Ingredients: 1 oz. (28 g) fresh organic Italian parsley leaves (more parsley is needed if using the juicing variant of this recipe, see Preparation section), 1/2 cup distilled water, 1 tbs. (5 ml) organic sicilian lemon juice, 3 drops organic tea tree oil, 3 drops organic rosemary essential oil

Preparation: If you have a juicer, juice 1/4 oz. of the parsley (the best is to juice enough parsley to get 1/4 oz. (7.4 ml) juice! since there are loses during juicing, you need to adjust the parsley quantity accordingly!). Also the whole recipe can be adjusted to whatever quantities you may need, just respect the direct proportionality when doing so. The 1 oz. of parsley chop it finely and then put it on the bottom of a french press:

Separately bring distilled water to a boil and then pour it boiling over the parsley in the french press. Let it step (10 min), plunge and let it cool. Now add the rest of the ingredients and mix well and put in a dark bottle. Keep the toner refrigerated. When using add 3 ml of the fresh parsley juice to 3 ml refrigerated mix in a small bottle with atomizer, spray the face generously. The toner can be as well applied with a cotton ball moist in it and using circular motion. Avoid eye area. The remaining juice, just use it in some foods you may make, or simply drink it!

Skin-care benefits:

Parsley, is very rich in vitamin C (richer than citric fruits!). It is rich in minerals (manganese, iron, calcium, potassium). It is also rich in beneficial essential oils, with highly anti-inflammatory activity, like apiol, apionin, myristicin, pinene. Pro-vitamin A, glucoside and flavonoids are also found in parsley. It may also benefit skin cancer and rashes, and diabetes skin complications. It works wonders on insect bites/stings! I was once stung by a bee and I applied crushed parsley on the spot and kept it there for a few hours, I had no other choice as I was in countryside and had no anti-histaminic available. The inflammation and pain were completely gone and I did not get an allergic reaction as I used to normally get from a bee sting!

Tea-tree oil is highly anti-septic as being rich in terpenoids. It improves skin clarity and kills bacteria, viruses and fungi. Works great for dandruff, lice, athlete's foot, boils, carbuncles, warts and yeast infections.

Rosemary essential oil is a skin toner and removes dryness. It is also anti-septic and works wonders for hair. It is anti-cancerous and anti-inflammatory. It is highly rich in vitamins and minerals and especially in vitamin E and other anti-oxidants, which have all, great skin care benefits as it they are rejuvenating and healing through radical fighting. Rosemary oil also helps strengthen the skin capillaries, making it great for cuperosis. It also improves rosacea. Wonderful for rashes and dermatitis.

The recipe was adapted to get the benefits from both worlds (plant extract through boiling, which may extract and transform some substances found in the plant and fresh juice which has unaltered plant raw substances).

This toner is highly clarifying! it is great for blemish/acne prone skin, for oily skin, skin inflammation and hormonal skin problems.

This toner is great as it changes the pH of the skin, which will kill any acne causing bacteria. The antioxidants from the ingredients help with blackheads and wrinkles.

When you start using this toner the best would be to perform a complete facial before: a steam bath using rosemary leaves, chamomile and parsley in green tea and immediately a clarifying clay treatment of choice (I personally like the Burt's Bees Pore Refining clay mask -I have combination skin-, this is an organic french clay with organic plant powders and essential oils! and no harmful additives). Or you can just use the clay of your choice, each clay has its own special benefits.

A great source of essential oils and clay is Mountain Rose Herbs.