To Tone or Not to Tone...That is the Question

Greetings, my friends!

To tone or not to tone...that is the question. The answer is it depends on why you're toning and what you hope to get out of it. As I've mentioned a million times before, I have oily skin. There is a lot of debate in the skincare community as to whether people with oily skin need toner (and whether those with dry skin should avoid it all together), but what I will say is that while it is not an absolutely necessary step - I still tone.

Over the years I've gone back and forth on toner. I yo-yoed between astringents and freshers (descriptions below), but right now I've settled on "softeners" which are also called "toning lotions."

Before I break down the different types of toners on the market, I'd like to first tell you what toner does. Toner is the final cleansing step and a prep-step in the skincare ritual which is designed to improve the surface of your skin. The controversy around toner is that it's deemed unnecessary by many people because A) if you've already double cleansed and exfoliated your skin, by the time you use toner your skin should be clean, and B) whether you use toner or not, your products will still soak into your skin. But I actually really like this step with my current toners because of how I've seen them help my skin. As for it's use as a final cleansing step, after I double cleanse and exfoliate (even in the shower) I still see dirt on my cotton round. My skin feels clean, but there is still dirt on my skin. Also, when I use it - I find my essence and serums absorb much faster in my skin. In my opinion if you're on the fence, I say what's the harm in trying a toner as long as it doesn't irritate your skin to see if your skin looks better after you use it.

There are 4 types of toners: astringents, skin tonics, fresheners, and softeners.

Astringents:

Astringents are a type of toner typically made up of 20-60% alcohol. I used these a lot in my early skincare days (Clinique mostly). These products are designed to remove oil from your skin while cleansing and closing your pores. They can also be used to attempt to restore pH to your skin if you've used harsh cleansers. For all of these reasons, many people recommend astringents for people with acne and/or oily skin. 

While this toner did not damage my skin, it didn't helped my skin either. Yes, when I would tone I would see some debris on my cotton round when I finished wiping my face, but I also noticed my face was dryer (tight) and depending on the time of year - I would have dry patches on my chin. My advise for those that use this kind of product is to be careful and listen to your skin. If your skin gets tight or you have dry patches - this is not the right product for you.

Skin Tonics:

Skin tonics' are toners made up to 20% alcohol. I honestly don't think I've ever used this kind of toner. Having said that - I don't have a lot to say about this except that this toner is okay for people with normal, combination, and oily skin. 

Freshers:

Fresheners (also known as "skin barriers") are toners with 0% alcohol. When I moved away from astringents, my pendulum swung to the opposite end of the toner scale to freshers. Freshers are exclusively water and humectants - which are designed to moisturize (refresh) your face.

Softeners:

Softeners (also known as "toning lotions") is term used for toners in Asia. However, softeners are a little different than the toners mentioned above. They tend to be designed not only as the final step to cleansing, but also are used as brighteners, moisturizers, evens skin tone, and preps your skin to accept the next step in your skincare ritual. For the last one, I find that when I use softeners on my skin before essence or serums or even lotions - the next step soaks into my skin so much faster than without toning. For me - that is a huge perk as I have so many steps to complete before I can go to work or bed. And I also think that it helps my skin by doing everything it says it should do.

As I said, it's not a necessary step for everyone skincare ritual, but it is something worth considering when you're coming up with your own personal steps. For me - it's totally worth it.

That's it. Please feel free to ask me questions. I'm here to help.

Until next time.

JessiPedia