Astringents, Toners & Treatments

Toner’s have been around for hundreds of years now. The basic function of a toner is to leave us with clean, clear looking, refreshed skin. Plus, they remove any leftover cleanser.

Tea Tree Oil: After either mask above, finish off with a make-up remover pad containing a few drops of pure essential tea tree oil and apply it to zits. A known zit killer (or any bacteria killer), tea tree oil is easily attainable from supermarkets and has a nice clean, fresh scent. It's advisable to dilute it if you're planning on using it as an actual toner. I'd dilute it with Witch Hazel or even just a little water.

Witch hazel: Witch Hazel has been used as an astringent for years! Use a make-up remover pad containing Witch Hazel. Witch Hazel is cheap and available at all supermarkets in the beauty section.

Rose-water: As per the above Witch Hazel suggestion, rose-water works miracles on dry, delicate skin. Plus it smells pretty. Use in the same manner. I've also tried mixing the two together! One part witch hazel to two parts rosewater is a perfect toner for normal skin. Add more rose-water if you suffer with dry skin.

Warm milk: 1 Tablespoon of warm milk mixed with a half a tablespoon of warm water works miracles when used as a toner on dry, irritated skin.

Vitamin E gel caps: For scarring, rashes, dry skin, sunburn, etc… I take a Vitamin E gel cap, puncture it with a pin, and put the oil directly on my skin. It really is amazing!

Lemon grass tea: Used as a toner on some cotton wool, cooled lemon grass tea helps to refresh and energise your skin whilst also refining the texture of the skin.

Oily skin help: Dip a slice of cucumber into some lemon or lime juice which has been diluted with 6 parts water. Rub it gently over the skin paying particular attention to the T zone and around the nostrils where little, annoying blackheads like to congregate.

Dry skin – Face

Dry facial skin sucks. It makes you feel a little self conscious and appears rather aging. No matter how much make-up you use, you can't hide it. I'm going through treatment (with some exceptionally positive results!!) for it now with the lovely Kat over at Body Inc Beauty in Roxburgh Park, VIC.

Begin with a scrub. I make my own with some sugar and warm honey (organic optional – It doesn’t really matter). Just mix it together, slather it all over your face, put some on your lips too (not for any significant benefit other than licking it off) and gently scrub. Start with the centre of your face, and move outwards in a circular motion, avoiding the eye area. 

For a gentler option, try a small pinch of oats (which have been soaked in hot water to soften) and honey instead of sugar, or just a lot less sugar.

Rinse with warm water. If your skin is irritated and/or rashy, maybe avoid brutalising it with the scrub and work on healing your poor skin first.

Now, some at home treatments for your polished, perfect skin! – 

Moisture treatment mask: Mashed banana with some honey added. Warm it up a little in the microwave for an added moisture boost. Again, and most importantly, put some on your lips so you can lick it off. Rinse off after 15-20 minutes. Both the banana and honey moisturises, but the honey doubles as an antiseptic, killing demon spawn (vicious pimples that make you pull sickies because you simply can’t face the world with an angry volcano on your face). 

Tightening treatment mask: Egg white! Crack an egg in a bowl and reserve the yolk (for a volumising hair treatment). Whenever I’ve done this, I’ve used a basting brush to paint the egg white onto my face. Just like any other mask that dries out, rinse it off when it’s dry, which is around 15-20 minutes.


Olive oil & honey moisturising wash: Mix a couple of teaspoons of olive oil with a teaspoon of honey and gently work into the skin. Wipe excess off the splash your face with warm water to remove any sticky residue.

Oat cleanser bag: Take a few tablespoons of oats in a firmly tied cheesecloth or muslin bag. Allow the bag to stand in hot water until the oats soften. Use the bag on your face like a sponge.

Dry skin – Body

I suffered with eczema and dry skin conditions for years, on and off, from around the age of 7 to 20 years old. Whilst my staple was a cortisone cream from my doctor (as well as a stiff bush to scratch with as the itching drove me fricken insane!), I decided to research, create and test my own cost efficient, pantry ingredient ideas. Plus, I was a teenager, I had no damn money! I had to raid mum’s pantry since she wouldn't buy me the expensive prescription cream all that often.

If your skin is just dry and flaky, lightly use a dry loofah or better yet, a dry pair of exfoliating gloves and scrub your skin prior to jumping in the shower. This will break down and remove dead skin cells. If your skin is irritated and rashy, avoid this idea and move straight onto the below.

A warm (not hot - Hot water destroys the skin's natural oil - the very thing we're trying to rebuild and protect here) bath with a squirt of oil (preferably coconut, olive or apricot oil) soothes and repairs dry skin. Olive oil from the supermarket would probably be the cheapest option here.

If you don’t have time for a bath or you’re not a bath sort of person, keep a bottle of oil in the shower. I keep a 500ml bottle of coconut oil as well as a 500ml bottle of almond oil in my shower. I’ve included fragrant oils in both bottles; 1 is rose and the other is CK One inspired. Kodys Candles has an insane range of fragrant oils to choose from, from fruit, candy and food fragrances to well-known perfume imitation fragrances to themed fragrances such as kiss & tell, butt naked, better than sex cake, beer and bi-polar . Not sure what they’re meant to incite within you, but hey, be adventurous and stink like beer! Give 'em a go! – No, I am not affiliated with Kodys Candles in any way, so I am not fiscally driven to pedal their products. I’m simply an impressed consumer of theirs and am on my 5th large bottle of Calvin Klein inspired CK One.

By applying my oil mixtures in the shower (after loofah-ing, massage oil in then rinse moderately), I keep rancid looking dry skin at bay and I smell pretty. This is all very fortunate given that I am too lazy to apply a moisturiser after my showers. 

Beware! If you’re not looking to get a mauling from your ramped up boyfriend/husband/friend with benefit/pervert neighbour, do this when you’re home alone or they're glued to their X-Box pwning noobs or bitch-slapping on GTA, and are too pre-occupied to notice you naked, wet, lathered up and oiled, not to mention smelling spectacular! 

On the other hand, if you’re looking for some action…