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Temptalia Asks You - What do you think of toner?
What do you think of toner? Is it necessary? Do you use it? If you do, what toner do you use?
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I’m not obsessed with it, like I am some other skin care products. But I do use toner nearly every day.
Mostly because growing up my mom always used it. But also because now and then I find that I’ll be in such a rush I won’t rinse my skin as well as I could, and toner takes care of that for me.
Hey Carolyn!
What toner do you use?
I tend to flip around a bit.
Right now I’m using Mary Kay’s Purifying Freshener, which is what I grew up with my mom using. It’s alcohol free, so it doesn’t strip my skin of moisture, but gets the job done.
Sometimes I use Sephora’s Professional Flawless Toner, which is also alcohol free (and on sale right now! $4!). During the summer because it’s particularly nasty and humid up here I frequently switch to Kiehls’ Rosewater Facial Freshener which does have alcohol. I usually only use it at night, when my face feels particularly grubby. Even though it does contain alcohol, I don’t find it as drying as some of the other toners with alcohol out there.
Good to know it’s alcohol free 😀
Also, love Kiehl’s products, so thanks for the tip on Rosewater Facial Freshener!
Toner is a must for my twice daily washing routine. I always make sure to apply a little over my face then gently wash it off with water (even though bottles say there is no need, there really is.. chemicals left on skin for 12 hours? Rather not risk it) after 5 mins of leaving it on. If anything, toner is brilliant for waking me up on some mornings.
JMHO, I wouldn’t put anything on my face that couldn’t be left on for hours. What toner are you using? Well formulated toners are beneficial to your skin. There are more “chemicals” in moisturizers than toners. & by chemicals, I mean ingredients. Everything used in products is called “chemicals”.
I think toner is a really important part of a skincare routine that a lot of people miss out. I use Dior Matiying toner and love it! It smells gorgoeus and it prepares you skin to use the next product better (moisturiser). I couldn’t live without mine!
Does it try your skin out at all, Victoria?
I used it for a while with proactiv. I found it was drying and caused moisturizer to sting my skin. I threw it right out
ProActiv is pretty drying on its own, though, isn’t it Gracee?
I love using a toner.
I use it after I wash my face and before I moisturize.
I use Paula’s Choice Mousture Boost Hydrating Toner
I love it. It hydrates my skin and really leaves me feeling refreashed.
Thanks for the rec, Meg!
I use Boots Botanics Complexion Refining Toner and I absolutely love it. I think that it definitely plays a big part in keeping my skin smooth and it really tightens all of my pores so it makes my makeup look great too!
Hey Brandi! I’m so glad you enjoy your toner 🙂
I actually don’t use a toner. I KNOW I should, but I never think about it. I don’t even own one. I guess I just think of it as an extra, unnecessary step….. I guess I should know better!
It’s hard to know if you have to, just because some people say YES, it’s a must, and others say it’s not necessary!
I just started to use toner again 🙂 A friend of mine gave me a small sample bottle of Burts Bees Garden Tomato toner and I fell in love. It’s absolutely lovely, it doesn’t dry my skin at all (it leaves it feeling so. so. so. soft.), and I get all the stuff I may have missed with my cleanser.
That’s soo great! I’ll have to check it out soon!
I use a very mild toner because even though I have combination skin, I don’t want to use a harsh product in addition to using a primer. I like pure rose water or LUSH Tea Tree Water.
Oh, nice choices. I’ve started to pick up some pure/natural stuff! I’ll have to add Rose Water to the list.
I don´t think toner is necessary…if you´re using the right facial wash it´s enough..I use a thermal water instead of a toner, I also have several hydrosols, but I think plain water (at least german standard tap water) would do the same.
Same here ^^ I don’t think it is essential if you have the right cleanser. I do, sometimes, use pure rose water to refresh the skin, or cucumber toner, to reduce the oiliness around my eyes. Very rare though. These are very natural ayurvedic products, so overuse is not going to affect my skin badly.
I wonder what the “real” answer is, lol.
How do you like using Thermal Water instead? What brand do you use?
Toner is a really beneficial step to skin care.. I could not go without using it. I choose the type depending on what my skin needs that day: if it’s dry, breaking out, oily… Toners can do so many things, they can smooth the surface of your skin, fight breakouts (containing SA, or glycolic acid, etc), moisturize, temporarily tighten pores, remove oil and dirt, sooth, balance out the pH, etc. Unlike cleansers, toners STAY on your skin, so if you’re using a well formulated one, your skin will benefit from the ingredients. Moisturizer goes on like a dream, and makeup applies MUCH more smoothly. The difference is night and day. But you have to use a quality one. And you can’t just go by brand… even high end brands make some crappy products that don’t have the right pH for exfoliation, etcetcetc.
