have become a confusing category of skincare products. Because of misperceptions, many fashion magazines, dermatologists, and even cosmetics salespeople advise against using a toner, or they simply dismiss toners as an optional step. That’s disappointing, because a well-formulated toner can provide truly amazing benefits for your skin.
Once you understand how toners work, and know what ingredients are bad for skin versus what ingredients to look for, you’ll find a toner can be the perfect addition to your skincare routine for achieving a healthy, radiant glow!
Toners are meant to be used after cleansing. They were once recommended as a way to restore skin’s pH balance after using a bar soap or bar cleanser because, as mentioned, those types of cleansers can raise skin’s natural pH to a level that isn’t good for your skin. However, with today’s gentle, water-soluble cleansers, which are formulated at a pH of 5 to 7—water has a pH of around 7, depending on region—this has become a non-issue.
What we now know is that after cleansing, your skin needs a range of ingredients to restore and repair its surface. A liquid toner can instantly give skin a generous dose of these important substances in a way that a moisturizer can’t (lotion and cream moisturizers work in a different manner than liquids). Plus, you can’t give your skin too much of these important ingredients, which include antioxidants and skin-repairing substances such as glycerin, fatty acids, and ceramides.
The right toner can give your skin a healthy dose of what it needs to look younger, fresher, and smoother, right after cleansing and throughout the day, as well as provide a bit of extra cleansing just in case you missed some areas, such as around your hairline or jaw.
Toners for oily or breakout-prone skin: If you have oily or breakout-prone skin, you need to be especially careful when shopping for toners. Almost without exception, the toners that claim to be specifically for these skin types and concerns are a problem. That’s because most toners for oily, breakout-prone skin contain irritants (such as alcohol, witch hazel, or menthol) that hurt your skin’s healing process, make breakouts worse, delay healing, and, surprisingly, stimulate oil production at the base of the pore. [4,27,28,29] Using the wrong toner on oily, breakout-prone skin guarantees you’ll see more oil, redness, and longer-lasting red marks, and possibly a dry, flaky surface with oily skin underneath.
The toners that are best for oily or breakout-prone skin are those with ingredients that help repair skin’s surface, make skin feel smoother, reduce enlarged pores, and contain cell-communicating ingredients that help pores handle excess oil in a more efficient manner. For some skin types, especially during summer or in warmer climates, a well-formulated toner may be the only “moisturizer” your oily skin needs!
Toners for dry or sensitive skin: Those with dry or sensitive skin typically shy away from toners because of their astringent, drying reputation. After all, the last thing dry, sensitive skin needs are irritants that make it sting or become even drier or redder! But, the right toner for dry or sensitive skin can make a world of difference: You’ll see less redness, less flaking, and your skin will feel soothed and comfortable.
If you’re skeptical (and we can’t say we blame you) give a well-formulated toner a try—we know you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how fast your skin improves!
Toners for combination skin: If your skin is oily on your forehead, nose, and chin and dry to normal on your cheeks and jaw area, then you have classic combination skin. Using the wrong toner on combination skin will exaggerate the dry areas and make oily areas worse (this is doubly true if breakouts and clogged pores are present).
What’s the solution? You need a gentle, alcohol-free toner with ingredients that help normalize your skin, so you’ll see less dryness and reduced oiliness. With ongoing use as part of a complete skincare routine, you’ll also see enlarged pores become smaller.
When shopping for toners it’s critical that you consider only those that treat your skin to nothing but beneficial ingredients. There’s never—never—a good reason to use a toner with irritants (especially fragrance—natural or synthetic, as it’s a serious problem for skin, and witch hazel, which often shows up in these types of products), regardless of the “gentle” or “good for sensitive skin” claims on the label. Despite its frequent appearance, witch hazel can be a skin irritant. [30]
Why Leave-On Exfoliants Are So Important
If scrubs aren’t an ideal option for exfoliation, what should you use? Without question, almost everyone can benefit from daily use of a well-formulated leave-on AHA (alpha hydroxy acid, such as glycolic and lactic acids) or BHA (beta hydroxy acid, also known as salicylic acid) exfoliant. These work far differently from a scrub or Clarisonic brush. A gentle leave-on exfoliant picks up the slack where natural exfoliation should be taking place but has become faulty. This type of exfoliation provides multiple benefits, including fighting signs of aging and alleviating uneven skin tone, dullness, and breakouts, so don’t let the “acid” in the name of these amazing ingredients scare you.
Your skin naturally sheds millions of skin cells every day, but this shedding process can slow or stop due to sun damage, dry skin, oily skin, genetics, or various skin disorders that can cause a buildup of dead skin cells or affect how cells move through the pore lining. The not-too-pretty results are unmistakable: dull, dry, or flaky skin; clogged, enlarged pores; blackheads; white bumps (milia); wrinkles; loss of firmness; and uneven skin tone.
Adding a well-formulated exfoliant to your routine helps put everything in balance again. When you gently get rid of the buildup of skin cells, you can unclog pores, stop breakouts, smooth wrinkles, and even make dry, dull skin a thing of the past!
OK, so what’s the difference between AHA and BHA exfoliants? When properly formulated, both AHAs and BHA are brilliant options for exfoliating the surface layers of skin. Both AHAs and BHA have a lot in common when it comes to improving hydration, reducing wrinkles, stimulating collagen production, and firming skin. Both can also reduce discolorations from sun damage and the visible marks left after a breakout is gone. But, each also has unique qualities you’ll want to consider when deciding which one to use:
AHAs are preferred for those whose chief concerns are sun damage and dry skin because they exfoliate primarily on the top layers of skin. [31,32] They do not cut through oil so they are less compatible for those with oily/combination skin.
BHA is preferred for oily, acne-prone skin and for treating blackheads, enlarged pores, and white bumps because BHA can penetrate the oil that’s clogging your pores, thus normalizing the lining of the misshapen pore that contributes to acne and clogs.[33,34]
BHA has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial action. [33] That’s two more reasons to use a BHA exfoliant if you have acne or sensitive, reddened skin.
BHA is preferred for those struggling with rosacea. Not everyone with rosacea can tolerate an exfoliant; however, given the multiple benefits of BHA, it’s wise to experiment with a BHA product to see how your skin responds. Due to the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties of BHA, it’s likely you’ll see reduced redness and smoother, more even skin with fewer red bumps and fewer acne breakouts. [33] (The antimicrobial action also may benefit rosacea because there is some research suggesting that certain microbes on skin may be causing or contributing to the disorder.)
If your skin is sun damaged and you’re also struggling with acne or clogged pores, add a BHA product to your routine. If you want to use an AHA and BHA at the same time, that is an option. Some people find they work well when applied at the same time; others have better results if they apply one in the morning and the other in the evening. You can also alternate days, applying AHA one day, BHA the next. It takes experimentation to see what works best for you, but, for most of us, using one or the other is usually
