My best friend Sarah is truly a renaissance woman; she does every crafty DIY. Sarah can conjure homemade shampoo and deodorant, knows random survival strategies and makes her own strawberry jam. She's absolutely my favorite and my go-to with any questions that I have.

Seriously, one time I texted her in a panic asking how to unclog a toilet, because I knew that she'd know how to. A disaster was averted because I have the most weirdly knowledgeable best friend!

Recently she's been delving into the world of essential oils. On her last visit she came stocked with a homemade all natural toner, and I want to share the recipe because I don't know about you, but my skin struggles in cold weather. I have very dry, red blotchy, sensitive skin and only natural products don't irritate it. Sarah to the rescue! Here is her winter skin toner for all skin types, in six easy steps!

Step 1:

Get out a mixing bowl and start with 1/2 cup of distilled water

Step 2:

Add two tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). ACV is beneficial for basically all areas of health (google it and be amazed), and when diluted and used on your skin it is anti-inflammatory and cleansing and it eliminates breakouts.

Step 3:

1/2 cup of Witch Hazel. This astringent has antioxidants that cleanse the bacteria in your pores and naturally reduces acne and inflammation. It can also be used on bug bites and has anti-aging properties!

Step 4:

Add 2 teaspoons of rose water. I always use rose water or products with rose essential oil in the winter because it's an anti-inflammatory and gentle natural toner that reduces the redness and irritability on my face. It's also a cleanser that breaks up the dirt and oil in your pores.

Step 5:

Add ten drops of tea tree essential oil. Tea tree is an antiseptic and antibacterial oil that will kill the bacteria on your face causing acne. This is my number one choice for clearing my breakouts, as it works extremely well as a spot treatment.It is very powerful and absolutely needs to be diluted with witch hazel before being used directly on skin.

Step 6:

Add 10 drops of lavender essential oil. Besides smelling amazing and helping reduce stress, lavender also has antioxidant properties and helps calm irritation on your face. Like witch hazel, it has anti-aging properties.

You're all done!

I definitely need all the anti-inflammatory's I can get when it comes to my dry, red winter face. This formula can be poured into a spray bottle and sprayed directly onto your face. I usually use this before I moisturize my face with a store-bought natural moisturizer AND a rose oil based moisturizer. It takes a lot to keep up with cold weather skin, so please take care of yourself!