Why Facial Toners Should be a Part of Your Skincare Routine
Want amazing, radiant skin? You need our guide today to learn which type of toner is best for your skin type.
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Facial toners are designed to remove impurities and restore the skin's natural pH balance. They can be applied after cleansing, or spritzed throughout the day as needed. Toners can be a great addition in preparing the skin for active serums to treat your skin conditions such as acne, melasma, dry skin, and to help in restoring the skin barrier function.
What do Facial Toners Do For the Skin
Facial toners help to balance the skin's pH. Healthy skin has a pH of about 5.5-6. Rebalancing the skin's pH promotes healthy skin. This helps to normalize the skin from with dryness or on the other end of the scale oily or acne skin.
Facial essence is often used interchangeably as a facial toner. Spritzers or misters are often used after makeup application to set the makeup. It can also be used throughout the day to increase hydration or add additional tonic properties to the skin.
How to Apply Facial Toner
Dampen a cotton pad with toner and apply it to the face and neck in upward strokes. When using a facial toner, be sure to apply it to a thoroughly cleansed face and neck. Additionally, some toners can be sprayed onto the skin or spritzed.
Avoid contact with the eyes. If contact occurs to the eyes, rinse immediately with water.
You can use toner once or twice daily, depending on your skin type and needs.
Choose the Right Facial Toner for Your Skin Type
For all skin types, we recommend a Pore-Minimizing Toner
PCA Skin Nutrient Toner is packed with nutrients, enzymes, and amino acids that work together to nourish and revitalize your skin. It also contains alpha hydroxy acids, which help refine pores and remove dead skin cells - keeping your skin blemish-free and looking its best. So ditch the harsh astringents and give your skin the nourishment it deserves with PCA Skin Nutrient Toner. Your skin will thank you!
Key Benefits
- Strengthens and repairs skin barrier
- Reduces inflammation
- Reduces skin irritations & redness
- Refines pores
- Skin detoxer
For mature skin types, we recommend an Anti-Aging Toner
Who says natural ingredients can't pack a powerful punch? COSRX's Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence is perfect for anyone looking to give their skin a little extra love. This lightweight formula contains 96% snail mucin, an ingredient known for its ability to repair and hydrate the skin. In addition, the essence is enriched with panthenol to help diminish wrinkles, scars, and breakouts. So whether you're trying to achieve a more youthful appearance or simply want to promote healthy, balanced skin, this essence toner is a great choice.
Key Ingredients:
Snail Secretion Filtrate: snail secretions help to heal and hydrate the skin, making them an excellent ingredient for anti-aging skincare products.
Panthenol: a moisturizing, soothing, and healing ingredient that can be found in many skin care products.
Hyaluronic Acid: Intense hydration
Key Benefits:
- Contains 96% snail mucin to boost collagen
- Promotes healing and regeneration
- Boosts elasticity
- Hydrating
- Improves skin tone, texture, and evenness
For dry skin, we recommend a Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice RESIST Advanced Replenishing Toner is a revolutionary toner that gives your skin the best of care while also fighting against environmental damage. With its infused hyaluronic acid and antioxidants, this anti-aging formula protects you from signs of sun exposure as well as instantaneously revitalizes dryness in exchange for a radiant-looking complexion!
Key Ingredients:
- Hyaluronic Acid: Hyaluronic Acid is a humectant, meaning it can hold water molecules and help prevent evaporation. This powerful ingredient also has astringent properties that tighten skin for improved firmness while improving its appearance with an instantly plump look!
- Potent Antioxidants: potent antioxidants help your skin guard against environmental pollution and damage.
- Evening Primrose Oil and Fatty Acids: With its natural moisturizing properties, Evening Primrose Oil is a great way to help dry skin stay hydrated. Primrose oil contains fatty acids that are easy for your skin's cells and structures-including those on the surface of our bodies (like pores)!--to absorb into their inner layers without blocking them or causing clogs! It also offers antioxidant protection against environmental stressors like pollution to keep us looking young and healthy
Key Benefits:
- Promotes a softer, smoother complexion
- Tightening and plumping effect with hydration
- Replenishes and revitalizes skin with lasting moisture and hydration
- Protects, and defends the skin's moisture barrier
For oily skin, we recommend an Oil-Control Toner
Clear up your skin with COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid, an acne serum that contains glycolic acid to gently exfoliate the skin and prevent breakouts. This treatment also has niacinamide for redness relief and regulation of oil production. In addition, it has panthenol for nourishing and even skin tones with hydration to avoid over drying treatments often experienced from acne products.
