Looking To Get Toned? Stop Here! //Part 2\\ July 3, 2009

Sustainable Esscentials

(This is the 2nd Part of the series) In Part One, I discussed the ingredients that you might use, or look for, in a Toner for Normal skin. In this Part Two article, I’m continuing with the next skin type: Oily. The next skin type is Oily. Oily skin has a problem with its’ sebaceous glands working overtime. They produce an excess of sebum that cause the skin to be thick in texture, it looks shiny, and usually has blemishes (pimples, blackheads, etc.). Although the upside can be that Oily skin doesn’t wrinkle as fast as other types, the obvious downside is the ever present oil, the skin looking sallow with large pores, and the oil traps dead skin on its surfaces. These are the issues we look to clear-up by using skin care products that will normalize the skin. Each toner is created with the following ingredients in mind:

• A liquid (or liquids) that is the main ingredient
• One or more Essential Oils for specific needs
• Possible extra additives for other specific needs

The toner ingredients we look for to assist Oily skin are:

• The liquid: Distilled water would do no harm, though Witch Hazel and/or Aloe Vera would be better choices. A few good Hydrosols would be Lemon Balm, Tea Tree, Rosemary, Cedarwood (Atlas), Lemongrass, and Sage.

Lemon Balm

• The Essential Oil: on Oily skin, I would use the same EO as I used with the Hydrosol…that is, if I chose to use the Lemon Balm Hydrosol, I would choose Lemon Balm EO, as well. But you could use Tea Tree, Lavender, Rosemary, Cedarwood, Lemongrass, or Sage.

• The Extras: You could add a 5-10% solution of fruit acids that natural source of alpha hydroxy acids – which would be a helpful exfoliant for the dead layer of skin that oily skin types commonly have, though you would want to make sure that you maintained a good balance with the other ingredients…you’re not trying to strip your face of all good oils, just balance it! And again, you could always add a few drops of an EO that would make the toner’s scent more palatable.

One other thing that I would like to mention is that since these toners are lacking any long-term synthetic preservatives, they should be kept in the fridge to prolong their life and your money! Also, this is the perfect time of the year to enjoy a very cool toner!

This is the end of Part 2, Oily Skin, on “Looking To Get Toned”. The next installment will post tomorrow.

Sources:

Wikipedia

Erich Keller. Aromatherapy Handbook: Healing Arts Press, 1991 ISBN 0-89281-831-X

Jeanne Rose. The Aromatherapy Book: North Atlantic Books, 1992 ISBN 978-1-55643-073-2

Sustainable Esscentials