All About Facial Toners (And Its Correlation to Chocolate Fudge!)
We have all heard of toners and we have also heard that they are essential to our skincare routine, but for some reason a simple swipe of a liquid product across your face seems so useless, right? WRONG.
It is human tendency to ignore what we do not understand, and that is root of the problem when it comes to answering why some do not use toners. Over the years, there has been confusion about what the actual use and benefits of toners, so people have avoided using them. What is it? What does it do? Once you fully understand how toners work, what the ingredients are, and why they are beneficial, you will be pleasantly surprised to see that it may just make all the difference in your skin care routine. So lets get started!
What are toners? Toners are a facial cleansers, which typically come in a liquid formula and are to be used after you have washed and cleaned your face. It is easily applied with a cotton ball and simply swiped all over your face before or in place of your moisturizer.
What do toners do? Toners have a variety very beneficial uses. For one, they help to regulate pH levels of your skin. Our skin is naturally acidic, so when we wash our face with different soaps, the pH levels get disturbed. Toners help bring back your pH scales to a safer level for your skin. Secondly, they get all the teeny-tiny, nitty-gritty stuff left on your skin and help clean out and give the appearance of smaller pores. Third, toners help close your pores back up so that natural contaminates such as dirt or pollution in the air do not penetrate even deeper into your skin causing breakouts. It acts as a shield between your skin......and the world! woooahhh!
Now that you know how important toners are, the trick is to finding one that's right for YOU.
Dry Sensitive Skin: OK dry skin, before you run away at the sound of "toner," just hear me out! I, too, have very dry, flakey skin and it has taken me a very long time to convince myself to use toners. Just the thought of anything further making my skin feel stretched brings shivers down my spine. But, you see, it doesn't have to be that way! If you find the right toner for yourself, it may really be the solution to all your problems! What you need? A non-alcohol based (or water based) "calming" toner to help sooth redness and flaking. Look for a product with different oils targeted at moisturizing the skin. And don't be fooled-- just because toners are liquid formulas, does not mean that they do not moisturize at the same time!
Oily/Acne Prone Skin: Since toners help remove "leftover" traces of oils and dirt, finding a good toner for oily skin is crucial in helping reduce acne, inflammation or excess oils. Most toners made for acne are based on an astringent such as witch hazel (the less harsh version of rubbing alcohol). There are definitely mixed feelings about using astringents on your face. Some believe it is too harsh and further irritates your skin, while others believe the base of the astringent mixed with essential oils or vitamins helps clean out impurities and delivers ingredients to help heal the skin. For this skin type, the right toners will help control oils at the base while actively repairing the skins surface.
Combination Skin: If you are unsure what your skin type is you are probably "normal." Or maybe you are confused because you have some dry areas and some oily areas (ex. dry cheeks and oily T zone). If this is the case, you should be very careful in choosing toners as the wrong one could aggravate your dry skin and make your oily areas even worse. Opt for an alcohol-free toner that aims at minimizing pores. Look for a "gentle" formula with ingredients such as "niacinamide ", which will help regulate and balance your skin.
At this point, you might be asking yourself why I haven't recommended any specific toners for different skin types. The answer is easy: We are all different! While I may be well-versed in the skin care and makeup industry, I never claim to be a doctor! Rather than telling you exactly which toners to buy, I would rather tell you some brands that I trust and I can confidently recommend! Below are some of my favorite brands with direct links to their toners!
Toners are the basically chocolate fudge on top of your vanilla ice cream. Sure, you can live without it, but you don't really know what you are missing until you have tried it! It's a game changer. (I'll pat myself on the back now for that metaphor. heehee)
Remember to spot test before use and give a few chances before deciding if it works for you or not. If you have tried a toner that is your holy grail, let me know below! As always, your comments are welcomed and appreciated!
XOXO!
It is human tendency to ignore what we do not understand, and that is root of the problem when it comes to answering why some do not use toners. Over the years, there has been confusion about what the actual use and benefits of toners, so people have avoided using them. What is it? What does it do? Once you fully understand how toners work, what the ingredients are, and why they are beneficial, you will be pleasantly surprised to see that it may just make all the difference in your skin care routine. So lets get started!
What are toners? Toners are a facial cleansers, which typically come in a liquid formula and are to be used after you have washed and cleaned your face. It is easily applied with a cotton ball and simply swiped all over your face before or in place of your moisturizer.
What do toners do? Toners have a variety very beneficial uses. For one, they help to regulate pH levels of your skin. Our skin is naturally acidic, so when we wash our face with different soaps, the pH levels get disturbed. Toners help bring back your pH scales to a safer level for your skin. Secondly, they get all the teeny-tiny, nitty-gritty stuff left on your skin and help clean out and give the appearance of smaller pores. Third, toners help close your pores back up so that natural contaminates such as dirt or pollution in the air do not penetrate even deeper into your skin causing breakouts. It acts as a shield between your skin......and the world! woooahhh!
Now that you know how important toners are, the trick is to finding one that's right for YOU.
Dry Sensitive Skin: OK dry skin, before you run away at the sound of "toner," just hear me out! I, too, have very dry, flakey skin and it has taken me a very long time to convince myself to use toners. Just the thought of anything further making my skin feel stretched brings shivers down my spine. But, you see, it doesn't have to be that way! If you find the right toner for yourself, it may really be the solution to all your problems! What you need? A non-alcohol based (or water based) "calming" toner to help sooth redness and flaking. Look for a product with different oils targeted at moisturizing the skin. And don't be fooled-- just because toners are liquid formulas, does not mean that they do not moisturize at the same time!
Oily/Acne Prone Skin: Since toners help remove "leftover" traces of oils and dirt, finding a good toner for oily skin is crucial in helping reduce acne, inflammation or excess oils. Most toners made for acne are based on an astringent such as witch hazel (the less harsh version of rubbing alcohol). There are definitely mixed feelings about using astringents on your face. Some believe it is too harsh and further irritates your skin, while others believe the base of the astringent mixed with essential oils or vitamins helps clean out impurities and delivers ingredients to help heal the skin. For this skin type, the right toners will help control oils at the base while actively repairing the skins surface.
Combination Skin: If you are unsure what your skin type is you are probably "normal." Or maybe you are confused because you have some dry areas and some oily areas (ex. dry cheeks and oily T zone). If this is the case, you should be very careful in choosing toners as the wrong one could aggravate your dry skin and make your oily areas even worse. Opt for an alcohol-free toner that aims at minimizing pores. Look for a "gentle" formula with ingredients such as "niacinamide ", which will help regulate and balance your skin.
At this point, you might be asking yourself why I haven't recommended any specific toners for different skin types. The answer is easy: We are all different! While I may be well-versed in the skin care and makeup industry, I never claim to be a doctor! Rather than telling you exactly which toners to buy, I would rather tell you some brands that I trust and I can confidently recommend! Below are some of my favorite brands with direct links to their toners!
Toners are the basically chocolate fudge on top of your vanilla ice cream. Sure, you can live without it, but you don't really know what you are missing until you have tried it! It's a game changer. (I'll pat myself on the back now for that metaphor. heehee)
Remember to spot test before use and give a few chances before deciding if it works for you or not. If you have tried a toner that is your holy grail, let me know below! As always, your comments are welcomed and appreciated!
XOXO!
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