DIY Toners: Make Your Own Beauty Products!

Three glass vial bottles of fresh natural plant based skin care facial toners.

Homemade floral toners are gentle cleansers for the skin that will clean and shrink pores and can also help redress natural pH levels for certain skin types.

How to Use Skin Toner

Toner should be applied to the skin—using cotton wool or by spritzing directly onto skin—after you’ve washed your face and before moisturizing.

DIY Toner Recipes

Floral Water Toner

To make this gentle skin freshener that’s good for oily skin:

  1. Put 5 tablespoons rose petals, 4 tablespoons sage leaves, 3 tablespoons raspberry leaves, and 2 tablespoons rosemary leaves into a jar without a metal lid and add 200ml (7 fl oz) hot apple cider vinegar.
  2. Seal the jar and let steep for 2 weeks, shaking daily.
  3. Strain into a bowl and add 150 ml (5 fl oz) rosewater (see below), then transfer to a separate jar without a metal lid. Store in a dark, cool place or the fridge for up to 7 days.

Cucumber & Green Tea Toner

  1. Combine equal quantities of cucumber juice and green tea (which you can make from the leaves of the tea camellia) with 1 tablespoon of vodka. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Simple Rosewater

The simplest way to make rosewater is to:

  1. Put the petals from 3 or 4 homegrown roses (or roses from a reputable and organic source) in a small saucepan, add 300 ml (10 fl oz) distilled water, and bring to a boil.
  2. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the petals have lost their color.
  3. Strain the mixture and store the rosewater in a sealed jar. Store in a cool place or the fridge for up to 7 days. If the water becomes cloudy or the aroma changes, throw it away and make a fresh batch.
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Excerpted with permission from Grow Your Own Botanicals by Cinead McTernan ($24.99, Kyle Books, 2019)

Contributor

Cinead McTernan

Cinead McTernan writes for newspapers and magazines, including The Telegraph and The Mail. She edited The Edible Garden and The Simple Things magazine garden section. Cinead works as a horticultural researcher for BBC 1's "Chelsea Flower Show" and was previously the assistant producer for BBC 1's "Garden Rescue" and researcher on BBC 2's "Gardeners' World." She is the author of Grow Your Own Botanicals, Kitchen Garden Experts, and One-Pot Gourmet Gardener.