I am so excited for this one, and I don’t even have dry skin. This was a new one for me, and I had a couple of people who needed the extra moisture try this out – and this got RAVE reviews! How it came to be was a matter of necessity.
See, I bought five ears of corn at the farmer’s market last week. We have three people in our household, only one of which will eat more than one ear of corn at a time (Fiance loves his food). So I had an extra ear. What to do? What to do?
I started poking around the internet to find recipes with corn in them (or if corn would even MAKE a good homemade beauty item), and came up with all kinds of information on corn and its moisturizing properties for the face (including a study that it helps with antiaging), but no recipes.
Given the glowing review for corn as a moisturizer and protector, I was bound and determined to create something so amazing, so new, that no one on the internet had ever done it before. Please don’t tell me if I’m wrong. It will crush me.
Plus, this is another twofer!
So without further ado, let’s check out the recipe:
Moisturizing Fresh Corn Milk and Lavender Toner
- One ear of organic corn, shucked
- 2 Tbsp. dried lavender
- 3/4 c. water
- 1 Tbsp. vodka
- 2 Tbsp. witch hazel
Boil 3/4 c. water and add to lavender buds. Let steep while you’re finishing the rest.
Shuck the corn and then cut off the kernels (making sure they don’t fly all over the kitchen – it’s an issue). Put the kernels into your blender or food processor and let it go until you’ve got corn mush and you start craving creamed corn.
Dump the corn into the middle of your cheese cloth or other straining-type material. Wrap the corn up and start juicing it through the fabric. One ear of corn, for me, ended up being just a little over 1/4 c., so anything a little under or above that is just fine for this recipe.
By this time, your lavender water should have cooled a bit, so you can just mix the two together. Add in the witch hazel and vodka. Note: You can use 2 more tablespoons of vodka in lieu of the witch hazel, if need be.
Shake it up, bottle it, and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Use it after showering or washing your face as a moisturizer AND toner.
TWOFER! You will have corn left over in your cheese cloth. It will be awesome, because you can take that mush (which feels like wet cornmeal, because that’s kind of what it is), add 2 Tablespoons of honey and a drip or two of milk, until it’s at your desired consistency. Slather it on a clean face and let it sit for 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water while scrubbing lightly.
There you have yourself a very moisturizing, very fresh, and very natural face mask – the perfect finish to which is … (drum roll) … the toner!
Crunchy Kids! The First of Many
I can’t wait to try this! It sounds so simple! I have me some seriously dry skin (like flaky and peeling dry skin) so hopefully this will work! I was also wondering what recipes you would recommend for seriously dry skin 🙂
Tried the toner sample you gave me…super!! Cool, refreshing, and invigorating!! Just four natural ingredients instead of 16 chemicals (yes, I counted) in my usual toner make it all that much better!
Yay, Meems! I’m so glad you liked it. It really was, by far, my favorite toner I’ve made. Just wish I had the skin to use it.
And, yes – that’s what I love so much about doing this: No chemicals! It’s also why it’s important to use organic foodstuffs as much as you can when you make homemade beauty. Otherwise, you end up with pesticides on your face. Not fun.
O.k. I came home the other day with 5 ears of corn also. They were 5 for $1.00 so I had to buy 5, right? Now instead of fighting with my hubby over who gets the odd ear, I can mix it with my favorite herb in the world (wait, vodka isn’t an herb is it?). Thank you for posting this one, it sounds great and I can’t wait to try it!
That’s why I had extra, too! Five for a dollar at the farmer’s market. That’s how they getcha. Heh.
I think, for the purposes of our discussion, we can consider vodka an herb. It is also dessert, snack, and breakfast. Heh.
As always, let me know how it goes for you! I gave my mom some yesterday (see below) and she loved it, too. Thus, it is now at the top of my list of recipes. Your positive vote will win it an Emmy. Or an Oscar. I don’t know. We need to come up with an award system for recipes.
any word that contains the word m*ist scares me. but the recipe looks delightful. also. what do you do with the rest of the bottle of vodka? i’m thinking it’d be good for m*isturizing your throat.
see? see how the word m*ist is just not right?
This is messed up, because I, too, have extreme distaste for the word “moist,” and it hadn’t even occurred to me that I’d used it in any of its forms. Gross! But I guess I’m going to have to from now on. Know what other word I hate? Pants. Weird, huh?
Hi Betty ~ What a great site you have! So interesting! I’ll be back!
Thanks, Jillsy! Can’t wait to see more of your pictures. You’re so inspiring!
I’m noticing a vodka trend around these parts 😉
Also? I have a guilty secret.
You might want to either a) slap me in the head or b) load me up with a bunch of recipes.
LOL!
I think it will be my shot for tomorrow 😉
heh. suspense.
Okay, okay. I’ve been bating my breath all morning. Hurry up! Suspense and crunchiness do not mix well. Vodka and cranberry juice, on the other hand …
LOL! don’t hold your breath chickadee … it’s not THAT special!
I just got home … shooting to commence shortly.
Take that whichever way you want to take it 😉
Please, oh, please, let it be red-headed sluts. Those are my favorites! At least, as well as I can remember …
You’re recipes always make me hungry. I think I have some left over corn in the fridge, I’ll have to try it. Is the vodka just a preservative or does it do something?
I can’t even begin to tell you how much I wanted creamed corn after making this. And it smells sooooo heavenly, too, when it’s finished. Who knew lavender and corn would make such a heavenly couple?
The vodka is both a preservative and an astringent. You definitely want to have it or witch hazel (which will also act as a preservative) in this to keep it fresh for a couple of weeks.
Vodka is going to be a bit more drying to the skin, though, which is why I opted to do 1 Tbsp (for it’s extra-good preservative effects) of it and then the rest witch hazel, since this is more of a moisturizing toner. If you need more astringent properties, it’s okay to use all vodka.
Let me know what you think! The color is so magical, too. A milky-purplish hue. Oh, I’m so in love with this one.
Really? U can this from scratch? That is awesome!
Now all I need is the vodka…
😉
That’s right. I’m enabling chronic drinking, one homemade beauty recipe at a time. Ha! Makes me think, the next time I do a recipe that uses vodka, I’m so going to put a tasty drink recipe at the bottom, too. Got any?
I don’t have dry skin, so I’ll probably skip this one. But I really enjoy your all natural beauty recipes. I find it inspiring that you made up a beauty recipe rather than waste an ear of corn.
I’ll keep that in mind. Do you have a particular ingredient you’d love to see at all? One of the main reasons I did this was for Jan over at http://twoscoopz.com, because she said she loved, loved lavender. I love to cater!
No! Freak-in’! Way!