DIY Friday-Lavender Vinegar Toner.

Okay, here is my first installment of DIY Friday( which will happen on the 3rd Friday of each month) and I'm really excited to share with you all.  I've been on a strict budget and had to give up many luxuries, that felt like necessities, like face toner, deep conditioner, fancy creams.....oh, the list could go on, but I won't bore you. Honestly, at my age( and no, I'm not telling you), this is not a good thing.  Not good at all.  So in desperation, I came up with an inexpensive and quite effective face toner.  It wasn't easy nor pretty, but after 2 fails, I finally ended up with a winner.   I've been happily slathering my face with this toner for 3 months and my face is loving it.   

Funny thing, I've never been a big fan of vinegar, especially the smell.. YUCK! But that was before I started infusing vinegar with herbs, like Lavender.  Infusing vinegar is extremely easy and quick process: Clean/dry jar( I really like Bell Jars and they are easily found at any grocery store), Herbs of choosing( dry ), and white vinegar.  Combine herbs( about 1/2 way to the top ), add vinegar, put top on tightly and shake it like it's your job.  Two weeks later and your infusion is ready for use.  That's. It....easy-peasy, huh? 

 As I said in a prior post; what works for me may not work for you.  This recipe is just a guideline or a starting point for you to become your own kitchen chemist.  Have fun with this and experiment until it's perfect for YOU.  Add things or delete others, it's all good, this is for you and your skin.  My only concern is to be very carefully when adding H2O.  If you choose to add water just remember this basic biology: All living things need water, even icky, smelly bacteria.  If you are determined to add water then you need to look into preservatives.  Just FYI.  Now let's get down to the fun stuff.

VINEGAR INFUSED LAVENDER TONER

•  1/2 Tablespoon of Castor Oil ( or any oil that works great for your skin )
•  3 Tablespoons of Witch Hazel(really good for acne prone skin and easily found in drugstores)
• 1/4 teaspoon lavender essential oil ( can be found at health food stores )
• Vinegar/Lavender infusion.

I add the castor oil, witch hazel and essential oil.  Once that is all combined, I fill the rest of the bottle with the lavender infusion.  Shake well before each use.  Remember this is a facial toner and should be used on clean skin.  That's it! 

But, wait, there's more....if you don't like it on your face you can use it to clean your hair( psst....this is what I do, but more on that later...)  Yes, it's true!!  Folks do not sleep on the mighty powers of infused vinegars. You will be amazed!!  

Enjoy and please post back to let me know how it turned out for you!!