What Skin Toner Works Best For You?

Choosing the right products and understanding the benefits a good daily routine can have on the appearance of your skin is crucial. Whether it is ingrained into your daily routine or not, the right skin toner will transform your skin - keeping the pH levels balanced and leaving you with softer, more supple skin.

Different Types of Skin Toner

Skin Fresheners

These are the mildest form of skin toners as they do not contain much alcohol (0-10%). The purpose of these are to refresh the skin and gently remove any remaining dirt or makeup. It is perfect for those with sensitive skin as it will remove impurities without drying the skin. Your skin will appear suppler.

Although skin refreshers are gentler on the skin, they will still aid in protecting the skin’s moisture barrier - preventing water from being lost and ensure your skin looks fresher. Although this skin toner is gentler on the skin, it will still work towards balancing the skin’s pH levels- a toner’s most important job.

Skin Tonics

Tonics are slightly stronger than a refresher. They contain hydrating ingredients as well as roughly 20% alcohol. This makes them gentle enough to use on sensitive skin whilst helping to cover acne prone skin.

The nourishment from these toners comes from ingredients such as plant extracts and antioxidants which will help to smooth and refresh skin. These mixed with the alcohol content will minimise the appearance of pores, help acne prone skin and balance your skin's pH levels.

Astringents

These skin toners will have a high volume of alcohol (20-60%) and antiseptic ingredients. The purpose of these skin toners is to help acne prone skin by drying it out. It is important not to use these too often if your skin is oily as it can make the condition worse. Instead it is recommended to use these over problematic areas only, and to use water based toners elsewhere.

The Best Toner for my Skin Type

For Oily Skin

If you have oily skin that is prone to acne then the best toner to combat these problematic areas is an astringent. These contain ingredients such as alcohol or salicylic acid which are crucial for drying out acne whilst calming ingredients such as witch hazel are necessary to restore your skin's moisture and control the oil production.Try to not opt for toners with large amounts of alcohol in as it is very drying.

Skin toners for oily skin work by preventing the overproduction of sebum. This is done by thoroughly cleaning and tightening pores, whilst preventing debris and dirt from penetrating into your skin. Oil-free toners are perfect for this skin type.

For Dry/Sensitive Skin

Avoid toners that have drying ingredients such as alcohol, retinols or benzoyl peroxide in them as these ingredients are harsh and used to dry out skin conditions such as acne. Instead, opt for water based skin toners or refreshers with calming ingredients such as rose water or chamomile. These will give you the right amount of moisture without feeling heavy or uncomfortable on your skin throughout the day.

As toners for dry/sensitive skin are heavily water based, you can spritz these on your face throughout the day when you feel your skin needs a moisture boost.

Combination Skin

Combination skin can be the toughest skin type to cater for when it comes to skincare. Combination skin will have areas of oiliness (usually the t-zone: nose, forehead and chin) and patches of dried skin (usually cheeks and side of the face). To transform your skin to a normal state you would need to target the dried areas with a water-based, calming toner and the oily areas with toners including tea tree oil.

Tip: Put your skin toner in the fridge every night for an extra cooling feel when you use in the morning.

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