How To Use Face Toner

Toning is something many people miss out of their normal skin care routine, and although it is not absolutely essential, you may not get the best results possible without toning your face first.

What Is A Skin Toner?

Toning used to be just a method of restoring and balancing the skin’s pH. However today, most facial toners also act as humectants.

A humectant is something which helps to bind moisture to the skin, thereby allowing moisturisers to work much better.

Skin toners also usually contain various vitamins and minerals which help to protect your skin whilst nourishing it at the same time.

When To Use Skin Toners

Skin toners should always be applied after you have used a cleanser to clean your face. The idea is to gently tone your skin so that you can moisturise it more effectively afterwards.

So a basic skin care routine should cleanse, tone and then moisturise.

How To Use Facial Skin Toners

You can apply skin toners in various ways, such as with a spray, by splashing it on or by using a cotton pad. Spritz, or spray toners, will last you the longest. So if you are on a tight budget they are a good option to go for.

With spritz toners you should hold the bottle roughly 10-15 inches from your face, and then spray your face 2-3 times with your eyes closed. The spray should feel cool and refreshing.

Toners are especially useful when you have used a strong cleanser that has stripped the acid mantle from your skin. In this case using an acidic toner will help to restore the acid balance of your skin.

This is important because it can take up to 36 hours for your skin to regain its correct pH if you use too strong of a cleanser.

How To Choose The Right Skin Toner

An ideal skin toner should be alcohol free, because alcohol will dry out your skin and cause it to age faster.

Look for a gentle toner and then choose the one that suits your skin type. This will be labeled something like normal/dry or oily skin.

A good toner for all skin types is rosewater. Rosewater helps to hydrate your skin and protect it at the same time.

The only disadvantage to using rosewater as a toner is its smell. For women this may not be an issue, but it may be off putting for some men.