Thanks for sharing your insight with us, Kella! It’s really helpful! What toners do you recommend?
I use it after I wash off my face mask, but I find that it sorta dries my skin out (not really, but the face mask really moisturizes and I feel like that feeling is gone after the toner) and I don’t really notice any difference when I use it, so I’m just using it up then I won’t buy anoher…
Seems like a lot of toners that readers are using are drying 🙁
I used to use toner while I was on the Clinique 3-Step products. However, when my skin began reacting strangely to it — maybe it was too drying? — I stopped using the line altogether.
Anyone want to recommend a brand to me? I kinda miss using toner after washing my face; the routine doesn’t feel complete without it! lol. I have combination skin so finding the right one is a little tricky. TIA! 🙂
lol, Jousy! Hopefully some readers can recommend great ones, as I have limited experience with them myself!
I love ProAcitv’s toner. Ive been using it for years now and it does an amazing job… I use it 2x a day… and if im feeling a little oily while at home i just swipe some across my face and its like night and day. HG Toner for sure. Couldnt live without it
Hey Leila! Thanks for the mini-review 🙂
I’ve made my own using water, lemon juice, and broken up uncoated aspirin. Has been really helping my acne-prone face! Got that tip from my lovely ladies over at MUA (Makeupalley.com)!
Oh, wow! Can you tell me what the recipe/proportions are?
I just worked through Dr. L. Baumann’s book, “The Skin Type Solution,” and for my skin type (the worst of 16 possible types) she does not recommend toner.
In her opinion, most toners don’t do a lot (and are outdated with newer technologies and modern makeup removers) that adding another step in skin care to “my” highly sensitive skin is asking for trouble.
No problem. I rarely used them and often found them too fragranced and irritating, so I doubt I’ll re-purchase if/when I finally make it through my PC toner.
If you have dry and sensitive skin, you are probably in the same boat.
It’s great to hear that, Kira!
I don’t use a toner, except if I want to freshen up my skin when I’m on the go, or after working out in the gym.
Interesting usage!
I use toner all the time.. I love using it to help apply my foundation to make it easier to blend.
A lot of people think of toner as an astringent, which it’s not. All a toner does is pH balance the skin– most cleansers are highly alkali, which dry out the skin AND promote bacterial growth.
I never heard of that as a benefit before, actually.
I have tonique confort by Lancome, it’s not really a toner even though it is marketed as one…it’s like a moisturizing serum that you can use to refresh skin before moisturizing, etc. It’s really nice. It’s for normal to dry skin, so that’s why it doesn’t feel like normal ‘toners’ do. It has sweet almond and honey in it 🙂
Interesting that it’s not really a toner and called tonique, lol.
I don’t know if it’s necessary but I do use it.
Hey, why not! lol 😉
ive never used a toner, but i have a question!
does anyone know what will make my complexion even & get rid of scars (not permanent, only on the top layer of skin)?
You can try microdermabrasion or exfoliants, because if the scars on on the first layer of the skin, those should hep.
In my recent frenzy of research into skincare for myself, I read multiple places that “if your cleanser is working properly, then you do not need a toner” and that they can sometimes do more damage than good, because they’re generally extremely drying. I also read to ALWAYS avoid anything with Alcohol and Witch Hazel as they are both super drying.
I used the Clinique 3 step system for just over a year, and it worked well for a while, but you have to switch up your regimen to keep it all working, because the bacteria will adapt to what you’re using.
The Clinique thing had a toner, and it always got a ton that my cleanser left behind. But then, maybe the cleanser just wasn’t up to snuff then? I recently switched to the Murad Pomegranate System, where there’s just a cleanser and moisturizer, and it’s working GREAT!
So I guess I’m not a big fan of toners. Plus they sting. And they just take up more time I don’t have. LOL! 😛
Interesting!! Thank you for sharing your information, Mariah 🙂 I’ve read a lot of mixed messages when it comes to how essential toner is, too.
I work at a spa and the estheticians there will definitely argue that toner is one of the 4 skin musts (including cleanser, exfoliant and moisturizer as well).
The purpose of a toner is to balance your skin’s pH levels after cleansing. Sometimes cleanser may alter the pH on your skin, leaving it either acidic or alkaline. A healthy balance is achieved by purchasing the right toner.
Although many toners in the market contain alcohol, it really isn’t needed. Alcohol dries out the skin, leaving it feeling tight and dry but it is also the ingredient that makes your skin tingle and feel fresh. A good toner however, doesn’t need to have alcohol in order to work.
So yes, I definitely do use toner (GM Collins Sensiderm Lotion) after cleansing my face twice a day and then follow with the appropriate moisturizer. 🙂
Thank you for the input, Shalini! It’s very informative!