4 Practical Tips to Choose the Best Skin Toner

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On September 15, 2022

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Our skin care journey is a series of trials and errors. You come across skincare products that either work wonders for your skin or cause breakouts. Every layer of skincare product you apply to your face has a role to play in improving the overall appearance of your skin. The toner, for one, is a skincare product that you often see as part of the steps of a good skin care routine. The main purpose of a toner is to balance the pH levels of the skin and serve as a way to prepare your skin for the next layers of products you’ll apply. At times, it can also be perceived as a product that’s unnecessary in skin care routines, especially since cleansers today help with the pH balance of the skin. But if you choose your toner carefully, you’ll see that they’re not totally dispensable.

Here are practical tips that you can follow to help you choose the best toner for your skin:

1. Determine Your Skin Type

Your skin type is an important factor to consider when buying skincare products. This is because each person has different skin types, and each skin type has certain do’s and don’ts. Some ingredients may work positively on certain skin types and some will have adverse effects. So it’s highly recommended to determine first what skin type you have before splurging into buying any skincare product as it will enable you to know what ingredients to avoid and which ones are actually good for your skin.

Which of the following skin types do you have?

Oily Skin

People with oily skin tend to have large pores and overproduce sebum. You have a shiny face and are prone to clog your pores, and develop blackheads, pimples, and other types of acne.

Dry Skin

You have a dry skin type if you experience dry patches and even excessive dryness, which leads to rashes and skin cracking. It may look and feel scaly, tight, and brittle at times.

Combination Skin

You’re dealing with a combination skin type if your T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) feels oily, while other areas stay dry.

Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin types often react adversely to many substances and products, so it’s best to be more careful in choosing what you apply on your skin. You’re also prone to skin inflammation, rashes and bumps, redness, stinging, and itching.

Normal Skin

Normal skin types are neither too sensitive nor too dry. Basically, this skin type has little to no imperfections, with hardly any blemishes and visible pores.

2. Always Check the Toner’s Ingredients

If you’re not fond of checking the list of ingredients in the toner you buy or any skincare product for that matter, it may be time to change that. When you buy a toner, always see to it that you check its ingredients because doing so can help you avoid harmful ingredients to your skin. Just as we’ve mentioned above, each skin type is different, which means that not all of them react well on the same ingredients.

Keep in mind that there are also skin care ingredients that shouldn’t be mixed together as they can damage or worsen your skin condition. For example, if your toner contains AHA and BHA and you layer it with a serum that contains vitamin C, you’ll have to rethink that decision because AHA and BHA when mixed together with vitamin C can cause irritation and dryness to the skin. Don’t get all too hyped up with the benefits of the ingredients of your toner, and be vigilant with the ingredients of other skincare products you’re planning to layer with your toner.

3. Steer Clear From Alcohol-Based Toners

Alcohol-based toners or astringents were popularly used before as they’re known to effectively remove excess oil and fight against bacteria on the face. They’re not all bad for the skin, but they’re also not that good because these alcohol-based toners can cause irritation to sensitive skin types and worsen the dryness of dry skin types. When this happens, your skin may result in breakouts and more damage.

Take Note of the Suitable Toner Ingredients for Your Skin Type

According to experts, here is the list of toner ingredients for your skin type:

If you have oily skin, go for toner ingredients such as…
Salicylic Acid

Salicylic acid is best known as an ingredient that helps reduce excessive oil production on your skin, removing acne or preventing acne from developing. There are other types of BHAs or beta hydroxy acids, but salicylic acid is the only BHA that’s used in skincare products. It is a reliable ingredient that people with oily skin types can use since it penetrates deeply into the sebaceous glands that produce sebum or oil, hence why it prevents build up of sebum and breakouts on the face. Salicylic acid is also a chemical exfoliant that buffs off dry, dead skin, keeping your pores from getting clogged.

Witch Hazel

Witch hazel provides some notable benefits to the skin as it can relieve inflammation and tighten pores. It can also reduce or prevent acne breakouts because it cleanses deep and unclogs the pores and removes excess oil on the skin.

AHAs

AHAs or alpha hydroxy acids are chemical exfoliants that help to improve the texture of the skin, reduce hyperpigmentation, acne, and signs of aging. They are perfect for oily and acne prone skin because they remove dead cells that clogs the pores. Some of the most common AHAs you’ll see in skincare products are glycolic acid and lactic acid.

Tip: Choose a toner that contains gentle exfoliants if you have an oily or acne prone skin such as salicylic acid and glycolic acid because they can remove dead skin cells and excess oil that can potentially clog pores and result in breakouts. These exfoliants won’t dry out the skin, let alone, cause irritations in the long run. However, do keep in mind that overdoing it can also cause your skin to be sensitive, which is why it’s ideal to use it twice a day only — during the day and at night.

If you have dry skin, go for toner ingredients such as…
Glycerin

One of the known benefits of glycerin is it relieves skin dryness. Glycerin is a humectant, which means that it pulls moisture toward the skin — making it great for dry skin types. Glycerin even works to provide protection from irritants, hydrate the outer layer of the skin, and enhance the skin barrier. It also works for other skin types, but it’s significantly useful for dry skin types because it has moisturizing properties.

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid is also a humectant, making it another ingredient that sits well with dry skin types. It can also relieve dry skin, which helps to lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid is a good ingredient that improves skin hydration, firmness, and elasticity.

Tip: For people with dry skin, it’s essential to stay away from toners that contain alcohol because it can cause your skin to feel and look even drier. Opt for toners than contain hyaluronic acid instead because this ingredient can help soothe dry skin and moisturize it.

If you have sensitive skin, go for toner ingredients such as…
Chamomile

Chamomile is recommended for people who are facing constant redness and irritation on their skin. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is calming for the skin, which makes it suitable for sensitive skin types. It’s also a substantial aid for people who have skin conditions such as eczema, rashes, rosacea, and psoriasis.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it another ingredient that’s especially fitting for sensitive skin. It can reduce redness, soothe and calm skin irritation, as well as increase skin cell regeneration.

Tip: Since your skin is sensitive, you can expect that it almost always reacts to a lot of ingredients and substances applied to your skin, so it’s best to go for the mild, hydrating, and soothing toner ingredients. Avoid alcohol-based toners because it can trigger more irritation and redness on your skin, causing more trouble for you. You may also want to avoid parabens and salicylic acid because it can be too harsh for your sensitive skin.

Getting the right skincare product can be a challenge if you don’t do enough research or get to know what your skin type is and its specific needs. Every step in your skin care routine and every product you apply to your skin, such as the toner, play a part in boosting your skin’s texture and aiding in some skin troubles so it’s a must that you try to learn more about how they can potentially work well for your skin. Avoid toner ingredients that don’t serve a good purpose for your skin type. Remember as well that topical products aren’t always the solution to your skin problem, which is why you should consider consulting skin experts or dermatologists to properly treat them in the event that most products don’t work for your skin. Lastly, keep a healthy state of mind and diet, as stress and too much unhealthy food intake can also manifest on your skin.

We hope that reading this article was helpful in your search for the right toner. May you be able to find the best toner for your skin!

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