Key Ingredients:
- Niacinamide: skin brightener and oil regulator
- Glycolic Acid: antibacterial, dissolves dead skin, less clogged pores, and prevents future blemishes
- Panthenol: moisturize, soothe, heal and regenerate the skin
Key Benefits:
- Digests blackheads and whiteheads
- Smooths rough texture
- Tightens and refines pores
For Melasma Skin or Even Out Discoloration
Obagi Nu-Derm is a skin toner that will remove excess oil and impurities without stripping your skin of vital moisture, look no further than Obagi Nu-Derm Toner. This toner combines sage and witch hazel to tone and purify your skin, while borage extract and aloe vera calm and soothe it for revitalized and more even-looking skin.
Key Benefits
- Gently removes impurities
- Mildly exfoliating
- Aloe Vera calms
- Borage Seed Oil calms and maintains skin softness-High in linoleic acid for proper skin barrier function
- Moisturizing
For Acne Skin, we recommend an Antibacterial, Antimicrobial, Anti-Inflammatory Toner
The Epionce Purifying Toner is a must-have for acne skin types. It's made with willow bark, lavender, salicylic acid, and grapeseed extract to moisturize your face while removing dirt from pores that could lead to breakouts! The cucumber and menthol feeling in this toner will leave your skin calmed and refreshed after use. With antioxidants to protect and fight free radicals and repair the skin and antibacterial and antimicrobial citrus extracts your skin will be protected against environmental damage. This clean, dermatologist recommended formula is fragrance-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, and vegan friendly.
Key Benefits
- Willow Bark soothes irritated skin- antibacterial, anti-inflammatory-reduces excess oil-helps prevent future flare-ups
- Salicylic Acid exfoliates to unclog pores and remove excess oil
- Lavender calms the skin and helps calm inflamed acne
- Marsh Mallow Root is healing and relieves redness and irritation while also moisturizing
- Orange Fruit Extract is an astringent used for reducing acne and helps prevent scarring. Balances oil production
- Grape Seed Extract antioxidant cell protectors, increases cellular turnover, microbial and evens skin tone with anthocyanidins to treat acne
For sensitive skin, we recommend a Gentle, Calming Toner
Give your beauty routine an upgrade with Caudalie's Grape Water, designed to keep those trouble areas even and bright. This 100% organic formula immediately hydrates the skin while diminishing sensitivity upon use rich in moisturizing polysaccharides mineral salts potassium that strengthens barriers against dirt particles pollution sun exposure, making it easier for cells to rejuvenate themselves leaving you looking youthful & beautiful!
Key Ingredients:
- Organic Grape Water: soothes, calms, and moisturizes skin
- Grape Juice: nourishes your skin deeply leaving it feeling soft and smooth; rich in polysaccharides
Key Benefits:
- Hydrates the skin
- Soothes even the most sensitive skin
- Preservative-free. Fragrance-free
- Improve skin condition
When to Apply Facial Toner
Facial toners can be used in the morning and evening, after cleansing. If you have sensitive skin, start by using toner once a day and gradually increase to twice a day as your skin adjusts.
The Benefits of Facial Toners
Facial toners have many benefits for the skin.
They can do the following:
- Remove impurities
- Restore the skin's natural pH balance
- Prepares the skin for active serums
- Help in restoring the skin barrier function
- Soothe and refresh the skin
- Reduce the appearance of pores
- Control excess oil production
- hydrate and nourish the skin
- brighten the complexion
- soften and smooth the skin
The Bottom Line
Facial toners are a great addition to any skincare routine. They can help remove impurities, restore the skin's pH balance, and prepare the skin for active serums. Toners can also control excess oil production, hydrate and nourish the skin, and brighten the complexion. Be sure to choose the right facial toner for your skin type and use it as directed for the best results.
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PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: As a staff of licensed aestheticians we review products on the basis of their merit based on our professional expertise. This is not a replacement to your own skin therapist's advice for your skin or any medical claim or endorsement. We encourage you to seek medical care when appropriate. To support our website activities, we may receive a monetary compensation or other form of recompense for our endorsement, recommendation, testimonials and/or links to any products or services from this website.