Lay Back and Think of England Rose Bath Oil

This is the 2nd product under my English Rose Cosmetics brand of skin care and I’d like to share with you how I’ve developed this product.

Bubble Bath vs. Bath Oil?

Bubble or foam baths typically have high levels of Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLS) or sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) is used to 1) make the bubbles and 2) as a detergent.  SLS and SLES are very inexpensive and are used in many personal care products i.e. shower gels, shampoos, face washes and toothpaste.  At the levels used in cosmetics it is safe, however it is classed as a known irritant, and is usually formulated with other products such as betaine's to reduce the irritancy effect on the skin.  Not everyone reacts to skin but younger people or people with more sensitive skin are likely too.  Studies also show that the SLS becomes harsher with increased temperatures i.e. a hot bath.  Typical skin reactions to SLS would be inflammation, redness of skin, dryness and flakiness.

Bath Oils contain a base oil i.e. grapeseed, almond, and joboba are some of the best known ones. The more affordable base oils include olive oil, coconut oil, or even sunflower oil.  Vegetable oils tend to have a similar composition to skins own sebum and are hence loved by the skin and absorbed.  They often contain Vitamins and Essential Fatty Acids which have many benefits.  Essential oils would then be added to give a natural fragrance and for relaxing and de-stressing qualities you may want to use oils such as lavender, geranium, chamomile, and rose. For muscular aches and pains, you should try thyme and eucalyptus.

So in conclusion one will irritate your skin and dry it out and the other will condition and moisturize your skin – it’s a bit of a no brainer really.

  

Lay Back & Think of England from English Rose Cosmetics

The first 3 ingredients are:-

Sunflower oil – rich in Vitamins A, D & E

Jojoba Oil - very similar to natural skin oils
Sweet Almond Oil – rich in Tocopherol

Followed by Laureth -3 which allows it to disperse into the water so as not to leave an oily residue on top or even worse on the sides! 

I wanted a really strong rose fragrance, so that the whole bathroom smelled of Roses so I’ve used a combination of 5% Natural Rose fragrance and Rose Absolute which is very expensive essential oil from rose petals.

It is packed in a glass 200ml tall square bottle with silver cap, which comes in handy as a dispensing agent.  It looks lovely displayed in the bathroom.  I may bring out a plastic bottle in the future as I am concerned about shipping breakages, it would also be a lot cheaper, and I think could be offered as a refill.

Available to order online www.english-rose-cosmetics.com

Rose Kiss Spritz Floral Water

This is the 3rd product under my English Rose Cosmetics brand of skin care and I’d like to share with you how I’ve developed this product.

What should we expect from a 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, it’s very gentle.

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

Benefits of Rose Floral Water

Rosa Damascena Flower water is an aqueous solution of the steam of the distillate obtained from the flowers of the Damask Rose, Rosa damascene and Rosaceae.  Rose Floral Water is naturally self-preserving and therefore no preservatives are needed.

Rose Floral Water can be used for the following applications:-

• Gentle cleanser and toner
• Soothes sunburnt and irritated skin
• Balances skins ph.
• Suitable for all skin types
• Suitable for aftershave burn

Rose Kiss Spritz from English Rose Cosmetics

Is 100% natural and preservative free and contains only one ingredient – Rosa Damascena

It is packed in a recyclable 100ml bottle with spray mist. 

Available from English Rose Cosmetics

Treating Dark Circles Now, Will Prevent Bags later on in Life

Why do we get dark circles and under eye bags?

Dark circles and under-eye bags are due to a slowing down of microcirculation causing blood to congregate in capillaries, which weaken and lead to water and lymph leakage; supporting tissues also weaken with age.

Cytobiol™ Lumin Eye at 5% is a synergistic blend of the following ingredients:-

Esculin and Fraxin from the bark of a European Ash tree (Fraxinus excelsior) are clinically proven to reinforce capillaries, reduce blood leakage and eliminate the pigments responsible for skin coloration and erase signs of tiredness.

