Cleanse, tone, moisturise—many of us swear by at least these three key skincare products daily. However, while cleansing and moisturising are non-negotiable steps, toners are a grey area for many. The functionality of this skincare step is often accompanied by a whole host of confusion.
On top of that, there are numerous types of toners on the market today with different formulations targeted at different skin types or skin concerns – the choice can be over whelming. There are moisturising, exfoliating, cleansing, and anti-inflammatory toners, or eve toners that claim to be ‘all-in-one’. But there are a few key reasons why a toner, no matter what type, should be a fundamental part of your routine – here are the top 3:
1. Toners Moisturise the Skin
Most Toners are designed to re-hydrate your skin post-cleanse. They are often thin in consistency, which means they can penetrate and absorb into the skin fast and deeply hydrate. What’s more, a good toner will often go the extra mile and contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid that can protect the skin from preventing moisture loss. This can help prevent common skin conditions like dehydrated skin and skin ageing.
2. Toners Balance the Skin’s pH levels
Your skin’s pH refers to how acidic or alkaline it is. Generally your skin is considered to be balanced when it is mildly acidic, and in order to keep your skin healthy it’s important to have a balanced pH. However, face cleansers tend to be more alkaline, meaning that can disrupt your pH levels and pave the way for a number of skin concerns. Toners help restore your skin’s pH to normal, healthy levels after you’ve cleansed.
“Toners help restore and rebalance your skin’s pH to normal, healthy levels after you’ve cleansed”
3. Toners Prep Your Skin for Other Skincare Products
Aside from sweeping away any leftover traces of dirt, grime, and residual makeup, that your cleanser couldn’t quite get rid of, toners are also great at helping your other skincare products absorb better.
Think of it this way: your skin is similar to a dried-up sponge post-cleanse (even if you have oily skin). If you put a cream or gel on a dry sponge, it won’t accept it very well and the cream will sit on the surface rather than sinking in. If you wet the sponge, however, the cream can sink in more easily. Thus, your toner will prep your skin to drink up all the products that follow such as your serum and moisturiser.
