In any beauty regimen, a toner is considered to be a very important part. Beauty experts and dermatologists advice to follow CTM (cleansing-toning-moisturizing) routine to achieve beautiful and clear skin. The pillar of any beauty regime, CTM depends on daily cleansing, toning and moisturization action. Women all across the world try a variety of toners to give their skin some extra love. We all agree that toners usually have so many benefits, but is using a toner necessary every day? What if we skip using a toner on some days, will that really affect the skin? This is the topic of today’s discussion and we will burst all bubbles surrounding misconceptions about using a toner today and to find out “is toner necessary every day?”
What is a Toner?
A toner is a skincare product that has a liquid consistency and has to be applied with the help of a cotton pad. Toners are also available in the form of fresheners, mists and astringents.
Benefits of Toner:
Toners are amazing multitaskers and perform a variety of functions:
- Thoroughly cleanse skin: Toners are known to purify and cleanse the skin from within. Our skin suffers a lot when it is exposed to unwanted pollutants and external factors. These toxins negatively impact the health and overall well-being of skin. Toners help to get rid of toxins, residual makeup, oil, and dirt from the skin and makes it fresh and clean.
- Tightening of pores: Toners help to improve the appearance of facial pores.
- Maintenance of pH balance: Most toners have the capacity to bring back the pH level of the skin which helps to keep bacteria and acne-causing germs away.
- Hydration: Hydration is the key factor in achieving flawless skin. If you hydrate your skin enough, it will never give you a reason to complain. A good hydrating toner moisturises the skin which in turn delays the ageing process. In addition to that, a toner hydrates the epidermal layer of the skin and also helps to facilitate the absorption of a moisturiser.
- Control of oil production: Some toners have oil-controlling properties which can keep shine and oil under check.
What is the Best Time to use a Toner?
One must use a toner on a regular basis, preferably on a daily basis. Most ideally, a toner should be applied twice a day, once after the cleansing process in the morning and the second time, during the night-time skin care routine after thorough removal of makeup. This is actually more of a generalised version for using a toner. In fact, the number of times you use a toner actually depends on your skin type, skin concerns, and ingredients in the toner.
How Does your Skin Type Determine your Toner Usage?
The ingredients of a toner go a long way to determine the type of skin it is suitable for. A toner that contains salicylic acid as a chief ingredient would be great for oily, acne-prone skin as it will get rid of dead skin cells, excess oil, and acne-causing bacteria. It also helps to restore the pH balance and reduce the appearance of breakouts. On the other hand, if your skin is dry, it means your skin is more prone to ageing. Then, it becomes more appropriate to apply toner once or twice a day in between cleansing and moisturizing. For women with dry skin, you must ensure that your toner does not have any alcohol content as it might be counterproductive for your skin. You should look for ingredients such as oils, lactic acid , witch hazel, and glycerine which are great moisturising ingredients.
Are Toners Really Necessary for your skin?
In this section, we will address the main query of the article. We have known so many benefits of a toner but wait a second, Are they really useful? Firstly, regarding the cleansing action of a toner, we don’t want to disappoint you but the removal of dirt and impurities from your face is mostly done by your cleanser. So, if it is good enough, chances of a toner to perform cleansing action is reduced to bare minimum. This actually implies that if you are using a good cleanser, a toner is not that important to cleanse your skin.
It is also well-known that toners help to restore pH balance of your skin and your skin feels tighter post using a toner? Does that mean you must always use a toner to maintain the pH balance of the skin? Let’s demystify this myth. Our skin has the ability to replenish the natural pH on its own post cleansing. Hence, using a toner is optional. Also, if you invest in a gentle cleanser, it will not alter the pH of your skin.
Coming to another benefit of a toner which is pore minimization, so is a toner really helpful in minimizing the pores of your skin? You might notice your facial pores shrinking after using a toner, but it can actually make them look smaller for a while. Alcohol-based toners irritate the skin and cause minimization of pores for some time which is surely not good for the skin in the long run. There is no percentage of truth to the subject that toners can close your skin pores. You pore size is genetically determined, so you can’t change it.
Let’s talk about the oil production control issue now. Can toners control oil production? Well yes, only if it contains salicylic acid. Salicylic acid works inside the pores, removing all the oil from deep within. This helps to keep your skin shine-free for some time. But all toners do not contain salicylic acid, majority of them contain alcohol which does more harm to the skin than any good. So, stay away from such alcohol-based toners.
Does that mean that toners are useless for the skin? No, we didn’t say so. Some toners are really good for the skin, for example toners with hyaluronic acid moisturize the skin well and are really useful for people who have dry skin issues. On the other hand, toners that are rich in anti-oxidants are also helpful for the skin. They fight off premature ageing and enhance youthfulness in the long run. Let’s know the verdict of our query, Are toners necessary every day? The answer is partly “yes”. Firstly, a toner is only helpful to you only if you use the right kind of toner. This means refrain yourself from buying alcohol-based toners as they do no good to the skin. Next, know your skin type and get yourself some toning based on that. For dry skin, opt for some hydrating toner which can definitely be used on a daily basis. If you have oily skin, use a salicylic based toner. It’s not just the toner that helps to maintain the glow of the skin, your face wash, moisturizer, serum, scrub play an equal role in determining your skin health. So, buy products that works for you. Also, like we said toning is something which is an extra-step to your skin care routine. So, if you are really into good skincare routine, you can use toner daily. It is something which is nice to follow but strictly not mandatory. Do follow a strict day-and-night routine that includes daily cleansing and moisturization, weekly exfoliation and use the correct products. This will make your skin glowing and will help to maintain the optimum health. Hope this cleared your doubts!
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