Organic Silicon is already present in collagen and elastin and helps reinforce the structure and elasticity of the vessels and makes the connective tissues stronger and more flexible. Organic silicon helps reinforce capillary structure, complementing the action of Esculin and Fraxin.

Vitamin B3 also reinforces the structure of the blood vessels and helps to maintain or restore a normal blood flow in capillaries.

Cytobiol™ Lumin Eye has been used at 5% in Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed Eye Cream, available from:-

www.english-rose-cosmetics.com

Cocoa Ration Body Butter

This is my 4^th product under my English Rose Cosmetics brand of skin care and I’d like to share with you how I’ve developed this product.

Cream, lotion, butter, oil or soufflé – which is best?

The main thing to look out for is how compatible with the skin it is, i.e. how quickly it sinks into your skin.  A product that is rich in any of the following ingredients; almond oil, apricot oil, canola oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, lecithin, olive oil, shea butter, and soybean oil etc. are all similar to skins own lipids (oils) and will hence boost the existing lipid barrier.

Synthetic products such as Silicones, Petrolatum, Paraffinum Liquidum sit at the skin surface and act as a barrier to environmental aggression and help prevent TEWL (Tran epidermal water loss) so they can be classed as moisturisers.

• Oils that have high natural oil content (a lot contain silicones) will be the most compatible, but can be messy to apply.
• Lotions often take a long time to be absorbed as they have a high silicone content, however in more  humid climates they may be preferred
• Creams, butters and soufflé are typically thicker than lotions.  My preference is for butters as I like the buttery texture usually attributed to high cocoa or shea butter content.  The natural characteristic of these is that they are solid at room temperature yet melt when applied to the skin.

What should we expect for a Body Butter/Cream, lotion, oil etc?

When applying a body product to our skin we are enhancing the function of the skin in its role as a barrier against the environment.   If we lose too much moisture our skin becomes dryer, thinner and less elastic, and more vulnerable to environmental attack and wrinkles.  Therefore we need to preventing moisture loss (TEWL) or boosting skin moisture levels with skin compliant oils and water.

Skin that is not looked after will manifest by being dry, flaky, inflamed, redness, wrinkly so the message is look after you skin and it will look after you. 

Cocoa Ration Body Butter from English Rose Cosmetics

Cocoa butter is used at a high level and is 2^nd on the ingredient list, next are emulsifiers and light oils as emollients, 10^th on the list is glycerine which is a natural based humectant (locks in moisture) 11^th is Shea Butter and Avocado Oil is 12^th on the list. I’ve used a little bit of Beeswax to help with the structure, Coconut fragrance (free of allergens) and Vanilla which combined gives it a lovely fragrance that is good enough to eat.

I do not use Petrol in any of my products ie Petrolatum or Paraffinum Liquidum – there are so many more effective vegetable products which are more expensive, but our skin deserves it.

It is packed in a recyclable 200ml jar with retro aluminium lid, with a wide enough neck to put your fingers in to scoop out the butter.

 

Available from www.english-rose-cosmetics.com

Original Source Lemon and Tea Tree Shower Gel

This is an invigorating refreshing shower gel, with an odd stringy texture. There is huge amount of choice when it comes to shower gels with most of them making wonderful promises, most of them mood altering, however most contain the same main ingredients and this shower gel follows the standard water, SLS, betaine base. 

What’s the Difference between Shower Gels?

The vast majority of shower gels will all share the 3 following main ingredients at the very top of the label ie water, SLS/sodium laureth sulphate (cleaning/foaming action), cocamidyl betaine (to reduce irritancy of the sodium laureth sulphate).  If you are looking for shower gel that will get you clean with a pleasant fragrance, than there is no need to spend more than £1.    If there is a deviation from those top 3 ingredients, than I would say its worth paying more, especially if contains a lot of botanical ingredients.

SLS/ SLES free?

In an ideal world no shampoo or shower gel would contain these, and it is possible to product without, but a price, and the risk of losing foaming activity. 

