil as a toner all over my face. what i've been doing is soaking a cotton pad in cold water (i use filtered bottled water because i can refill it for free from the water cooler in my apartment building) & then i place 6-8 drops of the TTO on the cotton pad (not in the same spot, kinda spread it around) & then i squeeze out all the excess water. after that i gently wipe/scrub my face with the cotton pad. i tend to reuse the same pad by folding it over & using the backside too because i'm cheap.
i've had a few bumps & a whitehead for the past few days, but that's it as far as any new breakouts & i've been using the TTO for the past week and a half. my face does feel a little dry after i use it, so i have to be sure to moisturize. i use an organic product made with raw honey, royal jelly, propolis & other bee products. my only problem with the moisturizer is that it has no sunscreen in it. otherwise i'm in love with it! it's called "bee yummy." it cost $40 for 2 oz of product but it will last for at least 4-6 months i'm sure! i only need about a dime-sized amount to moisturize my whole face.
sorry if i strayed too far off topic!! i really am waiting for my water to boil to make the green tea toner onefatalgoose created, i promise!
so far, i think my natural product experiment is working. i'm boiling the water now to make the green tea toner!! and i will continue to have at least one kefir smoothie everyday. plus the supplements i picked up & healthier eating habits. and plenty of water!! it's the water that i have the hardest time with. sometimes i want something with a little flavor in it y'know? lemons and limes don't always do the trick!
UPDATE:
i think i may have brewed the tea a few minutes too long because i was reading stuff online but i think it's ok lol! i used 20 decaffeinated Bigelow green tea bags. they were on sale 2 boxes for $5, cant beat that! i used a heaping 1/4 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt & i added 20 drops of tea tree oil. i'm waiting for it to cool now!! then i will add a little bit of Bragg's ACV. i want to wait for everything to cool because i dont want any heat to destroy the effective properties of the ACV.
UPDATE:
i think i may have brewed the tea a few minutes too long because i was reading stuff online but i think it's ok lol! i used 20 decaffeinated Bigelow green tea bags. they were on sale 2 boxes for $5, cant beat that! i used a heaping 1/4 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt & i added 20 drops of tea tree oil. i'm waiting for it to cool now!! then i will add a little bit of Bragg's ACV. i want to wait for everything to cool because i dont want any heat to destroy the effective properties of the ACV.
Nice. Looking forward to seeing your results with this rose
hi ginger! i've been using the tea tree oil as a toner all over my face. what i've been doing is soaking a cotton pad in cold water (i use filtered bottled water because i can refill it for free from the water cooler in my apartment building) & then i place 6-8 drops of the TTO on the cotton pad (not in the same spot, kinda spread it around) & then i squeeze out all the excess water. after that i gently wipe/scrub my face with the cotton pad. i tend to reuse the same pad by folding it over & using the backside too because i'm cheap.
i've had a few bumps & a whitehead for the past few days, but that's it as far as any new breakouts & i've been using the TTO for the past week and a half. my face does feel a little dry after i use it, so i have to be sure to moisturize. i use an organic product made with raw honey, royal jelly, propolis & other bee products. my only problem with the moisturizer is that it has no sunscreen in it. otherwise i'm in love with it! it's called "bee yummy." it cost $40 for 2 oz of product but it will last for at least 4-6 months i'm sure! i only need about a dime-sized amount to moisturize my whole face.
sorry if i strayed too far off topic!! i really am waiting for my water to boil to make the green tea toner onefatalgoose created, i promise!
so far, i think my natural product experiment is working. i'm boiling the water now to make the green tea toner!! and i will continue to have at least one kefir smoothie everyday. plus the supplements i picked up & healthier eating habits. and plenty of water!! it's the water that i have the hardest time with. sometimes i want something with a little flavor in it y'know? lemons and limes don't always do the trick!
So is it just the breakouts you are treating with the toner or more than that?
My son was seeing good results with it but then got lazy and his skin went downhill. Three nights ago we made a deal that he would stick with it for 30 days. Already his skin i clearing up SO MUCH! I reduced the salt quite a bit though, because it was making his face itchy and because we are drinking it! I just add a little to his iced black tea that we brew at home and I drink it straight myself. The leaves from the loose Sencha tea from the Japanese store are tender and flavorful enough to eat too, but the organic Frontier Sencha leaves from the health food store are so tough and flavorless. I am learning that there is quite a difference between brands.
Good luck with your recipe! Keep us posted...
Here are a couple of links on research into green tea's effects on skin conditions when used topically:
Acne: http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/19363854
Skin cell rejuvenation: http://www.scienceda...30425071800.htm
Thanks for sharing, onefatalgoose!
Here's a post from alternativista, containing more studies about the benefits of topical green tea (at the bottom): http://www.acne.org/...20#entry3257131
Thanks for sharing, onefatalgoose!
