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Rant & Rave: Toner
This Week’s Topic: TONER!
Your Mission: Tell us what you love, hate, or are otherwise indifferent to about toner and all that those entail.
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I was indifferent and thought that toner was useless until I discovered PCA Skin’s pHaze 5 Nutrient Toner ( http://www.pcaskin.com/ppp.aspx?cid=1&sid=2&pid=7 ). I am absolutely obsessed with this stuff. It has done wonders for my skin. I use it daily, and it’s the perfect amount of daily gentle exfoliation for my skin, while also smoothing soothing and prepping my skin for the rest of my skincare and/or makeup.
The only other ‘toner’ type thing that I ever use is approximately 10% tea tree oil in filtered water, in a toner bottle. I shake it up and use it like a toner, and it’s the perfect way for me to use tea tree.
I like to use toner after washing my face, to help spread my moisturizer. For that, I use cold Evian water spray, as it closes the pores up too. If my face has blemishes, I like to use rubbing alcohol to disinfect. Some people are against alchohol, but I think it’s great. Otherwise, I find that an exfoliating toner 2-3 times a week really anti-ageing or harsh chemicals in my skin care, so it’s fine if my toner contains gentle acids. It’s easier for me to tolerate.
I meant to say that an exfoliating toner helps get rid of clogged pores or dead cells that congest my skin. I like to keep my moisturizers & face washes free of exfoliants and anti-ageing stuff, as I use those every day.
I love toner because it’s a reassurance that my skin has little to no dirt left on it 🙂 I hate toners that sticky, feel like you need to rinse your face after wards, sting or cause redness. I’ve gone through many crazy toners…
Hate: Clinique’s 3 step toner. GROSS!
Love love love: Shu Uemura’s red:juvenus lotion (aka toner)
Have you read the ingredients in the 3-Step toners? LOL
Let me guess, alcohol, alcohol and more alcohol?
I really love using a toner, it helps get all my cleanser off and makes my moisturizer sink in better. The trick is to use one that is NOT alcohol based. I use a Lush toner, but plenty of companies make alcohol-free toners targeted for different skin types.
I guess I am pretty indifferent to toner. If my skin is REALLY dry(like flaking dry) after I wash my face, I skip the toner and go right to my moisturizer! 🙂
However, I do incorporate toner into my skin care routine(when my skin ISN’T dry lol). It helps remove extra makeup that I probably didn’t catch with my makeup remover wipes 😉
I love toner. I am a long time clinique 3 step user and clarifying lotion is one of my favorite products. My face just doesnt feel clean without it as a combo skinned girl.
Me too! I think no matter what other face products I use I will always use my clarifying lotion. (although why they call it a lotion I still have yet to figure out…)
I honestly don’t think toner is a necessary product – however I do like to use it after I’ve worked out to clean my skin (if I can’t wash my face right away).
I love the Chanel Purete toner. It doesn’t burn and it takes away the excess shine.
I love toner to clean better the skin after cleaning lotion and I love it also becouse tone and refresh my skin!
I usually use water rose like toner 😉
i never use a toner 😀
I love Molton Brown’s Skinbalance Toning Lotion. It has all natural enzymes including pumpkin and grapefuit which makes it smell yummy, too!
I haven’t used toner in years,and
I think my skin is feeling fine without it. I just think it isn’t necessary for me.
Toner is such a musthave in my daily skincare routine. I have been using Lush’s Tea Tree Water since one year, and it made my skin clearer and generally healthier looking. And I love the fact that it doesn’t dry out your skin.
actually i never used a toner. i’m not sure if i will someday 🙂
at the moment i can live without one 🙂
Same here. Don’t see the point. I cleanse, exfoliate, moisturise, don’t really understand how is toner so necessary. I have an opened bottle, but never use it, as I didn’t see any difference when I did use it for a while.
I never know if the toner I use is working or what it is supposed to do! I use Mario Badescu aloe vera toner and so far i am indifferent.
I just returned that one! I didn’t notice any difference at all…just felt like putting water on my face.
All the toners i have used made my skin oiler and made me break out but now im usin witch hazel.=]&& so far it working out nicely
Call me odd but I LOVE basic witch hazel as a toner. Yeah it’s 14% alcohol but it doesn’t dry my skin out at all. I’m not sure what it does exactly to my skin (LOL, well it does get the dirt and grime that my facial cleanser doesn’t get) but I can tell a HUGE difference between using and not using. I may give it a break when my skin is feeling extra dry but otherwise I love it. 89 cents from Rite! lol
okay. so is it just me, or does anyone else find the smell of witch hazel kind of offensive -__- I think I like my skin after I use it.. but gosh the smell i find really bleh
I started using a toner in the past month and so far I don’t feel it’s all that necessary. BUT I do love to use Jurlique Citrus Mist (which is supposed to be a toner) as a setting spray.
I don’t see why I have to spend $25+ on a decent toner, especially when I haven’t notice that any I’ve tried make any significant difference in my skin. I find that for the most part I can just skip toner and go straight to my moisturizer after cleansing.
Find it quite unncesary but is very refreshing during the summer! I use Lush’s Tea Tree Water when I do use it. Also is nice to use on spots to reduce redness and disinfect the pores 🙂
I love love love toner… but for me it has to be free from alcohol. My fabourite is Liz Earle’s Instant Boost Skin Tonic. I don’t know what I’d do without it. Although if it finishes & I’ve not gotten round to replacing it, I just use MAC’s Fix +. That also works really well for me. Either way, my skin feels cool and refreshed, and I find my moisturiser works better.
