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ive been using this for several days and find my skin not soothed at all after. Everything seems redder in fact and more dry in the morning? Im using 12 bags of green tea steeped in 1 cup of water with 1/4tsp of celtic sea salt...any ideas..
Are you using a cleanser at all? Did you switch from something else to this? If so, what were you using before in your routine?
I purchased some pH strips and tested my solution. I brewed loose Sencha tea in distilled water and it measured 6.0 (the distilled water measured 6.0 too, so the green tea didn't change it). Also, adding a small amount of salt did not affect the pH significantly. But when I dipped a cotton pad into it and squeezed it out, the solution jumped up to 8.0 and I suspect that bleach from the cotton pad is to blame for the rise. That's quite high for those of us fighting acne. And if any of you are making your solution with tea bags that have been bleached it may be higher.
I would highly suggest using loose tea or tea in unbleached bags and dabbing this on with your fingers or spraying it on. I have seen some organic unbleached pads around but they are a bit pricey as I recall.
I also determined that to arrive at the ideal 5.5 pH for our skin, 1 drop of lemon per 1/4 cup distilled water and green tea solution dropped the pH by .5. In other words, in my 1/4 cup of 6.0 green tea solution, adding 1 drop of fresh lemon juice brought the solution down to 5.5.
Hope this helps!
I purchased some pH strips and tested my solution. I brewed loose Sencha tea in distilled water and it measured 6.0. Adding a small amount of salt did not affect the pH significantly. But, when I dipped a cotton pad into it and squeezed it out, the solution jumped up to 8.0 and I suspect that bleach is to blame for the rise. That's quite high for those of us fighting acne. And if any of you are making your solution with tea bags that have been bleached it may be higher.
I would highly suggest using loose tea and dabbing this on with your fingers or spraying it on. I have seen some organic unbleached pads around but they are a bit pricey. Also, to get to the ideal 5.5 pH for our skin, 1 drop of lemon per 1/4 cup dropped by the pH by .5.
Hope this helps!
I was just going to ask about ph and possibly adding lemon juice to it. So how much lemon juice should I add to get a PH of 5.5?
I was just going to ask about ph and possibly adding lemon juice to it. So how much lemon juice should I add to get a PH of 5.5?
If you use distlled water your solution will be 6.0. Add one drop of lemon juice per 1/4 cup to drop it to 5.5. I'm going to purchase some ACV tomorrow and see how that measures up. I'll keep you posted.
I can't just keep adding drops of lemon juice until the PH is 5.5? And you literally mean one drop?
If you have the pH test strips, sure, just add enough lemon until you reach 5.5. But yes, I literally added one drop to 1/4 cup of solution to get from 6.0 to 5.5.
I guess I am really sensitive to lemon, because even this tiny amount of lemon is irritating my face. I've always know that I have this sensitivity, and when I hear of people putting lemon juice directly on their face I cringe. I need for find something else to add to the solution to drop it down. Not that 6.0 is terrible, but I'd like to find a way to drop it to 5.5 with an ingredient that is beneficial. I wish lemon was an option for me because many report good reslts with it, but it just isn't.
Do you think this would work with black tea as well? I've heard black tea is an anti androgen.
I think you could use black tea and see good results. As good as green tea? Well, the antioxidant capacity is greater in green tea than black tea. They are both derived from the leaves of the Camellia Senesis plant. The difference is, black tea is fermented after it's been dried, and green tea is simply steamed after it is dried. Some sources say green tea is partially fermented though. One would think any anti-androgen activity found in black tea would also be present in green tea, since they are the same plant.
I waited and used green tea instead. Only used it a couple of times but it feels pretty good on my skin. Thanks!
I can't just keep adding drops of lemon juice until the PH is 5.5? And you literally mean one drop?
If you have the pH test strips, sure, just add enough lemon until you reach 5.5. But yes, I literally added one drop to 1/4 cup of solution to get from 6.0 to 5.5.
I guess I am really sensitive to lemon, because even this tiny amount of lemon is irritating my face. I've always know that I have this sensitivity, and when I hear of people putting lemon juice directly on their face I cringe. I need for find something else to add to the solution to drop it down. Not that 6.0 is terrible, but I'd like to find a way to drop it to 5.5 with an ingredient that is beneficial. I wish lemon was an option for me because many report good reslts with it, but it just isn't.
