I think it’s possible to skip this step in a routine but
most basic skincare routines do have this step because toners are
essential if you’re using cleansers and exfoliators. Both cleansers and
exfoliators are removing natural oils from your face and most of the time,
completely dry out the skin, so a Toner helps moisturises the skin as well as
balancing the pH, which was thrown off scale thanks to step 1 & 2.
So far used four different toners and none have had any adverse effect on my skin but I do have a favourite and some that I didn't
like as much.
As mentioned before when I try out a product I go straight
for Simple because it’s cheap and exceptional. I used the Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner - I went through around two to
three Simple toners before eventually changing. The reason I liked this one was
because it was 100% Alcohol free - double check that your toners do not have
alcohol in them (toners containing alcohol will not restore pH and it won’t
improve your skin). It’s been so long since I used one but I know that if I
were to get any breakouts I would just switch back to this one. My only
complain would be that it smells like I’m pouring chemicals all over my face.
This will probably
come by as no surprise to everyone but the other toner I tried was the Aveeno Positively Radiant Toner (this is actually very difficult to find in the UK, your best shot would be importing it in from canada). I
didn’t like this one after using it for a couple of weeks. This was mainly
because it didn’t absorb into the skin very well and so it felt slightly sticky
after use. It is a really nice, gentle toner but I found myself just wanting to
finish it asap so that I could go back to my old one. Thus, I don’t really have
anything more to say but this could be the one for you.
Innisfree – I
love Innisfree, this toner was my favourite! I don’t think I’ve ever talked
about this brand before so I’ll make a separate post for my love for Innisfree
(also another HAUL) but definitely take a look at the brand; they mainly use
natural ingredients for everything. I bought the Green Tea Balancing Skin and I just fell in love because my skin
looked like it had been revived from the dead as soon as I used it. Also it smells amazing – much more appealing
than the previous two toners. As it is made from natural ingredient my skin was
not irritated at all and I just loved the general feeling of the toner. It
definitely absorbs into the skin well but you should give it about 30 – 60
seconds before putting something else on.
This is also the one I use as a ‘base’ before certain clay
masks –I get some toner in my palm and pat the product in (normally I would put
it on a cotton pad) and this actually makes applying the mask a smoother
process. I also find that this particular toner is the best at removing excess
dirt, make-up or dead skin on my face. I’m currently in denial because it’s at
its final drop and this product is not sold in the UK. I actually get it
imported from Jeju Island, Korea, it’s inexpensive and I order everything in
bulk orders but I’ve done this months order and completely forgot to get one
*cries*.
Around December last year I went to Pixi, Carnaby Street,
and saw their Glow Tonic and I played around with it at the shop but did not
actually purchase it and then a couple of days later every blogger I know was
talking about it and I thought ‘damn! Why did I not buy it?’, I then purchased
it to use instead of my Innisfree one and to be honest I don’t see why it’s
better than my green tea one. It also contains witch hazel in it – which is
also another products alongside alcohol that you should avoid using but it was
inevitable and apparently it minimises pores so I’m not sure.
I noticed that the product actually absorbs into the skin
much quick and so you can slap on the next product faster. In addition to this
I actually get complimented a lot more on my skin after using this. When I do
apply the product though it feels slightly rougher in texture now this could be
because it is an exfoliating toner (2 in 1, yay!), I still exfoliate before I
use this product, as it’s not an extreme exfoliator. I’m still using this product because the
bottle is quite big so it may last me a while, I’m not sure if I want to
repurchase this because it is on the pricey side – I just had money to spend on
the toner last month and also because of the witch hazel.
Advantages of Toners
-
Restores pH of skin,
-
Can be used in combination with face masks,
-
Refreshes skin,
-
Removes excess make-up or dirt that was not removed
in the previous two steps,
-
Some toners can actually make pores smaller.
Disadvantages of Toners
-
There aren’t actually any disadvantages of
toner, obviously as I said before this step can be missed out if its too
strenuous but it can make the difference.
-
Actually a disadvantage could be that alcohol
and hazel aren’t good for your skin but this is if you buy such toners.
Thank you for reading J
P.S. definitely buy the Innisfree one! Maybe I just like it too much…but the Haul post is soon to come.
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