I used an aloe vera and vitamin E toner for a month. And this what is did to my skin

It was actually fairly recently that I decided I need to include a toner in my skincare routine. The reason? Well, I had been experiencing tiny breakouts here and there. 

Toners—which are known to close pores to protect them against pollution while also removing any leftover dirt or oil—seemed to be the perfect addition to my skincare routine. I was really hoping that this would make my skin smooth and stop pimples from appearing.

However, I am someone who doesn’t trust cosmetic products easily or quickly. You see, the breakouts were a recent phenomenon after having added a couple of new products to my routine. Hence, I really didn’t want to add yet another chemical-laden product that could aggravate my skin condition.

So, what did I do?
I decided to do a little research to figure out if I could make a toner at home. A simple Google search confirmed that it was very much possible to create a customised toner for my skin from ingredients present at home. However, the main ingredient wasn’t in my kitchen cabinet but my garden!

Aloe vera, as we know, has many benefits for the skin. It has a calming effect on sunburns, it has a deeply hydrating effect on the skin, it’s antibacterial properties can keep pimples at bay and overall, keeps your skin fresh. Not to mention, using aloe vera for glowing skin never disappoints. 

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In fact, research published on PubMed Central notes that aloe vera has the ability to help our skin retain moisture as well as aid in the healing of wounds. Extracting the gel from an aloe vera leaf is fairly easy since you just have to slit it and scrap off the gel inside.

My next ingredient was rose since most women in my family have raved about the cleansing effect of rose water. This, too, I decided to make at home by putting rose petals in 100 ml water and keeping it out in the sun for a day.

Next up was an ingredient I had been using for a while and noticing brilliant results: vitamin E. I added one capsule which contains about ten drops to this mix. It is, honestly, one of the most helpful ingredients when it comes to making the skin glow. I poured this mixture into a spray bottle for convenient application. 

I used this toner every day for a month
I religiously used this home-made toner each day after washing my face and before applying moisturiser. One important thing to mention is that the bottle definitely needs a good shake before you spray it on the face.

After one month, I realized I hadn’t had new breakouts. In fact, my skin felt free of the extra oil that could have been contributing to the pimples.

I have combination skin and I feel this mix helped me keep my skin hydrated without drying it out too much or making it too oily, which is a common problem with people who have this skin type.

Also, read: A dermatologist weighs in on whether you really need to use a toner for your skin

The toners I have used before stung a little when I applied them, but since this one was made only of natural ingredients, it was actually soothing for my skin. In fact, applying it right out of the refrigerator calmed redness and puffiness. 

It prevented acne, but didn’t work on blemishes
I had hoped that this toner would perhaps reduce the blemishes caused by the breakouts which it wasn’t too successful with. Maybe for that, I’ll have to use it for longer. Moreover, I had to refill the bottle every couple of days, which makes this toner a little inconvenient.

That said, I will continue to use this because it does keep my skin free of breakouts.