How to Choose the Best Toner for Face?

With bettering living standards globally, people have been investing highly in self-pamper. Skincare brands are earning profit as awareness about the same is spreading like wildfire. While most people know what face washes, scrubs, face masks, and moisturizers are meant for, not many may know what a toner does.

Toners are necessarily meant for the pores present on facial skin. These pores are natural but in some people, they might be too large and in some even negligible. Also, pores are home to dirt and dust, and hence, most skincare products tend to focus on them.

Toners are to be used in between, i.e., after the face wash and before applying moisturizer. Initially, soaps had a pH not suited for the skin. Hence, toners were used to balance the alkaline base of the soaps. But since more balanced face washes have come into existence, toners find themselves replaced. They were believed to be drying for the skin.

Owing to the criticism and outdated use of the product, manufacturers made amends. Today, toners are not just one formula based. There are many of them available in the market and are not acidic. Reformulated toners target numerous skincare problems such as acne, dryness, aging, etc.

Who should be using it?

Just like face washes and moisturizers, facial toner can be used by anyone. No special skin condition is required as the prerequisite for the use. How to choose the best one will be briefed in the article as we go along.

However, also bear in mind that toners are not a need. Adding them to your skincare routine will make your skin healthier and happier, but you can skip the step if you feel it is a stress on the pocket.

How to apply?

Applying a facial toner is no rocket science thankfully. Wash your face thoroughly. Then take a cotton pad, soak it in the toner, and gently swipe it across your face, neck, and chest. Top it up with a good moisturizer.

The frequency of use can vary for different individuals. For best results, the toner shall be used twice a day. But given the high alcohol amount present in them, using them once a day or on alternate days will also show good results.

Ingredients?

Best facial toner will have all, most, or at least some of the following ingredients: rosewater, chamomile, tea tree oil, aloe vera, vitamin C, and plant stem cell. Rosewater, vitamin E, and aloe vera lock hydration in the skin. Chamomile and aloe vera can also fight inflammation and soothe the skin. Tea tree oil is good for fighting bacteria and reducing excess sebum. Plant stem cells have anti-oxidants and are anti-aging.

Know your skin type

The first step in choosing any cosmetic product is knowing your skin type. Essentially there are four types of skin: dry, oily, combination, and sensitive.

Tight, rough, and dull skin with small pores is dry skin. Enlarged pores, excess shine on the face, and significant oil residue on the tissue are characteristics of oily skin. A combination skin type will reflect both kinds of characteristics. Some areas like the T-zone area might be oily while the rest of the face tends to be flaky. Extreme irritation on the skin is a sign of a sensitive skin type.

Hydration for Dryness

People with dry skin might be aversive to toners because, for the longest time, they were known to be drying. However, contemporary cosmetic brands know your problems and have come up with hydrating toners. Toners can prep your skin well for the moisturizer to set in properly. Hence, it is better to follow the face wash with a good toner.

Moisture-boosting ingredients such as aloe vera, glycerine, rose water, ceramide, hyaluronic acid, peptides, glycolipids, rosehip seeds, dimethicone, and others should make it to the bottle of a toner that is meant for dry skin. Strictly avoid toners containing alcohol and parabens. Try to maintain a distance also from salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxides, AHAs, and BHAs. artificial fragrances should be a big no as well.

Let the oil be removed

Next are the people with oily skin. Such skins need a gentle exfoliator that can extract excess oil. But please be cautious about being gentle. People with oily skin often tend to think that using strong products and rubbing them rigorously will make their skin better. Unfortunately, that is the wrong way.

Choose a refreshing toner for your skin. Toners with high alcohol saturation can be bad for your skin. These will leave your skin dry providing a reason for the cells to produce even higher levels of oil. Choosing oil-free ingredients, such as sodium hyaluronate, sodium PCA, and AHA. is the key. Sodium or ammonium lauryl sulfate, mineral oil, and petrolatum should also be avoided.

Combine your toners

For combination skin, use your toner in combination too. You must purchase two kinds of products, targeting different areas as per their requirements. For drier areas use refreshing toners while for oily areas make sure to avoid oil-based toners. Toners need to be used separately owing to the seasons too. The key is to let the skin respond variably.

Be gentle with your choice

People with sensitive skin need to be extremely cautious while picking up a toner. Avoid alcohol and other acids at all costs. Your toner should be having anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant ingredients such as tea tree oil, beta-glucans, glycerine, etc. synthetic dyes and fragrances need to be avoided.

Always do a patch test of the product if you have sensitive skin. Though this step can be done by others too, sensitive skins need this step.

Conclusion

Toners are good to be included in the skincare regime. Multiple of them are available in the market and hence, it can often be tricky to choose one that will suit your needs. But you will surely find one provided you follow the above-mentioned pieces of advice. Do not pick a toner that is too inexpensive as it can be harmful to the skin. The key to finding the best one is to experiment and explore.