Toners often get a bad reputation for being an unnecessary step in skincare routines that can dry out your skin. In truth, toner is a simple item that, if used correctly and in tandem with the correct products, can improve the overall efficacy of your other skincare products. If you’re curious to know more and understand whether skin toners are right for you, this article will review everything you need to know about skin toners, including how they work, what they do, and which you should use for your skin type.
What Does Skin Toner Do?
The overall purpose of skin toner is to seal the skin off after cleansing, prepping your skin for additional products and keeping dirt and oil away. Because toner creates a clean slate for your skin, it improves the overall efficacy of the other products in your skincare routine.
After you’ve cleansed and applied your toner, you’re likely to apply your serums or moisturizer. After using toner, the nutrients and active ingredients in your other skincare products will work better. For example, your moisturizer will be able to better sink into the skin, allowing more product to be absorbed at a faster rate.
The epidermis of your skin is comprised of a few separate layers. The uppermost layer of your epidermis is the stratum corneum, mainly consisting of keratinized dead cells, or “dead skin.” Your cleanser is supposed to cleanse dead skin and debris, but can’t completely do the job on its own. That’s where your toner comes in. Your toner sweeps away what your cleanser can’t. Using a cleanser followed by a toner is a great way to ensure you are removing the most impurities and grime possible.
Who Should Use Toner?
The truth is that no toner is built the same way. Some toners are crafted for different skin types, and while one toner might be drying for one person, it could work perfectly for another. This means that anyone, regardless of skin type or age, can use a toner in their skincare routine. Like any skincare product, you need to check the ingredients to see if they suit your skincare goals. In addition, you should never add a skincare product immediately to your routine before patch testing. While you can patch test on your hand, this might not give you a complete picture as to how the product will react on your face. Ideally, you’ll put a small amount under your jawline and give your skin about half a day to see how it will respond.
Once you’ve determined the product is safe for your skin, you can add it to your skincare routine. Unfortunately, many people begin to fumble by not knowing their specific skin type needs. As you try out new products, not all will work for you, and a lot of the process is trial and error unless you consult a licensed dermatologist. However, this isn’t an option for everyone. The reason toner gets such a bad reputation as drying and unnecessary is that most people aren’t using the correct formula.
Toner for Dry Skin
If you have dry skin, especially flaking or peeling skin, you should avoid toners containing alcohol. You’ll also want to avoid toners with fragrances, as fragrances usually contain alcohol. As a tip, look for bottles that say, “no fragrance added” instead of “fragrance-free,” as products with a fragrance-free label often contain harsh chemicals that cover up the smell.
You need a toner with a high quality humectant that will help draw moisture to the upper layers of your skin where it needs it most. A popular example of a high quality humectant is hyaluronic acid. This way, as your toner cleanses, it will encourage moisture in your skin.
Toner for Oily Skin
Oily skin is a very tricky skin type. Most people with oily skin avoid moisturizers as they fear they will add more oil and grease to their skin, but nothing could be further from the truth. Skin usually gets oily because your skin is trying to overcompensate for a lack of moisture. . However, the oily sebum your skin produces can contain impurities, so you want to ensure that your toner is getting rid of those.
For oily skin, you want a toner that contains salicylic acid or alpha-hydroxy-acids (AHAs), which can help close the pores and help regulate oil production. . However, if you have oily skin, do not skip out on the moisturizer, as you’re doing your skin a disservice. If you hate the greasy feel, find a lightweight moisturizer that works for you.
Toner for Uneven Skin
For many reasons, your skin color can be uneven or dark in spots, and the best way to remedy that is to encourage skin rejuvenation. . While regular toners may already help with that, if you have an uneven skin tone, you need ingredients that will work double-duty. Retinol, Vitamin C, and Niacinamide are common ingredients in brightening toners.
However, if you’re using a brightening ingredient on its own already, you may want to ease into a toner to make sure your skin can handle it, or you might end up with dry skin. For example, if you use retinol during the day and vitamin C at night, ensure you’re using a high quality moisturizing sunscreen during the day and a moisturizing cream at night to prevent dryness and damage. .
Now that you know everything there is to know about toner, you’re better equipped to start designing the skincare routine of your dreams. If you’ve decided to add toner to your routine, Essential Wholesale & Labs sells high-quality skin toners to match all of your skincare needs.
