Toners and Fresheners


BERRIES :
You could use strawberries, cherries, cranberries or blackberries to make this unique, reju­venating toner and astringent at home.

Take one tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoons of pureed berries, one tablespoon oatmeal or wheal bran. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.Wet your face. Apply this paste all over the forehead, face and neck (avoid the eyes). Let it remain for five minutes. Now gently rub it into your face. Rub and wash off with tepid water. The fruit acids in the berries shrink your pores, brighten up your face and tone your skin. Use this toner to really pamper yourself.


Take 2 cups of water. Add juice of two limes. To this solution add one tablespoon of tincture of benzoin as a preservative. Shake well and pour into a bottle and keep. Use this as an astringent. Very good for normal skin.

WATERCRESS :

Take a handful of watercress salad leaves. Bruise them and add them to a saucepan containing equal parts of water and milk (one and a half cups should be enough). Simmer over a slow fire for a few minutes. Remove from the fire and mash the leaves well. Strain and pour the liquid into a bottle after cooling. Apply this lotion after a bath or after cleaning your face of all make-up. Let it dry on your face. This removes blemishes and gives the complexion a healing touch, making it soft and creamy. Wash off after 10-15 minutes.

CORNFLOWER :

Take a handful of flowers and infuse in 250 ml of boiling water. Allow to cool. Mash the steamed flowers into the water. Add a teaspoon of which hazel (available at the chemist shop) Strain and pour into a bottle after cooling. An effective and soothing astringent.



ORANGE AND LEMON PEELS :

Do not throw away orange and lemon peels. Sun dry them. When they are absolutely dry and brittle, powder them and keep them in a jar or wide mouthed bottle. This powder can be used in a number of face care prepa­rations; as a moisturizing face pack, as an exfoliate and also as an astringent.

To use as an astringent, take 2 tablespoons of this powder, add to this 3 table­spoons of rosewater and 3 tablespoons of water, stir well and shake it up. Apply this lotion all over the forehead, face and neck. Be careful and avoid the eyes. Let it dry, then wash off. This is an excellent astringent that cures blemishes, shrinks open pores and a good cure for pimples.

CUCUMBER AND ROSEWATER :

Take one cucumber. Peel and grate it. Take 3 table­spoons of rosewater and add the grated cucumber. Put it in a blender and make a paste and refriger­ate. Use as a toner on dry sun-burnt skin. Apply all over; leave it on for 20 minutes. Rinse off. Excellent for sun burnt, dry skin.


ICE CUBES :

Take ice cubes and rub them all over the face. This tightens the pores and increases the blood circulation. An ideal, inexpensive and instant toner.

LEMON TREE FLOWERS :

If you have a lime tree in your garden, you can make this effective com­plexion lotion. Take a handful of lemon flowers and infuse them in 20 ml of boiling water. Let it cool. Mash flowers and strain. To this add equal part of rose water. Pour in a bottle, refrigerate and keep. Use after a bath or after cleaning your face. Especially good after you apply at bedtime and leave it on overnight.