What Is Toner?
Toner
is a water-based liquid with a consistency like vinegar that contains active
ingredients to help address specific issues.
A toner's function is to complete
the cleansing of your skin—removing the dust, pollution, and impurities that
can still be lingering after washing with a cleanser, as cleansers usually
contain ingredients such as oil, which can leave a film on your face
Not only does it remove debris like
oil and traces of makeup, but it soothes, repairs, and smooths the skin’s
surface—diminishing blemishes and minimizing signs of redness and inflammation
How Should A Toner Be Used?
After
using a cleanser with warm water and a washcloth, splash your face with cold
water. Then, saturating two cotton pads, use toner on your face, neck, and
décolletage at night to complete the cleansing of the skin, and in the morning
to remove sebum produced during the night and to balance your skin's pH. Finish
by applying your treatment products and/or cream.
What's In A Good Toner?
I’d look for rosewater—for its
hydrating, clarifying, and energizing properties—or chamomile, which is
wonderful for calming and soothing the skin. Next to rose water I would like to
look for green-tea toner, an apple-cider vinegar toner.
Or both! Alcohol is usually found in
astringent toners for oily skin as their function is to dry out the skin and be
especially anti-bacterial—but you don’t want to use those excessively because
it will over-dry the skin. Alcohol isn't bad for your skin, but it just depends
on the percentage.
Is It Right for Every Skin Type?
Since the product itself is meant to
absorb and control all of the dirt and oil clogged deeply into our pores, toner
is only necessary for those with greasy or acne-prone skin, right? Wrong. Today’s
toners are high quality and made with many of the same ingredients you might
find in your other skin-care products. Some of the best toners for acne-prone
skin contain exfoliating ingredients like amino fruit acids or glycolic acid,
while toners made for sensitive skin types are made with soothing thermal
spring water.
After cleansing your skin, pour two
to three drops onto a cotton pad—this works best because it doesn’t absorb too
much of the liquid and easily transfers product to your face. Make sure you get
enough product on the cotton pad so that it feels damp but not too wet so that
you’re wasting the liquid . Smooth a small amount across your face, neck, and
décolletage, adding enough pressure to reach deep into your pores but not too
much force so as to pull at the skin.
Toners are
not necessary for everyone , but they can be a great adjunct to a skincare
regimen for those that need help with oily skin or markedly plugged pores. My
main use for toners are in my acne patients
For the Homemade Face Toner:
Rose water Toner
Things needed :
1 T pure rosewater (recipe above)
about 4 T of distilled
water (or enough to fill your spray bottle)
1 2.5 ounce spray bottle
Direction:
1. Combine all ingredients in spray bottle and shake.2. To apply: spray directly on face or spray a cotton pad and wipe face to remove any residue.
NOTES
Using 7 stems makes around 1.5 litres of rosewater. This seems like a lot but
it keeps for a long time in the fridge. Just store in a sealed, glass container
until ready to use.
Green-Tea toner:
Things needed :
green tea
honey
jasmine essential oil
airtight bottle
Direction:
1. make one cup of green tea, add half a teaspoon of honey. Mix well.
2. After the mixture’s cooled, add three drops of jasmine essential oil and pour into an airtight bottle.
3. There’s your toner! Just store it in a cool place.
An Apple-Cider Vinegar Toner:
Things needed :
Lemonapple cider vinegarmineral waterairtight container
Direction:
1. Mix the juice of one lemon with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Then, mix in 200 mL of mineral water.
2. Again, pour into an airtight container and store it in a cool place. But, because lemon is photosensitive, only use this one at night
Benefits Of Toner
1. It shrinks pores.
Applying
a small amount of toner to a soft cotton ball or pad and gently blotting and
wiping your face with it will remove oil and give the appearance of smaller
pores.
2. It restores your skin's pH balance.
Our
skin is naturally acidic, typically with a pH balance of between five and six
(on a scale from 0 to 14). But that balance can get out of whack after
cleansing due to the alkaline nature of soap. When this happens, your skin
needs to work overtime to return to its normal levels (and that may result in
oil), but using a toner can help restore this balance quickly.
3. It adds a layer of protection.
Toners
can help close pores and tighten cell gaps after cleansing, thus reducing the
penetration of impurities and environmental contaminants into the skin. It can
even protect and remove chlorine and minerals present in tap water.
4. It moisturizes.
Some
toners are humectants, which means they help to bind moisture to the skin.
5. It refreshes skin.
Toner
can also be used in lieu of washing your skin when it's oily or dirty. It will
leave your skin revitalized even when you're on the go.
6. It can prevent ingrown hairs.
Toners
containing glycolic or other alpha hydroxy acids can help to prevent ingrown
hairs, so it also aids in grooming.
7. Full body protection
That’s
right, a toner isn’t just for your pretty face! I’m not suggesting you go
through a bag of cotton balls doing a full head-to-toe, but it can be used for
cleansing and removing excess oil from breakout spots like your chest, back,
neck, and shoulders.
How Often Should You Use One?
While it’s true that overuse of
toners can cause your pores to overproduce oil—a natural defense mechanism when
your glands feel too stripped of moisture—it’s safe to apply both morning and
night, especially if you’re oily. “Use it directly after you cleanse your face,
before any serums and treatment products, as a second defense against that dirt
and grease,” says Schlessinger. If your skin is on the drier side, stick to
using toner just at night, says Schlessinger. By doing so, you’ll be removing
any pore-clogging impurities that will further saturate your skin during your
eight hours of snooze time and instead help your skin in its nightly renewal
process.
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