A brief review of Skin toners and their importance.

Published On Sunday, February 06, 2011 By Luv4Nature. Under: Uncategorized. Tags: face care, fresh, Skin Care, skincare products, toners

Toners are an essential part of the skin care routine. They help in smoothing your skin, and act as a balm after the exfoliation process. These help to seal skin pores, tightens the outer layer of the facial skin. They also act as a safety net after a heavy exfoliation and cleansing routine. Toners are generally applied to the face using damp cotton wool or a gauze. They can also be sprayed on to the face. Toners also restore the acid/alkali balance of the skin. Some types of the toners can be used specifically for treating red irritating skin or removing dead skin cells. Toners which contain witch hazel may dry the skin, so a moisturizer like a honey may have to be used.

Types of Toners

There are three types of toners which are as follows

• Fresheners
• Skin Tonics
• Astringents

Fresheners

These are the mildest form of the toners. They contain virtually no alcohol, (0-10%) water, and a humectant such as glycerin. Humectants help to keep the moisture in the upper layer of the epidermis by preventing it from the evaporating. A good example of the skin freshener is the rosewater. These types of toners are gentle to the skin and are suitable for the dry, normal, sensitive, and dehydrated skins.

Skin Tonics

Skin tonics are slightly stronger and contain a small quantity of alcohol, (up to 20%), water and a humectant ingredient. Skin tonics remove the last trace of cleansing milk or cream and help to restore the skin’s natural proactive mantle. They are best for the normal, combination, and oily skins.

Astringents

Astringents are the strongest form of toners and contain a high proportion of the alcohol (20-26%), antiseptic ingredient, a humectant ingredient, and water. They are commonly recommended for the oily skins as they are drying, but note that the removal of oil from the skin can lead to excess oil production as the skin tries to compensate for this and prevent moisture loss. Witch hazel is the best example of astringents.
You can get a range of natural toners from your kitchen or back yard garden. We will list some good and easily available natural skin toners in some next post