- includes four easy recipes for homemade facial toners

By Sharon Hopkins

Skin toners are the next step after a facial cleansing routine. Skin toners ensure complete removal from the skin of all cleansing preparations. They freshen and tone up the skin and prepare a clean surface for the application of make-up. They also restore the acid or alkali balance of the skin, because they are pH balanced. They are designed to penetrate pores, refresh and cool your skin while clearing away excess oil, impurities and dead skin cells that were not removed with your cleanser.

Toners restore the skin’s natural pH balance. When you wash your face, the pH balance of the skin is distorted leading to skin working overtime to restore pH levels; the process of skin restoring the pH levels on its own can take up as much as half and hour or more. By using a skin toner, the pH level of your skin is restored instantly.

Choose a toner appropriate for your skin type. A wide variety of toners are available. Alcohol dries the skin and harms the soluble collagen below the surface of the skin. It is thus safer to use an alcohol-free toner.

Common herbs used in toners include witch hazel, geranium, honey, lemon, ivy, sage, nettle and burdock. Witch hazel has a tendency to dry the skin. It is ideal to combine it with moisturizers such as Vitamin E, honey, etc. Rosewater helps keep skin and face moisturized, fresh and balances the pH levels.

Essential oils are the gentlest way of toning up. Rose water for normal or dry/sensitive skin or witch hazel for oilier skins is ideal bases for fresheners. These can be applied with cotton wool, using smooth, gentle upward strokes or sprayed on to the face. Oily skin benefits from juniper or lemongrass whereas drier skins would benefit from rose or sandalwood.

Apply the skin toner to a cotton ball and sweep it gently across your face. The cotton wool should come out relatively clean when toning. If it is not clean it indicates the cleansing has not been done properly. Do not succumb to the temptation to tone the skin whenever you feel it has become dirty. It should be used only after the skin has completed a cleansing routine and not as a substitute for cleansing. So, remember that your toner must function as a toner and not as a cleanser.

Toning is pleasant and refreshing, can act as an additional cleanser on very oily or dirty skin, and is valuable in removing any traces of grease that the cleanser may have left behind. Think of it as the polishing touch in your skin care treatment.

Homemade Facial Toner Recipes

Supplies You Will Need to Give a Manicure:

1 - Nail scissors
2 - Small tray, about the size of a soap dish
3 - Gentle dishwashing detergent or skin softening bubble bath
4 - Warm water
5 - Two to three hand towels
6 - Moisturizer or Hand Lotion with Aloe Vera, Cocoa Butter or similar ingredient to condition skin
7 - Clear Base Coat Nail Polish
8 - Colored Nail Polish
9 - Top Coat Nail Polish
10 - Small lamp or other radiant source of light
11 – Table or desk so that, when seated, your arms can easily extend across from the relaxed position of a comfortable chair
12 - Hair dryer or similar device (not required)
13 – Cotton swabs

What You Do:

1. Fill tray with warm water and sudsy liquid (the trick is to add water at just the right temperature so it will soften skin without being too hot to the touch)

2. Place one hand in tray and let it soak for several minutes

3. If you’re giving someone else a manicure, you can use oil or moisturizer to massage one hand while the other one is soaking.

4. Remove soaking hand and pat dry with hand towel.

5. Place other hand in tray to soak for several minutes.

6. While the second hand is soaking, you should carefully begin trimming cuticles that form around the edges of the nail itself (NOTE: Pay close attention to what you’re doing, so you don’t cut too close and end up causing skin to bleed. If you take your time and trim slowly with tiny strokes, you should be fine.)

7. If your timing is perfect, you will be finished cutting the cuticles on that hand before the first hand gets wrinkled from being in the warm water too long. (Tip: Don’t try to hurry the cuticle trimming process to make your timing work. Instead try to remember to check on the soaking hand half-way through the course of cutting cuticles. If the water is cold or the hand shows hints of wrinkling skin, that’s your cue to stop the soaking operation and pat hand dry with hand towel, apply some lotion and go back to the trimming procedure.)

8. When you have completed trimming cuticles on both hands, you should make sure all loose skin is removed from nail area. Begin to polish nails with clear base coat by applying a thin layer as smoothly and carefully as possible. Try to keep polish on nails only. If you accidentally apply too much or get extra polish on skin around nails, use a cotton swab dipped lightly in nail polish remover to correct your mistake.

9. After applying base coat to both hands, choose polish color and repeat previous procedure beginning with the same hand you started with last time. Follow guidelines described above to produce best results.

10. The next application will be a top coat to create a seal or protection for colored polish. Repeat previous steps to ensure success in this process. Remember less is better when it comes to nail polish. Thick layers lead to messy results.

11. You have two choices to complete this process and make your manicure last….

You can dry nails with a blow dryer or similar device set on slow speed at a moderate temperature. You should keep hands positioned under heat source for at least three minutes and then sit still, touch nothing, and wait for another minute or two to avoid smudges or smears that will ruin your efforts, or…

You can skip the dryer process and sit still, touch nothing and wait for at least five minutes to creating lasting results that will make your manicured nails look their best.

