TONERS. WHAT THEY ARE AND WHY WE NEED THEM

If you’re an avid skincare lover, then there’s no doubt that you have heard of the word toner.
Toners are liquids that penetrate very quickly into your skin, delivering instant hydration. They are often described according to what they do and have been called many things from astringents to beauty water.
Toners nowadays are more hydrating, plumping, and pH balancing, as opposed to previous alcohol packed oil stripping astringents.

Why Should I Use A Toner?
A toner is great because it makes every other step better. It helps removes dead skin cells and essentially, improves penetration for all your other products. For instance, applying moisturizers to freshly washed skin is like putting washing detergent on dry foam and expecting it to lather.

So, When Should I Use A Toner?
A toner should always come after cleansing and before any other thing i.e (moisturizers, serums, face creams…). The only other thing you do before applying a toner is exfoliate.

How Do I Choose A Toner?
Like many beauty products, there are different toners for different skin types as well as different skin concerns. There are not as many variations of toners as there are face cleansers but selections should be done on the above criteria.
Generally, you want to avoid astringents and alcohol-based toners as they can be very stripping and cause excess oil production.
For acne-prone or oily skin, use toners with salicylic acids and tea-tree or green tea extracts. Sensitive skin demands more calming and cooling toners. Look for fragrance-free and hypoallergenic toners. Dry skinned people should flee from alcohol-based (most things)! Toners with fatty and amino acids are best as well as toners that are referred to as ‘skins’.

I love toners and think they are a major step in my routine. I have oily sensitive melanated skin so I find that it’s better to make mine. I use a green tea toner twice a day which is basically boiled green tea that I keep refrigerated. Also, I have a bottle of rose water in a spritz bottle to refresh me during the day when I’m not wearing any makeup.
so grab a bottle of toner today, whether you’re buying or making your own. you’d be glad you did.