I admit it, for years I did not use a toner. It seemed like an unnecessary step in my precious 3 minute morning routine. Besides, I was thinking of the toners of the 90’s – you know that blue liquid that dried your skin out completely?
Well the newest generation of toners, however, has more than astringent properties, and many of them are alcohol-free. Currently, there are toners on the market to address almost every skin concern and are no longer limited to treating acne and oily skin.
What is toner?
If you don’t know the answer to this, you are not alone. Many of my patients give me a blank stare when I recommend a toner or worse, they gasp and clutch their pearls because they are thinking of the old toners. A toner is more than water (even though it looks a lot like H20) If you want to talk science, a toner is a fast-penetrating liquid that delivers skin a quick hit of hydration and helps remove some dead cells off the surface of the skin.
When should you use it?
For best results, you should use toner after you double cleanse. A thorough cleanse helps to ‘clear away’ grime, makeup, dead skin cells so that the skin-beneficial ingredients in the toner can get where they need to.
Insider tip: use a toner no later than a minute after cleansing. I know that sounds crazy, but it seriously helps. The molecules in toner will penetrate better when skin is still moist.
After applying toner, you can proceed with applying your treatment-focused products like serums, SPF, and eye cream.
How you should apply it.
You can sprinkle toner into your hands and tap it directly onto your skin. Or, you can use my preferred method: dispense toner onto an organic, non-bleached cotton pad and gently swipe it all over your face in an upward motion.
What kind should I use?
Base this on the type of skin or the problems you want to target.
- Dull skin – chose toner with natural exfoliate like papaya extract and lactic acid.
- Acne prone – a toner with salicylic acid or witch hazel (this old ingredient is tried and true) would work well sweeping away excess oil without drying you out.
- Large pores – I suggest a toner with glycolic acid to remove dead skin cells which clog the pores making them look larger.
- Dry skin – look for amino acids to hydrate the skin and combat dryness.
There are so many positives to adding a toner to your routine and the best thing is most toners are so inexpensive you won’t break the bank adding this to your routine.
Still can’t decide what toner is best for your skin? Schedule a 20 min video consultation with me. We will discuss your skin concerns and your goals and I will design a custom skin care routine including product recommendations. Stop spending hundreds of dollars on products you never use, don’t work for you, or even break you out by finding out what is best FOR YOU before buying. I can’t want to “see “you!
Kimberly
Creator & CEO of Perfect Skin Code
