What the hell is a toner?

I get this question a lot from friends and customers alike. For this reason, (besides the opportunity to nerd out for a bit.) I am here to break down the in’s and out’s, the reasons why and what for of this ever perplexing necessity to your skin care regimen.

A toner simply is the step in between washing your face and moisturizing. Toners are a water-based formula with some astringent properties.  Depending on the formulation they can also have antioxidant, hydrating and inflammation soothing abilities as well.

What does a toner do?

The toners intended purpose is to be a PH restoring step in your skincare routine as well as a next step cleanup crew after cleansing. Toners help to slew away excess dirt, oil, makeup, sweat and dead skin that may be lingering around after washing your face.  

Why is skin PH important?

Our skin is naturally acidic and has a PH between 5 and 6. This naturally acidic environment made up of sebum, amino acids, fatty acids and sweat is called the Acid Mantle and acts as a barrier for your delicate skin. The acid mantle helps to protect the skin from environmental pollutants, reduces the possibility of infection and helps the skin to retain moisture.  

Cleansers and soaps typically are much more alkaline than our skin, giving them their strong cleansing abilities but when these powerful scrubbers go to work, they also deplete the acid mantle. This can cause more harm than good, often forcing your skin to work overtime to regain its normal PH levels. Using a toner immediately following a cleansing routine will aid in bringing your skin back to normal much faster. This will leave you with freshly cleansed, PH balanced and glowing skin.

Here are the highlights.

• Removes excess grime from your skin.

• Shrinks the appearance of pores.

• Soothes inflammation.

• Restores skin to a balanced PH.

• Aid in the absorption of your moisturizer.

• Helps your skin retain moisture longer.

I hope this information shines a new light on the elusive toner world. There is nothing to be afraid of except for happy healthy skin; as long as you’re using the good stuff.