Simple Soothing Facial Toner

The main function of a toner is to cleanse the skin and shrink the appearance of the pores.  There is a danger that if we over cleanse our skin, it can lead to excess oil production and throw the skin out of balance.   For that reason I make moisturising more of a priority and try not to over cleanse and always make sure that if I do use a toner, its mild.

Sensitive skin – a mild toner with virtually no alcohol i.e. rose water, water and humectants* to keep the upper layers of the skin moisturised
Normal/combination skin – a tonic with up to 20% alcohol i.e. orange floral water, water and humectants is recommended
Oily skin – an astringent with 20-60% alcohol i.e. witch hazel, anti-bacterial ingredients i.e. tea tree, water and humectants,

Ingredients

Sodium PCA – Occurs naturally in human skin and is responsible for binding moisture to the cells as it holds several time its weight in water, which makes it an intensive humectants.
Allantoin – soothes skin and promotes cell regeneration
Witch Hazel – astringent, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, repair UV damage
Chamomile – calming, anti-inflammatory & anti-bacterial
Pantolactone, Panthenol, Propylene Glycol & Sorbitol – humectants and skin conditioning agents

Toners
A few decades ago we have the 3 step routine drummed into us
1. Cleanse 2. Tone 3.  Moisturise
This was wonderful for the beauty brands as they were guaranteed a sale of 3 products, and it was hinted that the best result would only come from using products from the same range.  Then over the years combined cleanser & toners were developed and then came the face wipe, which suited us all as it saved so much time, and was so handy, the only negative being potential landfill problems.

Rating

Value for money – +_ £3.00 for a 200 ml bottle available from most druggists and supermarkets and online
Effectiveness – this is very kind to the skin, with the majority of the ingredients being beneficial
Pampering factor – although it is gentler on the skin than most toners, I feel the need to heavily moisturise after applying
Recommended

* Humectants – used in food and cosmetics to keep moisture in.