So how much lemon juice should be added to the original recipe? I think onefatalgoose would agre lemon juice is a good idea to lower the PH.
Do you think this would work with black tea as well? I've heard black tea is an anti androgen.
I think you could use black tea and see good results. As good as green tea? Well, the antioxidant capacity is greater in green tea than black tea. They are both derived from the leaves of the Camellia Senesis plant. The difference is, black tea is fermented after it's been dried, and green tea is simply steamed after it is dried. Some sources say green tea is partially fermented though. One would think any anti-androgen activity found in black tea would also be present in green tea, since they are the same plant.
I'm glad you brought this up because i've been meaning to make a change in the original post. Since a few people have described the green pigmentation to be a bit too much, i'm going to suggest using white tea instead. It's the least processed of the Camellia Senesis plant, and has roughly three times the antioxidant power of green tea. I like the green tea because it helps with any redness, but if you don't deal with redness, i think white tea would be a better option for you
http://intl-jn.nutri.../132/4/785.full
http://www.greenteab...a-vs-white-tea/
So if white tea has three times the antioxidants of green tea would the recipe be any different?
So how much lemon juice should be added to the original recipe? I think onefatalgoose would agre lemon juice is a good idea to lower the PH.
His original recipe called for 1-1/2 cups of water, so you would add 6 drops of lemon if you use distilled water. Unless you absolutely know that your skin will not be irritated by the fresh lemon, you could measure out 1/4 cup and add one drop of lemon to try it out. If all goes well, just add 5 drops to the remaining solution.
So if white tea has three times the antioxidants of green tea would the recipe be any different?
No, it would be the same manfeelings. The more antioxidants the better. Also having just said that, I suppose you could do a batch where you use half white tea and half green tea, if you still want the green pigmentation. I hadn't thought of that. Not that it's a groundbreaking thought...
I decided to make this a few nights ago (and so have been using it the last few days). I've only been using it once a day as I don't like having the green pigment on my skin when I'm going out during the day - I might try the white tea method once this batch is finished.
I do find it makes my skin feel rather dry/tight - but this only happens when I've applied it without the round cotton pads. I think it's to early to tell if there's been any changes in my skin though I think it makes a lot of sense that this would work out for a lot of people because of the higher amount of antioxidants. I'll have to wait and see how this works for me
Thanks for sharing this toner 
I've been playing around with this recipe and so far I like the addition of a just few drops of ACV and 1 drop of lemon. I'm feeling like it is the perfect balance so that my skin doesn't feel tight and I don't even need to use olive oil, my usual moisturizer. I've been using a combination of green and white loose tea which comes out a honey color which is very pleasing. It levels out at a pH of between 5.0 and 5.5. I don't have a bad case of acne, just remnants from acne when I was a teen. I am really llving the look and feel of my skin for a change.
My teenage son is also using this particular version of toner. He has been battling acne for the last couple of years and he is FINALLY seeing results "washing" with this toner at night, then adding it to De la Cruz 10% Sulfur Cream. The sulfur cream is thick so he adds enough toner to make it into a lotion. He rubs it into his skin before bed and leaves it on all night. He dabs a little extra of the straight cream on blemishes. In the morning he just rinses with water. He has had a very stubborn case of acne and it is such a relief to see his skin clearing. (He is also drinking the tea a little, improving his diet and taking a good multi supplement and extra Vitamin D, but this topical seems to have made the biggest difference.)
I don't understand how anyone deals with larger percentages of ACV. It burns my skin and the lingering smell is really hard to take. Even if I put more than a few drops of it in this toner it totally masks the fantastic smell of the green tea. I wish I could use more, but I hope using the small amount that I can handle is bringing at least some of the great benefits of ACV!
I've been playing around with this recipe and so far I like the addition of a just few drops of ACV and 1 drop of lemon. I'm feeling like it is the perfect balance so that my skin doesn't feel tight and I don't even need to use olive oil, my usual moisturizer. I've been using a combination of green and white loose tea which comes out a honey color which is very pleasing. It levels out at a pH of between 5.0 and 5.5. I don't have a bad case of acne, just remnants from acne when I was a teen. I am really llving the look and feel of my skin for a change.