© Danielle Hollister (2004) About the Author:
Danielle Hollister is the Publisher of BellaOnline Quotations Zine - A free newsletter for quote lovers featuring more than 10,000 quotations in dozens of categories like - love, friendship, children, inspiration, success, wisdom, family, life, and many more. Read it online Bellaonline Quotations

(NC)-No doubt about it - winter wreaks havoc on our skin, hair, nails and especially our feet. Take care of your tootsies this season with a home pedicure from Q-tips cotton swabs.

Remove Old Nail Polish

Clean off old nail polish using a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover. For smaller toenails, a Q-tips cotton swab is the perfect tool.

Trim Your Nails

Cut nails straight across using toenail clippers. File, if necessary, to smooth any rough edges.

Soak Your Feet

Fill a bucket or large bowl with warm water and Epsom salts. Find a comfy chair and a good magazine and relax for at least 15 minutes. Rinse feet in clean, warm water and pat dry.

Smooth the Rough Spots

Use a pumice stone to smooth away rough spots on toes, heels and the balls of feet. (Doing this after every shower helps keep your feet in shape.)

Neaten Cuticles

Using an orangewood stick, gently push back cuticles. Never cut the cuticle; only trim hangnails.

Moisturize

Massage an extra-rich moisturizer like Vaseline Intensive Care into your toes, ankles, soles - even calves - to improve circulation, relieve fatigue, and energize. Aaahh!

Apply Nail Polish

Polishing toes is easier with a foam toe separator available at most dollar stores. Apply a clear base coat to help keep your nails from absorbing the pigments from the polish, two coats of colour and a clear topcoat. In a hurry? Try two coats of clear polish for an easy, elegant look. If you paint outside the lines, dip a Q-tips cotton swab in nail polish remover and wipe off the stray polish.

For great ideas on how to get your body ready for spring, visit www.homebasics.ca.

- News Canada

Light summer clothes and sandals mean your feet and hands will be taking center stage, so putting a few extra minutes into proper nail care is must for the prettiest looks. Whether you are applying nail polish to your hands or toes, the basic principles to make your manicure or pedicure last are the me.

1. Prepare your nails properly before polishing. Nail polish won’t adhere well to nails that are dirty or oily. Wash your hands thoroughly to remove any lotions, dirt or oils, and then brush each nail with a bit of nail polish remover. This will remove all oils from the nail itself and prepare it for accepting polish.

2. Lightly buff your nails and file off any rough edges. Polish will be more prone to peeling and flaking if the nails are rough around the edges or have ridges in them. Filing and buffing gives a smoother surface so that polish won’t flake.

3. Choose the right polish. Did you know that nail polish expires? Most brands will only last about a year before they become thicker and start to clump. Polish that’s too thick will go on thicker and won’t dry well, leading to more chance of smearing or smudging. Most nail polish formulas are similar and will last almost a week, but fast drying formulas are an exception. The extra ingredients that allow fast drying polishes to set so quickly also makes them peel more quickly, so try to avoid fast-dry formulas unless you absolutely have to use them. The extra few minutes spent drying a standard nail polish will be well worth it if your manicure lasts days longer.

4. Care for your polish properly. Summer weather is especially tough on nail polish – the high temperatures can cause polish to separate and the color to change. To keep your nail polish
in top condition, refrigerate it in the summer. You should also clean the polish bottle carefully after each use by wiping the outside edge of the bottle with a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover to keep the bottle from sticking shut. Finally, be sure that you gently blend the nail polish before applying
by rolling the bottle between your hands. Shaking a bottle of polish will create air bubbles in the polish that can cause bumps and clumps when you apply it – guaranteed to shorten the life span of your pedicure.

5. Use a base coat and top coat. It takes a bit more time to do a complete manicure rather than just throwing on some polish, but its well worth the effort. After your nails are clean, be sure to apply a base coat; this product prepares the nail for polish and gives nail polish something to cling to so that it
lasts longer. Follow this with two thin coats of polish in the desired color, and then finish off with a quality top coat. When you apply the top coat, be sure to run the brush horizontally across the tip of the nail with a bit of it going under the edge of the nail. This will help prevent peeling and seals the manicure properly.

6. Don’t rush things. Be sure to let your nails dry five to ten minutes between each coat. If the coat below isn’t completely dry before you add the next one, your nails won’t dry properly for quite a while, leading to chips and smudges. If you are in a rush or simply impatient, plunge your nails into ice water for a few seconds between coats – this will quickly dry and seal the polish.

Enjoy your beautifully painted, long lasting nails! Remember not to open soda cans or pick at envelopes with your freshly painted nails. Using your nails as tools won’t help you keep your nail polish fresh at all!

About The Author: Sally Hart is a salon owner who purchases her quality beauty products at discount prices from eNailSupply’s line which includes OPI Nail Polish, Essie Nail Polish, Seche Vite, a& Gigi Wax. Go to eNailSupply today to sign up for their email flyer.