WHAT DOES TONER DO FOR YOUR SKIN? THE BENEFITS TO KNOW

You probably have toner – you certainly do if you’ve ever bought a skincare kit. You may even use it since it’s included in skincare lines, suggested in articles and instructions for skincare routines, and recommended by spa workers and beauty experts.

But what does it do?

If you don’t know, you’re not alone. As it turns out, a lot of people ask this question. Somehow, toner became an essential part of a skincare routine even while the people using it weren’t sure why they were using it. It was made and recommended by people who know better, so why not use it? And it turns out it does have benefits, so you should keep using it! But you’ll choose better toners for your skin and its needs if you understand what it is and what it does.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TONER

Maybe it’s not so much that people don’t know what toner does as it is that the primary purpose of toner has changed and not everyone realized it.

Toner started out as a way to remove debris and excess oil from the skin, especially the skin of people who were prone to developing acne. It contained large concentrations of alcohol in order to dry acne (and skin).

Today’s toner looks similar, in that it’s a skincare product that has the consistency of water, but it’s nowhere near as astringent as it once was. Instead of removing debris and oil – which toners may still do, but in smaller amounts – today’s toners are meant to be a primer for the rest of your skincare routine. They’re applied after cleansing, and they provide the nutrients and replenishment that your skin needs after being cleaned.

BENEFIT ONE: REMOVES DEBRIS AND IMPURITIES

Toner started out as a way to remove debris from your skin, and it hasn’t fully lost that function. While it’s no longer as astringent as it once was, it still removes trace amounts of bacteria, old makeup, and dirt from your skin.

Before you put other products on your skin, you want to have it as clean as possible. Toner’s cleansing benefits do a good job of removing possible impurities before you move ahead. Witch hazel is a common ingredient in toners, in part because it’s cleansing without being overly harsh.

BENEFIT TWO: REFRESHES YOUR SKIN

If there’s a reason why you might have continued to use toner even if you weren’t sure exactly what it did for your skin, it may be that it felt great – and anything that feels that good must be doing something good, right?

You’re not wrong. Toner is refreshing on your skin. It feels cool and soothing. It’s a great way to begin or end your day, giving you a feeling of being clean and fresh and starting with a clean slate on your face. Good toners don’t use a lot (or any) perfumes, because the chemicals can irritate your skin. However, rose water oil is a common ingredient in toners. It smells good because it’s made by steeping rose petals in purified water. And in addition to its other benefits, like removing impurities and tightening the skin, it contributes to that refreshing feeling you get when you put toner on your face. Marshmallow root extract is another refreshing ingredient. It softens skin while treating things like eczema and dermatitis.

BENEFIT THREE: SHRINKS YOUR PORES

If you’re interested in skincare, you’re interested in trying to minimize your pores – it’s one of the main goals for faces. people have for their faces. When your pores appear smaller, your face appears more matte, more polished, and younger. The smaller your pores, the less makeup you need in order to look the way that you want to.

Toner can help you go bare-faced or go for a minimalist look when it comes to makeup by tightening up your pores. If you’re looking for a toner that’s great at keeping your pores small, look for one that contains tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is known for its ability to remove buildup from the surface of the skin and unclog pores, but it also minimizes their appearances. It also gives the skin a matte finish, contributing to a luminous look. And while you’re shrinking your pores, look for a toner that contains willow bark extract if you also want to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and date fruit extract for anti-aging properties.

BENEFIT FOUR: SOOTHES SKIN

Sure, skincare is important. But sometimes it can also feel like punishment. Cleansing, scrubbing with an exfoliant, choosing serums and lotions, all of that can be irritating, and not just mentally – it can feel irritating to your skin. But toner can be a balm to all of that. Not only does it feel refreshing – which can soothe you mentally – it actually soothes your skin, lessening redness, itchiness, and feelings of irritation.

This is one way that you can see how much toner has changed over time. As a skincare product full of alcohol, it would have been drying and irritating in and of itself. Today’s toner, however, contains ingredients like aloe vera. Aloe vera helps by reducing redness and improving hydration to the skin, so not only will it look and feel better, the hydration will help it develop a softer, dewier texture. Cucumber is another good choice – it reduces swelling and alleviates sunburn while it soothes and cools.

BENEFIT FIVE: PROTECTS SKIN

Your skin is your biggest organ. It’s also your most exposed organ, and that’s especially true for the skin on your face. Whatever elements you expose yourself to, you tend to walk into them face-first. It’s no surprise that the area needs a little extra protection. You might think that sunscreen is enough protection, but it’s really not. Sunscreen is great for protecting your skin from UV rays, and that’s important, but what about the rest of the damaging elements out there?

Toner contains protective ingredients like green tea. No, it’s not just a drink. It has several benefits, like aiding in rejuvenation and the evening out of blotchy skin, but it’s also a powerful antioxidant, which gives your skin the protection that it needs. Grape seed extract is also a good protectant – it fights free radicals and protects the skin from everything from smoking to stress.

CONCLUSION

If you’re looking for a toner that contains many of the helpful elements mentioned here, try Epionce Balance Toner. The experts at Iconic Skin Clinic can help you find the toner that’s right for you.