Here's a post from alternativista, containing more studies about the benefits of topical green tea (at the bottom): http://www.acne.org/...20#entry3257131
Not a problem. Thanks for the link AKL
I'm not going to start a separate thread for this, because it's very much related to this toner. But I also use a concoction similar to this green tea/sea salt toner for my teeth
It's the same basic premise, only for this I use a blueberry herbal tea and celtic sea salt
The recipe:
1) I use anywhere from 10-20 blueberry herbal tea bags. The reason I use blueberry is not only because of the antioxidant power, but also because of the taste, and the fact that it becomes a blue-violet color which helps to neutralize that yellowish tint that is so commonly found in our teeth. I posted a color wheel earlier in this thread for anyone curious about this
2) For this concoction I use more sea salt than I do in the toner. You end up spitting most of it out anyway, and it's great at both cleansing your mouth of bacteria and your teeth of any buildup. How much you add is very much up to you, but i've been using a heaping teaspoon per 1 1/2 cup of filtered water and liking that ratio
3) If you want it to be sweeter, you can pick up some stevia that is 100% stevia. Truvia and many other brands use sugar alcohols as a large potion of the sweetener. So make sure you read the ingredients, and that the only thing in it is stevia. Some have inulin soluble fiber and that's fine. It should only take a few packets or drops to get it sweet, and how sweet you want it is up to you
Method:
(I would shake the liquid up before initial use each time, and you can store this in the fridge in a lock-tight container)
You can start by swishing a very small amount of the liquid around in your mouth, basically like a pre-cleanse. After I spit the liquid out, I set the concoction on my sink and dip a clean toothbrush in the liquid and start brushing. It's good to keep a large glass of purified water next to you so that you can pour it over your brush to rinse it before you dip your brush back into the blueberry/sea salt liquid each time. I usually feel the need to re-dip my brush like six to eight times, but that is totally up to you how often you do it. It just makes sense not to put the brush straight from your mouth back into the liquid without first rinsing off your brush
Finally, you can swish your mouth again with a small amount of the liquid for about thirty seconds or so. The same way you'd use any mouth rinse
_ _ _
And that's it. If you don't know about how bad fluoride is for you, you should read some of the discussions in the nutrition section. And I switched to an all natural method of cleaning my teeth for this very reason. Plus, I do this for the same reason I use the green tea toner. Because it's so much healthier and effective to use things found in nature than to use chemicals. Granted, this is not a paste. And it could seem like a hassle to some people. But the way I see it, some of the healthiest things you can do for yourself require a little extra effort. Health in general in this country has been sacrificed for the sake of conveniency
Anyway, I hope this helps anyone looking for a natural teeth cleansing method
I'm going to try this out once I can find the ingredients. I've been interested in a natural path for a while now, after using BP for almost 18 months. I have learned a lot about diet in this time which is going to help as well.
I have a question, though. Do you use any SPF, or are you fine without one?
I'm going to try this out once I can find the ingredients. I've been interested in a natural path for a while now, after using BP for almost 18 months. I have learned a lot about diet in this time which is going to help as well.
I have a question, though. Do you use any SPF, or are you fine without one?
Yeah there was a 3 year stretch in my life when i was using BP, and i'm so glad i'm off of it and using a natural approach. Also i'm rarely out in the sun, so i don't use a sunscreen. However you can make your own homemade sunscreen and i'll link you to a couple recipes i've found online
http://wellnessmama.com/2558/natural-homemade-sunscreen-recipe/
http://frugallysustainable.com/2012/03/a-recipe-for-natural-homemade-sunscreen/
Yeah there was a 3 year stretch in my life when i was using BP, and i'm so glad i'm off of it and using a natural approach. Also i'm rarely out in the sun, so i don't use a sunscreen. However you can make your own homemade sunscreen and i'll link you to a couple recipes i've found online
http://wellnessmama....nscreen-recipe/
http://frugallysusta...made-sunscreen/
Thanks! I'm outside a lot and while I didn't need a sunscreen pre-BP, I don't think I'm going to risk it afterwards.
Yeah there was a 3 year stretch in my life when i was using BP, and i'm so glad i'm off of it and using a natural approach. Also i'm rarely out in the sun, so i don't use a sunscreen. However you can make your own homemade sunscreen and i'll link you to a couple recipes i've found online
http://wellnessmama....nscreen-recipe/
http://frugallysusta...made-sunscreen/
Thanks! I'm outside a lot and while I didn't need a sunscreen pre-BP, I don't think I'm going to risk it afterwards.
FYI...Link to a study showing that green tea taken internally and topically shows promise of protection from skin cancer.
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/sep/2007/greentea/index.cfm
FYI...Link to a study showing that green tea taken internally and topically shows promise of protection from skin cancer.
http://www.niehs.nih...entea/index.cfm
Thank you for the link, will check it out as soon as I have time. By the way, could I bother you with another question? I noticed that you use loose leaves, and since I don't think I can find bags easily, how much do you use roughly in grams?
FYI...Link to a study showing that green tea taken internally and topically shows promise of protection from skin cancer.
http://www.niehs.nih...entea/index.cfm
Thank you for the link, will check it out as soon as I have time. By the way, could I bother you with another question? I noticed that you use loose leaves, and since I don't think I can find bags easily, how much do you use roughly in grams?
I don't weigh it out. Instead, I use 1/4 - 1/3 cup of dry leaves to 1 cup of water and don't add sea salt. I strain it through a small stainless steel strainer that fits over a cup. This is a pretty strong solution, but I use it in a variety of ways. I use it full strength with a dash of salt to spot treat and dilute it by 1/2 without salt for an overall toner. I also add the full strength to my olive oil/balsamic vinegar salad dressing and add a tablespoon to a glass of iced black tea, which we have around most of the time. For my next batch I'm going to order some certified organic loose green tea.
This is the company where I may purchase the certified organic green tea: http://www.yuuki-cha...ganic-green-tea