Toner….Do I Really Need It?

Toner - fact or fiction?

Posted: Dec 29, 2009

What is toner, anyway? Isn’t it just an excuse to sell me more stuff?

So, here’s the dealio with Toner (as explained by our Esthetician Extraordinaire Ceci):

First, forget what you learned as a teenager, a toner is NOT an astringent (don’t we all remember Seabreeze?). There's a big difference. Toners are hydrating and balancing. Astringents tend to have alcohol or other drying agents to work against excessive oil and are best for pubescent teenagers or very oily/acneic skin. Your esthetician can help you determine what type of product is best for your skin type.

Second, let’s have a little physiology lesson. Your skin produces natural oils called sebum that are acidic (4.5-5.5 pH). This oil is good because it fights bacteria and protects our skin, keeping it soft and pliable. Whenever you wash your skin you remove this essential acidity and take it to a more alkaline pH level. Unless you apply a pH balancing product the rest of your finishing products like serums and moisturizers will not be as effective, because they will be fighting your skin’s non-acidic pH. You know you are using the correct toning product when it leaves your skin feeling clean, not dry, tight or sore.

Note: There are some cleansers available that are specifically designed to be pH balanced, such as the IsClinical Cleansing Complex – in which case, you may not need a toner. Check with your esthetician if you are not sure!

Best of all, the benefits of a toner are as follows:
1) Hydrating - 98% of humans have surface dehydration due to lifestyle and environmental causes
2) Balancing - a majority of skin that's combination, overly oily, or has acne breakouts is due to over-stripping the skin and lack of pH balance
3) Tightening - pore tightening effect, like splashing cold water on your face that stimulates microcirculation
4) Freshening - leaves your skin feeling clean and fresh

TIP: Save yourself some money, don't overuse your product. For toner, cut your cotton rounds in half and use a dime-size amount on for your face and neck.

When to use toners in your basic skin care regime:
- Cleanse
- Exfoliate (pm only)
- Toner (am/pm)
- Serum (if any)
- Moisturizer (am/pm)
- SPF (am only)

We will be diving in to the other areas shown above as time permits in 2010 - Happy toning!

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