Back To Basics: Toners
Toners. Astringents. A Witch Hazel concoction your mother made. However you name it, it is a strange mist most of us don’t understand, but don't worry, it's not difficult to understand why you'd want to use one and even easier to add it into your daily habits.
My first encounter with facial toners was as a young girl shopping around department stores with my mom and trying anything that I could get my hands on. Perfume was too strong, so I always found my way over to the makeup and beauty counters. Toners were easy to sample as they are typically in a spritz bottle or bottle with cotton balls not far from the display.
The first toner I actually purchased on purpose was from Clinique and was a part of a their three-part system. Even though I don't use Clinique now, they introduced me to a proper skincare routine. This helped in a few ways: firstly, the bottles were in order and numbered so I knew which one went first and then second being that it had instructions and I could see the debris it was taking off my face clearly on the cotton ball.
What I didn’t know, was what a toner is and does exactly and if the one I was using was actually meant for my skin. The answers to those questions I wouldn’t find out for almost 10+ years when I finally went to beauty school and everything was explained.
Now you might be thinking that you're not ever going to beauty school or have someone who knows an endless array of skincare knowledge. But don’t fret! I am here and ready to uncover all the secrets of skincare!
Firstly, let’s get into what a toner is and why the heck you would want to use one.
According to my ever powerful, all knowing Milady’s Standard Esthetics Fundamentals book:
“Toners, fresheners and astringents have different properties and vary in alcohol content. These are watery liquids used after cleansing in the skincare routine and generally before moisturizer is applied.”
Knowing what they are is half the battle. What is most important in skincare, is knowing the skin that product is meant for and benefits of using that it. As mentioned, there are three types of Toners: toner, freshener and astringent, each one varies in alcohol content based on what skin they are meant for.
It is important to note that it is not a requirement to have a toner in your routine. It is beneficial and will help with your serum application, however some exfoliants now-a-days are a two in one and double as a “toner”. Always read your skincare bottles and know exactly what they are doing.
You might not see any product truly labeled Freshener but that does not mean that it is not one! A freshener is going to have the lowest alcohol content, if it has any at all. These are great to use when traveling as airplane cabin pressure can dehydrate our skin.
Give yourself a little wipe-over while you are on the plane followed by a hydrating serum & moisturizer and you’ll look like you just came from vacation, not an airplane ride. The purpose of a freshener is not to remove extra dirt and debris on the skin, so using after exfoliating is perfect. This will also reset your skin’s pH balance which gets skewed a little from cleansing.
Both Toners and Fresheners can be used on all skin types. A traditional toner with some alcohol content is great for a combination or normal skin experiencing very mild oil production. A freshener is most beneficial for a dry, dehydrated or pre-mature aging skin type as it will aid in the serums absorption and reset your skin’s surface after cleansing.
The third and last category of toners is what most of us are use to, and what I was using from Clinique all those many years ago; Astringents. The first thing I will note about astringents is what skin type they are meant for: oily, acne prone skin.
I do not have oily skin, nor did I have acne when I tried Clinique’s set. So for me, this dried out my skin even more making it irritated and flakey. If you have oily skin though, this is heaven-sent. Astringents can help absorb excess oil, clear out debris from follicles and help reduce shine. This is where Witch Hazel comes in as well, you can make a toner or astringent out of Witch Hazel, it would just vary on what other ingredients you added to lean more on the toner or astringent side.
If you are not using a type of toner right now, don’t you worry! This is a step between exfoliating and serum application, which are far more important products to use than toner, so if you don’t have those start there!
If you are in the market for a toner, there are a lot out there! The product line here on my online store, Skin Script, has an amazing Cucumber Toner and you can even spritz it on top of makeup. Over the counter there is Origins which has a toner for each segment based on skin type/concern. A super affordable and easy to find one is Trader Joe’s Rose Water Toner which is refreshing and leaves a very faint rose scent behind. I am very fond of roses in this season of my life, so this toner just adds to my rose addiction.
Try any of the toners you learned about here and share your experiences with this lovely little mist with me over on social media! I'd love to hear from you and how your skincare routine is going!
Till next time, be good to your skin and even better to yourself,
xx eri