A Facial Toner- Do I Really Need One?

Healthy skin comes from having a good daily facial skin care routine. Your skin is able to cleanse, heal and even renew itself. How effectively it does these things is partly governed by how well you take care of it.
Having a good daily skin care routine is very important to the health of your skin and essential step towards having a good complexion.

To tone or not to tone?
Although it is universally accepted that we need to cleanse and moisturize our skin regularly, opinion is divided on whether we really need to use a toner on our skin. Most women simply skip applying a toner because they don’t understand what it does. Does it clean the skin? You use a cleanser, why do you need a toner? Does it remove traces of cleansing lotion? You clean your face with a face wash?
So the long & short of “Should I use a toner” is yes & the reasons why are listed below

What do toners do?

1. Removes final traces of cleanser and make-up, excess oil and chemicals found in tap water.
2. Helps skin re-balance its naturally acidic pH ("acid mantle"). The acid mantle is an important part of the immune system and protects the body against bacteria and micro-organisms. It can be out of balance after using alkaline products (soap and many cleansers) or cosmetics, or due to poor nutrition and simple perspiration.
3. Hydrates and reduces oil output (except if product is preserved with alcohol*). Some people have oily+dehydrated skin, so even though they have excessive oil, they also experience feelings of dryness. One common mistake of this skin type is to apply an unsuitable moisturizer, however this more often than not leads to shiny, oily skin and manifests the desire to go over the cleanse->moisture routine again, and again, and again.
4. Oily+dehydrated skin needs to be hydrated, not highly moisturized! And, most importantly, it needs to be cared for with products that do not contain high percentages of alcohol, *(ie. Products that use alcohol as an alternative preservative - these contain anywhere from 12-15%+ alcohol). In these high percentages, alcohol dries and dehydrates the skin and can cause skin cell damage. In addition, the extreme dryness and cell damage causes the body to over-compensate by producing more oil.
5. Regular hydration of the skin with products that contain water and a humectant (eg. vegetable glycerin and/or honey) are the best form of care for oily+dehydrated skin.
6. Promotes smaller looking pores. Although pores cannot be ‘closed’ by a toner, they can, when used as part of the cleansing process, help remove ingrained debris from pores while having an astringent (tightening) action on the skin tissue, effectively decreasing the appearance of pores.
7. Refreshes and soothes skin. In addition to the hydrating and refreshing action of facial toners that contain an effective humectant (water-attracting) ingredient, anti-inflammatory natural ingredients can be formulated into facial toners to help soothe reactive skin conditions.
8. Aids and extends application of other skin products. Applying skin care products to toner-dampened skin makes for both a smoother application and dilutes the product, reducing the amount used.
9. Helps set make-up (especially great for mineral make-up).
10. Provides a delivery system for actives. Facial toners can contain powerful biological actives, such as essential oils and botanical extracts that can have a dramatic effect on the skin's appearance.

Do men need a toner?

Men's skincare routines are similar to women's skincare routines. A basic skin care routine should take place every morning and evening. The first step is always cleansing. A gentle face wash and body wash will clean the skin without drying it out. Skin that is not cleaned properly or becomes too dry is at risk of developing clogged pores. This leads to blackhead and acne breakouts. There are a number of gentle cleansers on the market. Some people who have periodic breakouts benefit from a monthly facial.

Toning always follows the cleansing process. Toners help reduce the size of pores and may remove excess dirt and oil from the skin. Again, there are toners that cater to a variety of skin types. Some men's skincare products even combine cleanser and toner.

What toner should I use? Certain toners clarify and exfoliate the skin, leaving it completely oil and dirt free and removing all dead skin cells. Such toners are strong and tend to contain alcohol, which is ultra-drying. If your skin is very oily using a stronger alcohol-based toner like Clean and Clear should help reduce the oiliness, but there is a possibility that it could also cause more break-outs. The over-drying action of stronger toners causes skin to react by producing excessive oil to combat the dryness, leading to more breakouts. It is thus safer to use an alcohol-free toner. Different skins react differently though, so it is important that you stick with a regime for a couple of weeks before you can tell whether a particular product suits your skin or not.
 If your skin is normal to dry go in for a gentle toner that doesn’t exfoliate the skin but moisturizes it. Or you could go in for a toner with anti-ageing properties.

How should you apply toner?
 If you apply the toner directly on your face without using cotton, your bottle will last longer. Exfoliating toners do need to be applied with cotton wool, but moisturizing toners can be just splashed on your face. Apply toner to a cotton ball and sweep it GENTLY across your face. The cotton wool should come out relatively clean when toning. If it doesn’t, you need to change your cleanser; it’s not doing its job.
 There is also the temptation to scrub your face clean with toner every time it feels dirty, which should be avoided. This is why you should use these toners only after cleansing, when your skin is already clean so your toner functions as a toner, not as a cleanser.

IR Beautina's range of natural facial skin toners remove any remaining cleanser and prepare your skin for the moisturizing phase of your daily skin care regime.
The range of natural facial skin toners includes toners for oily, normal, dry, sensitive and combination skin types. We even have toners especially formulated for men.
All these toners & much more can be found at www.amazingthaibeauty.com.