Facial toner - still part of skin care routines?
Facial care routines have become a popular topic for young and old alike, thanks to social media and its widespread popularity. Skincare routines include a variety of products such as scrubs, masks, moisturizers and even toners.
Environmental pollution and the skin.
Environmental pollution is one of the best known enemies of the skin, but not the only one. The other dangers are hidden from people's visual periphery and are not so easily perceived, such as air pollution, which can be calculated using web applications and is a major problem in Asian countries, but is neglected by the Western population. Even knowing that pollution is not a local problem, but a global one.
The effects of pollution on the skin can manifest themselves in various ways, such as increased sebum production, a high degree of dehydration of the skin or a significant reduction in the skin's defenses. In polluted environments, particles invisible to the naked eye accumulate on the skin surface, damaging the skin barrier and reducing the natural glow of healthy skin. In addition, skin sensitivity is increased, causing significant damage and accelerating premature skin aging. This damage is caused by the formation of free radicals, which are created by oxidation processes in contact with toxic particles. Such particles are found, for example, in car or industrial exhaust fumes. But also UV radiation triggers the formation of free radicals.
This damage is not irreparable, however, and can be kept in check by proper cleansing and care of the skin, such as moisturizing, exfoliating, using masks and other products where the toner stands out.
What is a toner?
A facial toner is also often called a face toner or, rarely, a face tonic. Facial toners are versatile water-based liquid products for skin care. Their original purpose was to maintain the proper balance between the properties present in the skin, such as pH.
It is responsible for preparing the skin for the subsequent application of nourishing oils, creams and other products that are part of the daily routine. It is particularly appreciated by the connoisseurs of this large and wide area that does not cease to expand every day.
Facial toner can also be used as another cleansing step to rid the skin of makeup and impurities, and in this case is the first step in the application sequence.
Some facial toners, depending on their formulation and method of application, remove dead skin cells, dirt remaining in the pores and excess oil from the skin.
Although it is a product for daily use, like all other products to complement skin care, it has its specific instructions for use. Every person is different and special. This means that each person has a unique skin type with specific requirements that must be suitable for each of them.
Benefits of facial toner:
Facial toner or a toner offers several benefits for facial skin, including:
- Refreshing effect: Facial toner is water-based, so it helps to maintain the skin's natural level of hydration.
- Restores pH: Normally, when washing the face, any type of soap is used without checking if it is alkaline, which unbalances the natural acid-alkaline balance of the facial skin. When the toner is applied, it balances the acid-base factor in the cells of the epidermis. For this, however, it is important that the pH of the toner is adjusted to the pH of the skin (about 5.5).
- Improves blood circulation: the massage technique with the fingertips when applying the facial toner greatly improves blood circulation through the tiny capillaries in the skin.
- In addition, the soothing effect is one of the features of facial toners that sets it apart from other skin care products. For example, some facial toners contain aloe vera extracts, which further enhance the soothing effect in case of itching, burning or irritation.
Are toners really necessary?
No, it's not absolutely necessary to include a toner in your skincare routine. There's no problem with two-step routines that only include cleansing and moisturizing.
However, a toner can be included in your skincare routine, turning a simple two-step routine into a three-step routine where the toner takes the second step in the order of product application, i.e., after cleansing but before moisturizing, resulting in better visible results in the long run.
Types of toner:
There are three types of toner to choose from, depending on your skin type.
- Alcohol-based: These are facial toners that contain alcohol in their composition and are often considered the best alternative for very oily skin. However, this is now rather questioned, since alcohol is considered a controversial ingredient.
- Water- and glycerin-based facial toners: Water- and glycerin-based products are less irritating than those containing alcohol, but may also contain potentially irritating fragrances or essential oils, which can cause skin irritation or redness if you have very sensitive skin or allergies to one of these ingredients.
- Water-based facial toners without alcohol or fragrances: These do not contain any controversial ingredients, but mostly water and moisturizing and regulating active ingredients to gently nourish the skin and best prepare it for subsequent products.
Are micellar water and toner the same?
As a rule, these are products that are often confused due to lack of knowledge or assumed to have the same function, although this is not the case: each product has its function and its specific properties, as well as its place within the steps to be followed for good skin care.
There are a variety of micellar waters on the market today, but ultimately they all have the same composition. They usually contain surfactants and are sometimes enriched with oils. Micellar water rarely contains moisturizers or nutrients in its composition. Its main purpose is to remove impurities from the skin and is used primarily and almost exclusively as a makeup remover, providing no additional benefit to the skin.
Unlike micellar water, a toner offers a number of benefits when used. Just like micellar water, there is a wide variety of facial toners, and although there is a wide variety of facial toner types, they are all made from the same base that contains moisturizing, antioxidant, and hydrating ingredients. Instead of acting only as a makeup remover and cleanser of the first layer of the skin, when used in a skin care routine, the basic composition of the toner provides the skin with nutrients, moisturizes and makes the skin look healthy.
What are the types of toner?
We can basically distinguish between 4 different types of facial toner, which are characterized by their different properties and benefits for the skin. We can distinguish:
- Adstringent facial toners: adstringent facial toners help to balance oily skin and, in addition to their basic composition, contain antiseptic properties to balance the oil content of the skin by controlling sebum production, thus reducing the appearance of blackheads and whiteheads.
- Stimulating tonics: Stimulating tonics are ideal for combating the signs of aging or age-related skin spots, giving the skin a smoother appearance and excellent hydration. They usually contain vitamin C and/or aloe vera in their formula, which are ideal for softening the signs of aging.
- Emollients: emollients, such as oils, have the ability to relax, soothe, protect tissues and prevent inflammation. When included in the composition of facial toners, they provide the skin with all these benefits, plus a high level of hydration.
- Soothing toners: soothing toners have the ability to reduce redness, irritation and skin sensitivity. One of the key ingredients that help to provide relief include panthenol.
Application of facial toner
Facial toner should be applied after cleansing or makeup remover, but before moisturizing. The correct application of a toner consists of three steps that, if followed carefully, allow the skin to perfectly absorb each of the ingredients that have a beneficial effect.
- A small amount of toner should be placed on a piece of absorbent cotton large enough to be handled comfortably.
- The toner is then applied to the face and neck. It is very important that this is done without rubbing, but with small touches, so that the toner is well absorbed. For very sensitive skin, there is also the possibility to spray the toner in the form of a spray directly on the face.
- After applying to the skin, it is important that it is not rinsed off, but is completely absorbed into the skin before applying a nourishing oil, moisturizer or serum.
Balancing Toner by LIPID GLORY
The LIPID GLORY Balancing Toner is a balancing and regulating toner. You can spray it directly on your facial skin or put it on a cotton pad. It is very light and does not contain any oils in its composition. It is a completely vegan product whose multifunctional active ingredient niacinamide, also called vitamin B3, has a moisturizing effect, cleanses pores, helps regulate pH after cleansing, and supports the production of collagen and the skin's ability to regenerate.
Because it is water-based, it is suitable for all skin types, from dry and oily skin to mature skin. However, it is recommended that before applying any product to the facial skin, including toner, a small skin test is performed on the forearm to check if there is an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients in the formula. If no reaction such as redness or swelling is observed at the test site, the product can be used on the face without any problems.
This product can be used in both day and night care. Being water-based and oil-free, its formulation is very light and suitable for any time of day, providing all the benefits of its ingredients in each application. Our Balancing Toner also refreshes in between and leaves the skin feeling comfortable and nourished.