What are Toners?

Hi My Lovelies,
It appears toners are one of those skin care/beauty items you either love, hate or just skip altogether. I used to be in the last category and I never used to bother with it until I read quite a few articles on how beneficial they were for the skin so I decided to give toners a try and almost 5 different toners later, I think it's perfect time to let you know what I think of them.


What are Toners?
Skin care toners (yeah, I had to differentiate as there are toners for ink cartridges for printing) refers to a lotion or wash designed to cleanse the skin (after your cleanser) and shrink pores. They also help restore and repair the skin surface in addition to being really refreshing. There are different types of toners which include astringents (which are alcohol based), water and glycerin based and the water based toners. Most people tend to avoid the ones containing alcohol as it can be irritating to sensitive skin and dries out the skin.


How do Toners work?
*Disclaimer: I am no beauty expert so this is just my basic knowledge of how I understand that toners work* The skin has an acid mantle made up of oil and sweat which is maintained in a way to prevent bacteria growth and all sorts of nasties by altering the natural PH of the skin. After you cleanse your skin, that acid mantle is temporarily removed and this can alter the PH of the skin. What a toner does in addition to all its other benefits listed above is ensuring the PH is restored so the skin is all dandy and happy and no nasties gets in the way. Toners are usually applied with a cotton pad or as a spray across the face with your eyes closed of course. I have tried a few of them so I thought it would be nice to give you a low down of how we fared.





The Gentle One-Olay Essentials Refreshing Toner (Contains Alcohol)
I think this must have been one of the first toners I tried out and I actually love it. It says it is suitable for normal, dry and combination skin and I have combination-oily skin so I can't really say how it fares with other skin types. Its second ingredient is alcohol and you would expect it to be harsh but it is indeed the opposite. It is actually very gentle on the skin. It has a fragrance which I don't mind but if you hate fragrance in skin care then this may be a little problematic. I won't say it is very effective for acne but it is really refreshing and it own't exacerbate any acne. It is also really affordable and I think it's a good way to get into the Toner game if you are unsure.


The Refreshing One-Simple Kind to Skin Facial Toner
I have already featured this a little while ago here on its own blog post but it is also one of my favourite toners from Drug Store. It''s no secret that Simple Skin Care make very good skin care products which are very affordable and good quality. It contains refreshing ingredients which include Cucumber, Chamomile, Witch Hazel, Allantoin and Vitamin B which are sources from as simple sources as possible. It does not contain alcohol so if you have sensitive skin, you can get away with using this. It helped slightly with my acne which I think is closely linked to its witch hazel content. It's affordable, good quality and it is easily available so it is a top choice.


The Acne-Blasting One- Clinique Anti-Blemish Clarifying Lotion (Alcohol based)
Again, this has already been featured on here with its own blog post and it's one that I had a love-hate relationship with at first but I eventually grew to love it. First things first, it contains alcohol and you can literally smell it because it really has a strong smell which can be off putting. Although, it contains alcohol, I don't find it drying or irritating on my skin. I feel it may be for other people but personally, I was quite surprised that it did not irritate or dry my skin out. It contains salicylic acid which goes to say it is effective in clearing acne which was the reason i bought it in the first place. It's not an overnight worker but it will get the job done in good time. I also like this toner because it is also an exfoliant so it gets rid of dead skin cells which gives way to fresh skin. The trick is to use it the right way which is wiping across the face in one direction rather than in a circular motion. It is quite pricey but it lasts for a long time.
The Hydrating One-Lancome Tonique Douceur
For me, this is best toner for me. Maybe, it's because I am very partial to Lancome; you all know i really love that brand. Jokes aside, this is the gentlest toner I have ever tried. It just makes your skin feel really soft, hydrated and refreshed which is what you need after a long day at work or just outside. It also has a slight fragrance which I know is a no-no for some but I really like the scent. This does not contain alcohol. I have nothing bad to say about this except that it is really pricey but you get a good amount and you also get some samples as you know they are my top beauty brand who make the best samples.

I am currently trying the Lush Tea Tree Toner which I would be reviewing soon but I really like it so far and I just need some more time to draw all my conclusions ready for a review so watch this space. I hope you have enjoyed this post and if you know of any good toners out there, leave me a comment below and I would try them..see you in my next post...x