Wow… Please ignore my spelling mistakes. Lol.
I have to use it. It makes my face feel extra clean. If I don’t use it then I’ll keep thinking I have makeup left on my face. eeeek!
I love toner. It gets rid of residue left from my cleansers and just makes my skin feel so clean and refreshed.
I have always had a hard time with toners. The alcohol in every toner I used ended up making my skin worse. It would either burn my skin or break me out even more. Instead of trying to find one that did not have alcohol in it I decided to make my own. I bought pure lavender oil and pure tree tea oil and mixed 2:1 ratio with water. It has worked wonders for my skin and doesn’t irritate it like other products have!
I always use a toner after cleaning my face with a facewash. I have combo to slightly oily skin and toner really helps to remove all dirt and make-up that has build up on my face after a long day.
I also feel that if I don’t use toner my routine is not complete.
I don’t really have a favorite toner, but I like to use Nivea and Garnier Clean Sensitive.
I love The Lush Eau Roma and Dr. Hauschka (the one for normal/sensitive/dry skintypes)!
well well well….I’d have to say the best toner is an “ice cube”…u get it almost everywhere..and costs nothing !!! and still works wonders..
I hate to sound like an idiot….but as a person who just recently started trying to do a daily skin thing (I bought Clean and Clear Morning Burst Cleanser and Clean & Clear oil-free moisturizer), when do you put on the toner, before or after the moisturizer? also, where is a good place online to go to buy a decent priced toner? I’m talking under $20…that is my budget, unfortunately……under 10 if possible.
If you wanna keep with your routine, Clean & Clear makes a toner also (it’s orange I think). It’s kinda harsh for sensitive skin but if your skin is normal to oily it’s worth trying out.
Unfortunately, I have Psoriasis, and it affects the skin on my nose and a part of the surrounding area, so it’s very sensitive there…..I consider myself a combination skintype.
Paloma – you apply toner before your moisturizer 🙂
Ole Henriksen Pick Me Up Tonic – HG. And it works for all skin types too – my boyfriend and his younger brother (who stayed with us for the summer) are totally hooked on it as well. =)
I love toners but I hate the ones that require some refrigeration. I remember using a C.O. Bigelow toner that required that and while it was great I HATED to go back and forth to the bathroom and kitchen for it.
I love Mario Badescu’s toner… I can’t remember off the top of my head which one it is but its yellow.. maybe the cucumber one?
I used to hate it, made my skin burn. But now I have found a brand that is soothing to my dry skin. I use Paula’s Choice toner. I love it. I use it all the time. It is my HG.
Alot of toners have ingredients that are not good for skin. I check all my beauty products in “Don’t go to the Cosmetics Counter without me” before I buy them. My local book store has a copy, so I just check in it. Didn’t have to buy the book 😉
Still trying to find a good toner. Tried drug store brands and didn’t find anything I liked. Tried a couple high end ones and nothing caught my attention. The last one I tried totally dried out my skin 🙁 It was a high end brand but it had too much alcohol. I just finished a sample from 3Lab and really liked it. I might purchase but I still am looking around for something a little cheaper since the one I just tried is $70 🙁
I have to use a toner. The one great thing about toner if you do not properly rinse your face after applying a cleanser, it will get all the remaining residue. I also have less break outs. My skin regimen has even included a toner. Before toners I would use sea breeze, witch hazel, or pure rubbing alcohol on a steaming hot wet towel.
I like toner, because I feel it really picks up extra dirt and residue left over from cleansing. It also helps me to absorb my moisturizer better too, as well it feels refreshing.
I never used to use a toner but just recently started loving Mario Badescu products so I use his Special Cucumber Lotion which is a toner and I love it! It makes me skin feel really clean and fresh…love their products!
I use Witch Hazel as a toner…it cleans my skin without drying it out, and it doesn’t have any harsh chemicals or harmful ingredients. Not to mention, it’s really cheap! haha. =D
I love Elizabeth Arden’s toner it really cleans the skin and makes mine brighter and fresher!
I haven’t tried a toner yet, because I’m not sure if it’s truly necessary.
I have never liked toners ever. In fact the Clinique toner I used last year totally ruined my skin for a few months. I have recently started using the Aloe lotion (which is a toner) from Mario Badescu and have totally fallen in love. It helps with blemishes but helps my moisturizer work its magic. I love MB!
I love my Clinique toner ! 🙂
It’s growing on me. I didn’t think I used to need it at all, despite the cries of my esthetician friend. But I’ve recently moved to a much harsher winter climate and my skin has gone from normal/dry to bone dry. Now I use it daily at night before a nice thick layer of moisturizer. Loving Dermalogica’s Multi-Active Toner!!
Hate toner. It is an unnecessary step if you cleanse your face very well.
I usually dislike toners just because the majority of them dry my skin and make it feel so tight and I have oily/combo skin. I currently only use the one from Proactive but only after I take a shower.
I love toner from the Clinique 3 step.
I like to use Mary kay Cleansers because they include all three steps- cleansing, exfoliating, and toning. I am too lazy to use a separate toner, so those cleansers are best for me. I just wash my face and put on the lightweight oil-free Velocity moisturizer after.
I use Witch Hazel toner with 40% alcohol. To me it does nothing really.