My teenage son is also using this particular version of toner. He has been battling acne for the last couple of years and he is FINALLY seeing results "washing" with this toner at night, then adding it to De la Cruz 10% Sulfur Cream. The sulfur cream is thick so he adds enough toner to make it into a lotion. He rubs it into his skin before bed and leaves it on all night. He dabs a little extra of the straight cream on blemishes. In the morning he just rinses with water. He has had a very stubborn case of acne and it is such a relief to see his skin clearing. (He is also drinking the tea a little, improving his diet and taking a good multi supplement and extra Vitamin D, but this topical seems to have made the biggest difference.)
I don't understand how anyone deals with larger percentages of ACV. It burns my skin and the lingering smell is really hard to take. Even if I put more than a few drops of it in this toner it totally masks the fantastic smell of the green tea. I wish I could use more, but I hope using the small amount that I can handle is bringing at least some of the great benefits of ACV!
ACV does do wonders for my skin, but tends to make it red looking. I am a redhead with very pale sensitive skin, so that could be the problem. Over the past year, I have used a simple ACV/water toner starting out at 1:8 and working my way up to 1:1, so my skin has had time to adjust to it. Now that I am mostly clear, I am looking for something that will maintain the results without alot of redness. I really hope this is it! I've tried it twice so far and really like it. I added a couple of drops of lemon juice to mine because of what you said; maybe it will help lighten my scars! thanks.
I've been playing around with this recipe and so far I like the addition of a just few drops of ACV and 1 drop of lemon. I'm feeling like it is the perfect balance so that my skin doesn't feel tight and I don't even need to use olive oil, my usual moisturizer. I've been using a combination of green and white loose tea which comes out a honey color which is very pleasing. It levels out at a pH of between 5.0 and 5.5. I don't have a bad case of acne, just remnants from acne when I was a teen. I am really llving the look and feel of my skin for a change.
My teenage son is also using this particular version of toner. He has been battling acne for the last couple of years and he is FINALLY seeing results "washing" with this toner at night, then adding it to De la Cruz 10% Sulfur Cream. The sulfur cream is thick so he adds enough toner to make it into a lotion. He rubs it into his skin before bed and leaves it on all night. He dabs a little extra of the straight cream on blemishes. In the morning he just rinses with water. He has had a very stubborn case of acne and it is such a relief to see his skin clearing. (He is also drinking the tea a little, improving his diet and taking a good multi supplement and extra Vitamin D, but this topical seems to have made the biggest difference.)
I don't understand how anyone deals with larger percentages of ACV. It burns my skin and the lingering smell is really hard to take. Even if I put more than a few drops of it in this toner it totally masks the fantastic smell of the green tea. I wish I could use more, but I hope using the small amount that I can handle is bringing at least some of the great benefits of ACV!
ACV does do wonders for my skin, but tends to make it red looking. I am a redhead with very pale sensitive skin, so that could be the problem. Over the past year, I have used a simple ACV/water toner starting out at 1:8 and working my way up to 1:1, so my skin has had time to adjust to it. Now that I am mostly clear, I am looking for something that will maintain the results without alot of redness. I really hope this is it! I've tried it twice so far and really like it. I added a couple of drops of lemon juice to mine because of what you said; maybe it will help lighten my scars! thanks.
The redness may occur because the ACV has a pH of 3.0 which is quite acidic. You could add a pinch of baking soda to bring the pH up, but you'll really need the pH indicator strips I mentioned. It doesn't take much baking soda to make the pH fly way up to the opposite end of the scale. I just learned that the other day - had to throw out a whole batch of a solution I was mixing. Diluting it should bring it up too of course, but maybe there are other ingredients in ACV that cause the redness?
Perhaps PH is the issue... No worries, I'm a goldfish enthusiast and keep plenty of PH test strips on hand to keep tabs on my fishy's water quality! haha! so far, this ratio seems to be working very well. I haven't had any redness related to the ACV, I think the Green tea really helps to keep the irritation down. My face was MUCH less red this morning, I hope it keeps working as well.
Perhaps PH is the issue... No worries, I'm a goldfish enthusiast and keep plenty of PH test strips on hand to keep tabs on my fishy's water quality! haha! so far, this ratio seems to be working very well. I haven't had any redness related to the ACV, I think the Green tea really helps to keep the irritation down. My face was MUCH less red this morning, I hope it keeps working as well.
