We all know that we need to take care of our skin, most people even recognize the need to have a skincare routine, but the problem lies in how to go about it and the steps involved in a comprehensive skincare routine that will leave your skin healthy and glowing.
In this article, our focus will be on one of the important but little-known steps in a comprehensive skincare routine, toning. But first, let’s point out all the steps in complete skincare so we can understand where toning stands in relation to other steps in the routine.
A comprehensive skincare routine will look something like this:
- Cleansing
- Toning
- Applying an antioxidant like Vitamin C and/or E
- Applying eye cream
- Moisturizing
Let’s dig deeper into what toning is and why it should be an essential part of your skincare routine.
What Is Toner?
Toners are liquids that penetrate very quickly into your skin, they are often referred to as astringents or beauty water.
Depending on the toner delivery, toners give instant hydration and remove dead skin cells off the surface of your skin. They can also restore your pH balance if the cleanser you use doesn’t work on your pH. In general, they give you plumper, brighter, and well-hydrated skin.
Initially, they were known as astringents and were packed with alcohol, making them very harsh. They stripped all the oil off the face and leave you with a tingly squeaky feeling. This is not very ideal for the long-term health of your skin. They seemed to clean the face but they leave the skin squeaky and dry by stripping off all the oil, but this only triggers the skin to create more oil, making the face more oily in the long run.
You’ll barely find these types of toners on the market anymore, people have moved on to more moisturizing and rebalancing toners.
WHEN SHOULD YOU USE A TONER?
Toning is usually the second step in a skincare routine as pointed out in the introduction. But most people don’t know you have to use a toner or don’t know why they should use a toner.
Should you use toner? The clear and affirmative answer is yes!
WHY SHOULD YOU USE A TONER?
A toner can help the other products in your skincare routine penetrate more effectively into your skin, it gives other products (moisturizers, serums) the kick they need to work on your skin.
You can think of a toner as a preparation agent for your pores, something to get your pores ready for everything else you’ll apply to your face. You can liken your skin to a sponge, if it’s dry and you just put a thick layer of cream on it, the cream and other products won’t seep into your skin, they’ll just be sitting on top of your skin.
A toner wets your skin, hydrates your skin, and makes it more receptive to other products in your skincare routine. Everything will penetrate easily into your skin and work properly because your skin is well hydrated.
Some toners are made especially for all types of skin conditions and skin types. Some toners help fight acne and some toners help dry skin retain more moisture.
Lumiere Niacinamide Hyaluronic Acid White Tea Tree Toner for example is designed to moisturize your skin, reduce wrinkles, and improve skin clarity.
WHAT TONER SHOULD YOU USE FOR YOUR SKIN TYPE?
Most toners come in liquid form, some are thicker than others, but they are a liquid. Lumiere White Tea Tree Toner is a refreshing light watery-gel toner great for dry, normal, and combination skin.
What you really need to look out for are the ingredients in the toner. Avoid toners with alcohol in the ingredients, as stated earlier alcohol strips the skin of its oil.
HOW DO YOU USE A TONER?
There are many different ways to use a toner, there isn’t a method set in stone, although some methods have benefits for certain skin types. If you have sensitive skin you might want to do some research on what will work great for you or try a few methods over time and stick with the one that works best for you.
The most common method that pretty much everyone does, which is also the best way to apply our Lumiere White Tea Tree Toner, is to soak a cotton pad with your toner and swipe over your freshly cleansed dry face in a circular motion. This is great for people with oil or combination skin.
You can also apply toner with your hands. Pour the toner into your palms and gently rub and pat it on your skin. This is great for people with dry skin as it moisturizes the skin immediately.
It’s a great practice to pay attention to your skin and work out an application method that works best for you. Listen to your skin and find out what your skin prefers.
CONCLUSION
Toners are a major step in a skincare routine as they moisturize the skin and make it very receptive to other products in the skincare process. If you’re not currently toning your skin, you should consider adding toning into your skincare routine. It doesn’t take up too much time and you’ll love what it’ll do to your skin.
Lumiere Niacinamide Hyaluronic Acid White Tea Tree Toner is made from natural active ingredients and works excellently at moisturizing all skin types to provide your skin with a fresh and healthy appearance. It is also specially formulated with hyaluronic acid to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and to hydrate and moisturize, making your skin fresh and healthy.