Skincare has become an integral part of our lives and ever since skincare products have taken the world by storm. Everybody has a personalized skincare routine prescribed to them by their dermatologists or what the internet suggests to them. And a skincare routine without toner is not complete. But do you have any idea what does toner do in your skincare routine?

What does toner do? has been a question in the skincare world for quite some time now. There are questions like what is its purpose, is it mandatory in your skincare regime and does it help? We have got these questions covered down below. Keep reading to know more.

A Skincare routine is mainly focused on moisturizing the skin to give it a healthy and glowy look. It is to counter dehydrated skin. Different products work on different skin, hence it is really important to first figure out your skin type.

There are five skin types. Oily skin, Normal skin, Dry skin, Combination skin, and Sensitive skin. There are many easy skin tests that you can do at home without much equipment to figure out your skin type.

A skincare routine starts with first cleansing the skin with an oil cleanser if you have makeup on, then a facial cleanser. There is a code in the skincare world that says one should take as much time to remove makeup as they took to apply it. After that comes an exfoliator which you should do twice a week, and then you apply toner.

Following toner comes essence, then serum, after that undereye cream, and then finally you lock it all with a moisturizer. Then the last component is sunscreen. Sunscreen is really important in keeping your skin tone even. Never leave your house without it applied! This is the ‘it’ thing.

Now, I know this all must seem pretty daunting but don’t worry you don’t need to apply all this stuff on your face. After applying toner, you can straight away apply moisturizer, lock it and finish with a final touch of sunscreen.

In this post ‘what does toner do’ specifically, we will be discussing the uses of toner. Let’s get right into it!

1. What Does Toner Do?

1.1. Hydrating And Cleansing The Skin

Facial Toners are lotions designed to cleanse any stubborn dirt, oil, or pollutants left on your skin after cleansing. They are made to hydrate your skin and gently refresh it. A Facial toner can be used for deep cleansing and toners containing soothing and hydrating ingredients can benefit both sensitive and dry skin.

1.2. Balancing Your PH

A toner also maintains your skin’s ph balance. Your skin just after cleansing is slightly alkaline and not at the desired ph level of 5.5. This is where the toners come in. They are designed to restore your skin’s ph balance.

1.3. Reduces Dead Skin Cells And Tightens Pores

A toner contains antioxidants and other botanicals to remove dead skin cells and neutralize bacteria and oil present inside your skin pores. When this is done, the skin tightens around itself, hence a toner makes your pores less congested.

1.4. Anti Aging Effects

Some toners depending on the ingredients they are made of can also have exceptional anti-aging benefits. When looking for one to achieve the said purpose, look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, retinol, and Vitamin C. A facial toner containing glycerin and antioxidants would also help smoothen your skin texture.

1.5. Reduces Acne

Toners can be beneficial for oily skin as they aid in controlling breakouts and excess oil. They clean your clogged pores and remove blackheads and whiteheads. Also really helpful for acne-prone skin as they reduce blemishes, and scarring. Look for ingredients like salicylic acid and tea tree oil and other beta-hydroxy acids to combat the same.

Another function of toners is to remove environmental contaminants from your skin. They also help in tightening cell gaps and countering excessive dryness.

This is all about what does toner do to your skin and after knowing this you definitely want to include it into your skincare routine. But before that scroll down more to get some extra information about toner.

2. How To Use A Toner

Now you get it what does toner do, so this information become more beneficial when you learn how to use it. Let’s see how to use a toner on skin.

As I mentioned before that a facial toner can be used for deep cleansing, well this is because of its antioxidant properties that it has, which help the other skincare products go deeper into the skin.

To use a toner, you can either apply it using your palm and fingers or you can take a cotton pad, put a few drops on it, and then gently apply it over your skin while tapping it.

There are many toners to choose from. To find the right toner, it is first important to find your right skin type.

3. Different Types Of Toners

What does toner do for your skin is mainly depend on type of toner you use. Different types of toners has different use and benefits.

3.1. A Hydrating Toner

Hydrating toners focus on hydrating the skin without taking off its natural moisture. There are a lot of natural facial toners too like rose water. Rose water is exceptionally hydrating when mixed with other moisturizing ingredients.

3.2. Exfoliating Toners

These toners generally contain glycolic acid and salicylic acid along with some fruit enzymes. They remove dead skin cells and clean the dust out of pores. They are most generally suitable for oily, normal, and combination skin and can be irritant to dry and sensitive skin. However, toners containing gentle exfoliating acids can be helpful to dry and sensitive skin too.

3.3.Treatment Toners

These toners intend to solve targeted treatments and do more than just hydrate your skin. They come in many sub-forms such as a brightening toner, a soothing toner, or an anti aging toner.

3.3.1. Brightening Toner

A brightening toner focuses on reducing discoloration of the skin and includes many active ingredients like Vitamin C, retinol, and papaya extract. They also aid in reducing acne scars and sun spots.

3.3.2. A Soothing Toner

Soothing toners are alcohol-free and work on gently cleansing the skin without over-drying. They are gentle cleansers and contain no alcohol, artificial fragrances, or other irritants but plant extracts like chamomile. They don’t irritate sensitive skin and are suitable for all skin types.

All in all treatment toners target specific skin concerns like excess oil, excessive dryness, or enlarged pores. There are many different types of toners and you can find them here.

3.4. Aloe Vera As A Natural Toner

Aloe vera, since ancient times, has been used in many skin treatments. It also works as an incredible toner. It deeply moisturizes skin and is beneficial for dry skin. You can either aloe vera straightaway after cutting a part of it from the plant.

To make a toner of it, mix two parts of water with one part of aloe vera gel, collect it in an air-tight container and then store it inside a refrigerator. Shake before use.

3.5. Modern Toners

The facial toners we talked about above are all modern toners. Traditionally toners contained large portions of alcohol and witch hazel that worked as astringents. Astringents are harsh substances that soak water from your tissues and tighten cell gaps. They temporarily remove oil.

While this may seem like what modern toners do, astringents can overdry your skin and can cause irritation. They are also not suitable for every skin type.

TIP

If you have major acne-prone skin and other skin problems, it is advisable for a board-certified dermatologist to prescribe you skin treatments rather than you looking and buying things yourself.

There are many good skincare brands to choose your products from. You can find them here. Remember that what works for some, might not work for you cause everybody has a different skin type. Coming up with a skincare routine that suits you best is all about trial and error.

You apply different products, see what is best for you, and then add it to your beauty regime. Another tip I would suggest is to apply only a few products at a time. If you apply a lot of products together and something causes a breakout or allergies to your skin, it will be tough for you to pinpoint which product did the damage!

Skincare is a journey that requires effort and time along with consistency. Another thing to note here is that along with your beauty products, a healthy diet is also important to get healthy skin. Include fruits, vegetables, salads, and coconuts in your diet.

A healthy lifestyle is closely correlated with healthy skin. In my skincare experience, I have found that Korean skincare brands also work wonders. You can try TheFaceShop and Innisfree. The Body Shop is not Korean but is also a good skincare brand.

Remember to check whether the product suits your skin type before buying it!

Also, remember to not compare your skin look with models or celebrities. They have resources, a large budget, and professional advice to guide them. There is enough researching and investing done to identify what suits them best by their professional caretakers. Never forget that your skincare journey is your own experience and it need not be compared with other people’s.

So here is the answer to what does toner do. A Toner does wonder! I hope you enjoyed reading this post ‘what does toner do and how to use it’ and found out what you looked for, take care until next time^^.

Also if you enjoyed reading this post, then check out similar topics at IcyTales for more^^.

Last Updated on July 1, 2023 by Laveleena Sharma