Lets talk Astringents and Toners

Hi guys, 

What are toners?
What do they do?
Is it necessary to use them?
How to use them?

If you have similar questions like this in your mind then my friends you should keep on reading this article,Because today I will be talking all about Toners and astringents.

Introduction

Now the word toner can be bit confusing because the product comes in market with many fancy names like lotion,pre-lotion,astringent,face-freshers ,emulsions etc etc. But basically  toner came from the word “Tonic water” .The use of toners dates back to history It is something people have been using since past.

Types Of Toners

Now depending on the skin type there are different types of toners present in the market.

1. If you have normal to combination skin then you should go for mild toners,which means the should contain water and humectant,it should be hydrating and should be gentle on your skin.The humectants are responsible to retain  the moisture of your skin,by preventing it from evaporating.If you fall under this category of skin type then you can use rosewater,glycerin. Even people with sensitive skin can use these type of toners.

2. If you have dry skin then you should go for toners which are more hydrating and do not have any alcohol content in them as alcohol dries your skin further. Also alcohol is not good for your skin.Check if the toner has antioxidants in them.Basically you can use Orange flower water.But be sure to use sure to buy the pure, natural distillations of the water.

3. Now if you have oily skin which is known as the most problematic skin type,go for toners which have any ingredients that kills bacteria like salicyic acid,tea tree oil and have humectant. Toners like astringents can be best suited for people with this skin type,As it shrinks the pore which is a major problem with people with oily skin,Maintains the Ph-Level of your skin hence reducing the redness and reduces the sebum which is responsible for producing more oil on your face.

Purpose Of Using a Toner

Toners are basically used after cleansing and before moisturizing your face.The  purpose of a toner is to clear out your clogged pores,shrink the large pores of your face, but basically it is used to maintain the Ph-level of your skin.Now by balancing Ph-level of the skin means to make the skin it use to be naturally.Toners also helps to hydrate and remove excess oil from your face by reducing the secretion of sebum which is responsible to produce excess oil.Toners calms down your skin and thus reduces the redness of our skin.Toners generally remove any residue which you might be having on your skin and prepares your skin for the application of next product.So basically if you apply anything after applying your toner, your skin is likely to absorb it more quickly.It also eliminates the whiteheads and blackheads.

How and When to Use Toners

You can use toner twice a day,more than that is not recommended as toners can be drying and your facial skin needs some of the natural oil.Use it after you have washed your face with either a cleanser or face wash .You can use it by taking the toner on a cotton pad and swabbing your face with it or you can take the product directly on your hand(Make sure your hands are clean too) and tab it lightly on your face any of the methods is correct.You will feel a cooling effect on your face and people with sensitive skin may feel a little bit of tingling on their face but that is quite normal however if you feel it more wash your face with cold water quickly. Now you can apply your moisturizer or facial serum which will get absorbed in your skin quickly as the product will now penetrate through your skin better.

I use rosewater toner in the morning before applying my makeup and "neutrogena deep clean blackhead eliminating cooling toner" at night before I apply my night cream or aloe Vera gel.
During day my skin does not become oily as it use to become prior to using any toner, also it helps my facial skin to calm down.My pores have minimized to an extent.

Using toners is not mandatory but it is highly recommended. You can even skip this step.And if you are not sure about the toners or never used one before use any toner of your choice according to your skin type and check if that helps you.

Thank you for reading the article.If you have any doubt regarding the toners please feel free to write to me and I will try my best to answer all your queries.

Love,

Monika