Sometimes, it can feel almost impossible to combat skin problems. No matter how much moisturiser you use to tackle dry skin spots or mattifying lotions to get rid of excess oil, if you’re not following the right skin care routine for your skin type, then these efforts will be almost useless. This is where using toner, and also the right skincare steps, will help you to achieve healthy glowing skin.
What Is Facial Toner?
The whole purpose of toner in any skincare routine is to create another cleansing step and refine your pores, giving you a more even complexion and leaving you with healthy glowing skin. Often, toners are packed full of extra skin care benefits, such as soothing and hydrating ingredients. Using a toner in your skincare routine will help to shrink the appearance of larger pores. Wiping your face with toner also helps to remove any oil buildup, giving the appearance of smaller pores.
Toner can also balance out your skin’s pH levels. Due to the alkaline nature of many soap and face wash products, the pH balance of our skin can often get disturbed. This then makes your skin work harder to try and balance it again, which then results in excess oil. Using a toner helps to stop oil in its tracks.
Toner can also be a great moisturising step, even if you already use moisturiser in your daily routine. Toners these days can have humectant properties, meaning that they help to bind moisture to the skin. The key to finding the right product to help you achieve healthy glowing skin is to identify your skin type and what your skin is in need of.
Spot-prone and oily skin will benefit from balancing and exfoliating toners, whereas dry or combination skin will benefit from extra hydration. If you have sensitive skin, then look out for toners which include aloe vera to help soothe skin and reduce irritation.
What Does Toner Do For Your Face?
Facial toners help to prepare the skin for further products, such as serum and moisturisers, whilst also getting rid of any excess oil and stubborn makeup and dirt which is leftover on your face after cleansing. However, toners are not to be used as a replacement for washing your face. Instead, think of them as an extra bonus point in your skincare regime for healthy glowing skin rather than a shortcut.
The new and reformulated ingredients for toners now go beyond their original, basic roles. They are now used to target a wider array of skin concerns, from ageing to acne. Toners don’t tend to be the same, with a toner made especially for oily skin likely to include ingredients which cut down on excess oil production, whilst a toner for dry skin is bound to have hydrating ingredients.
How To Use Face Toner
Using toner is easy and takes no time at all following on from your usual cleansing step. Wet a cotton wool pad with the toner of your choice and wipe it all over your face, neck and chest. Ideally, you should use a toner after washing or cleansing your face and before applying any serum or moisturiser. If you’d prefer, you can also dampen your hands with toner and pat it gently over your skin.
Toner can be applied twice a day after washing or cleansing if your skin can tolerate it. If your skin gets irritated or dry from the use of toner, then you may need to use it less often. For stronger tonics, such as those used for acne-prone or oily skin, then it’s best to use it every other day and then build up your use to once a day.