Glad to hear that your redness is decreasing!
I'm new to testing for PH levels. I am getting mine at Indigo Instruments - 15.00 for 100. Is there a better or less expensive source? Also, would you recommend a meter over the strips? I haven't read any good reviews on those that are less than 100.00. Seems like a lot of people check their results against the strips anyway. I want to make sure I have reliable strips, so any advise would be appreciated.
can i use coarse mediterranean sea salt?
Perhaps PH is the issue... No worries, I'm a goldfish enthusiast and keep plenty of PH test strips on hand to keep tabs on my fishy's water quality! haha! so far, this ratio seems to be working very well. I haven't had any redness related to the ACV, I think the Green tea really helps to keep the irritation down. My face was MUCH less red this morning, I hope it keeps working as well.
Glad to hear that your redness is decreasing!
I'm new to testing for PH levels. I am getting mine at Indigo Instruments - 15.00 for 100. Is there a better or less expensive source? Also, would you recommend a meter over the strips? I haven't read any good reviews on those that are less than 100.00. Seems like a lot of people check their results against the strips anyway. I want to make sure I have reliable strips, so any advise would be appreciated.
strips arent reliable at all. atleast not with fish tanks. the api master kit for fish tanks is the best thing to measure ph and you can get it on amazon.
can i use coarse mediterranean sea salt?
http://natural-nectar.com/b2/mediterranean-sea-salt/
Is this what you're talking about? It says it's unrefined and unbleached, so if this is indeed the case, i'd say go for it. I'm always skeptical about a pure white salt, but it could just be naturally that white
can i use coarse mediterranean sea salt?
http://natural-necta...anean-sea-salt/
Is this what you're talking about? It says it's unrefined and unbleached, so if this is indeed the case, i'd say go for it. I'm always skeptical about a pure white salt, but it could just be naturally that white
no this is private selection coarse mediterranean sea salt. im currently using x out morning and night with some aloe afterwards. its not really working but i think ill give it a few more weeks before changing to natural stuff. how should i get off of the x out and onto the natural stuff? also what all should i use? im 16 so my acne is probably bc of hormones and stuff.
thanks
I might try the white tea method once this batch is finished.
Yes i'd say go for it if the green color is too much for your skin. If you apply without a cotton pad, the best method i've found is to keep lightly smoothing your fingers across your face as it dries. Sometimes when you have something air dry on your face, it creates almost like a coating which makes your face feel more tight. But if you're constantly smoothing it around while it dries, i feel like this really helps out with that issue. At least it felt better for me
Just tried this, fingers crossed it will help. I changed it up a little bit by adding 1;3 ACV because that has always worked well for me. We shall see!
Hope it works out for you Jenn. I know many people swear by ACV, and the ratio really depends on the person. So hopefully 1;3 has a helpful effect on your skin
no this is private selection coarse mediterranean sea salt. im currently using x out morning and night with some aloe afterwards. its not really working but i think ill give it a few more weeks before changing to natural stuff. how should i get off of the x out and onto the natural stuff? also what all should i use? im 16 so my acne is probably bc of hormones and stuff.
thanks
Hmm. I'm pretty skeptical now. Many companies that produce sea salt know how valuable the trace minerals are, and so they get extracted from the salt and sold for more than the salt sells for. They're also less worried about not bleaching or refining it. And this is why i hesitate to say go for it now. You might have to splurge for a better quality salt just to be safe
Also yes, since you are 16 everything you eat/drink is especially going to have an effect on your acne situation. Hormones can be better regulated with a healthy and clean liver. In other words...no soda, refined sugar, crappy processed foods and all the toxic crap in them, (fast foods as well) If you really want to stop your acne, you have to start from the inside. It takes alot of discipline, but if i knew at the age of 16 that what i ate was directly affecting my acne, i definitely would have watched what i consumed.
Also you can help your body out by making sure your urine is as close to being clear as possible. In other words, drink water even when you aren't thirsty. And try to consume whole, organic, nutrient dense foods in place of crap foods. I do most of the shopping in the produce/organic section. More expensive, but then so is going to the hospital for health issues that could have been avoided by eating healthy all your life
also do i need to use distilled water, and could i use this along with x out and aloe vera?
also I don't know what x out is. And what type of aloe vera are you using?