DIY Natural Facial Toner

 

A great natural ingredient to introduce to your skin to clear up acne or just simply improve the overall complexion of your skin is apple cider vinegar. (ACV)

 

 

What is ACV?

Apple cider vinegar is a type of vinegar made by the fermentation of apple cider. First the apples are fermented then during the fermentation process, sugar in the apple cider is broken down by bacteria and yeast into alcohol and then into vinegar. The best apple cider vinegar to purchase is unfiltered, unpasteurized and with the “mother”.

How does ACV work?

Did you know that our skin is actually acidic? We have a thin protective layer on our skin that is known as the acid mantle. This acid mantle is made up of sebum (free fatty acids) excreted from the skin’s sebaceous glands, which mixes with lactic and amino acids from sweat to create the skin’s potential hydrogen(pH).  A pH number measures from 0 to 14 on how acidic or alkaline a liquid is. Anything above 7 is alkaline and anything below 7 is acid. Our skin should be slightly acidic at about 4.5 and 6.2.

Many facial cleansers tend be to be too alkaline for the skin which strip oils from the skin and cause dryness. Skin that is too alkaline is more likely to break out since the skin also needs a certain level of acidity to reduce bacterial growth on the skin. Cleansers and toners can also be too acidic that will also strip oils from the skin and cause dryness and redness. Finding the right balance is key to your best looking complexion.

You can get apple cider vinegar to a pH level of 3 when it is diluted. This is the perfect balance that will remove and protect you from bacteria and shed dead skin cells while your skin remains healthy.

The benefits from the toner:

• Balance and restore skins natural pH balance
• Improve overall complexion
• Lighten sun and age spots
• Shed dead skin cells
• Reduce appearance of pores
• Can help with acne and scarring

 

How to make Apple Cider Vinegar Toner:

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. of Apple Cider Vinegar

4 Tbs. of water

(Make sure that you try different ratios according to what works best for your skin. I have sensitive skin so the less ACV the better.) We are trying to find the perfect balance for your skin with less irritation.

Directions:

Combine these two ingredients in a bottle (These bottles can be found in a dollar store. The picture above shows a plastic bottle I purchased at a dollar store.)

How to use:

Shake well before every use. Apply using a cotton ball all over your face but avoiding the delicate areas of the eyes. This can be applied 1-2 times daily.

(ACV does not have a pleasant smell but when diluted it is not as strong and it will go away as it dries.)

I hope you enjoy this DIY toner and see great results.

 

-Ashes

 

Honey Face Mask

I am not sure if you have figured this out by now but, I have an obsession with honey.

Yes I do! I do!

How is it possible to not have an obsession?! It is oh so yummy. There are also so many uses for it from food and drinks recipes to skin and hair care. I will be sharing with you one of my favorite uses of honey since I have both felt and seen amazing benefits from it and it is also easy to do.

Honey Face Mask

 Its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties work so well on ones skin. It will make your skin feel fresh, clean and leave it moisturized.

What you’ll need:

• 1/2 tbsp. Raw Honey (also known as unpasteurized honey)
• Spoon
• Small Bowl
• That Beautiful Face of Yours

Here’s what you do:

• First make sure that your face is clean with no makeup since this will not be able to remove makeup and remember to tie up your hair to prevent getting it sticky.
• Get 1/2 tbsp. from the honey jar and pour it in the small bowl.
• Then begin to apply the raw honey directly to your entire face with your fingertips and rub with circular motion.
• Leave on for 15-30 minutes.
• Rinse with warm water.
• Pat your face dry with a clean towel.

After the mask your skin will feel so moisturized and clean you will certainly think twice about all those skin care mask that just dry out your skin. I sure don’t use them anymore and I’m glad.

Before we go I would like to mention how to purchase honey.

Typically you would feel safer when purchasing organic foods, but when it comes to honey there is one thing to remember. There are no standards for USDA certified organic honey. For example, bees will have to travel many miles to feed on nectar and pollen and the bee keeper cannot possibly be aware if those surrounding plants are certified organic. So you can’t regulate how the bees travel. That would be silly, although, the government would love to regulate that (they love regulations).

The next thing to be aware of is how the honey is processed. Sometimes companies will cook the honey in high heat so it is easier to package but, when honey is cooked at high heats then it destroys its beneficial enzymes. Sometimes corn syrup will be added,which also is not very beneficial. So make sure to know your honey and don’t always trust the label.

What I do suggest is to buy from your local farmers market. I find it much easier that way. Just go ahead and ask them how they process their honey for a piece of mind.

I purchase my Wild flower and Honey Comb honey from Harris Family Apiaries. You could find them at the local farmers market on Sundays in Alhambra, California. I do recommend them if you live in the area. This family will heat the room to about 80 degrees and filter out the little legs and wings from the bees with cheesecloth in order to package the honey. Now, doesn’t that sounds like a reliable and trusted source of honey to consume? I think so.

So make life literally sweeter with a DIY raw honey face mask.

-Ashes

Realization of Beauty

It has been less than a month that I decided not to wear makeup because of my acne prone skin and I wanted to give you all an update:

Hello World

Welcome to my Sweet Like Honey blog. This is my test post. Super excited to share all my natural beauty tips with you all. Enjoy! Let’s take steps to make life sweeter.

-Ashes