WHY DO WE NEED TONERS???

Wash, tone and moisturise – the three most basic skincare regime that one should live by. Looking deeper into this daily ritual, all these steps have their own functionality and make sense. Or do they?

As we sweat and are constantly exposed to dirt, grime, bacteria and all sorts of other environmental pollutants, washing our face twice a day is the least we could do. However, washing your face would also equate to getting rid off our facial skin’s moisture and natural oils, thus causing it to possibly dry out. This is where moisturiser’s come in – to keep the skin hydrated. So yes, cleansers and moisturisers do make sense.

But then, how about the second step of our skincare regime – what does the toner do and how does it benefit our skin? Curious about the purpose of toners ourselves, we put on our thinking hats and did some research.

Toners As A Perk-Me-Up

Toners have the ability to act as fresheners and help brighten the skin. Additionally, as toners are known to be able to tighten the pores and skin, it can also help to reduce signs of puffiness. All this will lead to your face looking fresher and perkier.

Toners Complete The Cleansing Process

When the “why do you think we need toners?” question is asked, many would answer that the product helps to get rid stubborn dirt. That is very true.

As explained by Dr. Alicia Zalka, a Yale-affiliated dermatologist, “When toners are used correctly, it can help remove excess oils and dead skin cells that may lurk on the face after washing. Additionally, to some extent, a toner also helps other skin applications penetrate more rapidly.”

Toners Help Maintain Oil and pH balance

Our skin is naturally acidic and ranges between 5 and 6.5 in the pH scale. However, when we wash our face, the alkaline in our cleansers disrupts our skins natural balance. This may sometimes prompt the skin to increase its sebum input. This is where one of the toner’s main functions lies at – to maintain and balance our skin’s pH level and prevent it from being neither too dry nor oily.

Toners Help Protect and Reduces Irritation of The Skin

Due to the fact that toners help close pores and tighten cell gaps, this works to reduce the penetration of environmental impurities into the skin. Additionally, if your toner contains soothing ingredients such as chamomile and aloe, it would also help calm down irritated and aggravated skin.

So, yes – there are reasons to putting that toner on. Although not much, toners do indeed help out with our basic skincare regime.