Key Ingredients

Essential Oils – lemon peel oil, tea tree oil, orange oil and bergamot oil – there is no partum so all the fragrance is coming from this essential oil blend
Polyquarternium-7 and lactic acid – to condition
Artificial colours – to give bright yellow colour

Rating

Value for money – £2.20 for 250ml which is an average price for mass market shower gels

Stockists - I got mine from Asda, but also available from all large supermarkets, and druggist

Effectiveness – it has the typical shower gel base as described above, so is effective at cleaning the skin and stripping away natural oil, leaving the skin feeling a bit dried out

Pampering factor – the essential oils are at a high level and do give a nice invigorating fragrance

Recommended – Tea tree oil is a good natural anti-bacterial so I think an effective shower gel for oily/spot prone skins

Dirty Works – Lift & Firm Super Skin Serum

This is brand is sold exclusively through Sainsbury’s and has a retro inspired kitsch packaging is similar to that of Benefit and Soap & Glory.  It’s a low priced mass market range which consists of skincare, toiletries, cosmetic bags and accessories.

Claims

Even out skin imperfections – smoothing
Tighten wrinkles and fine lines – firming
Dewy, radiant glow

Ingredients to Support the Claims

Panicum Miliaceum seed extract (Millet), Panthenol (B5), Hydrolysed Yeast Protein & Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract (Marigold) - for conditioning and smoothing  
Tannic Acid & Escin (Horse Chestnut) for radiance
Ranunculus Ficaria & Extract & Liquorice Root (Ammonium Glycyrrhizate) – soothes irritated skin
Centella asiatica – reduce fine lines & wrinkles

What is a Serum?

Serums tend to be very fluid and have a higher concentration of actives than standard creams.  The majority are water in silicone and water, rather than oil in as silicones impart a silky feel.  However, silicones sit on the skin surface, give a nice matt effect but oils are more effective at moisturising the skin.

Skin Affinity

Although this has a silicone feel, it actually contains very little silicone and sinks in quite quickly but it doesn’t leave a moisturised quenched skin feel behind.  Applied to the back of the hand and face it makes no more difference than any other cream or serum in terms of smoothing, refining and firming.

Rating

Value for money – at £3.99 for 30ml it fits into the lower mass market price bracket
Stockists - available exclusively through Sainsbury’s’
Effectiveness – this contains 8 plant extracts which start appearing from the 5^th – 14^th on the ingredients list so are at higher levels than usual.  Plant extracts tend to have a minimum amount of actives in an alcohol and are rarely clinically tested for their efficacy – claims are more anecdotally based – on this basis I wouldn’t have thought superior benefits would be achieved
Pampering factor – does not leave a moisturised feeling
Recommended – ok for the price but not sure its delivering anything that special

How to Choose Good Kohl Eyeliner

There are so many colour cosmetics brands offering eyeliners, they all look quite similar but can differ widely in price from £2 – to over £20 – with fantastic reviews at both ends of the spectrum – so how do you choose one, that works well and doesn’t break the bank.

How they are made
 
Pencils can be moulded or extruded dependant upon the type of texture you wish to produce and the final component such as wood or plastic.  Currently there are only 2 producers of pencils in Europe. Schwan, Germany (also produce Stabilo pens) and Swallowfield, UK as it is very specialised.   China have a few suppliers but they are not particularly good.  India is also entering the market.  Eye pencil manufacture is quite similar to normal writing types of pencil.  UK used to have 2 suppliers, and Intercos, Italy used to be a producer of pencils. 

Ingredients

A combination of 3 or 4 waxes and a little oil eg Beeswax, Carnauba, Candelia and Shea butter – as these have are hard at room temperature but melt sharply on contact with body temperature. They are very similiar to a hard lipstick. Manufacturers will play around with how the ingredients are combined togther to get the best pay-off and best results when sharpened.   20-25% pigment loading of iron oxides are used and they are triple roll milled to make them as fine as possible.  Black has to be intense, so black iron oxide (CI 77499)  alone will not be sufficient.  Carbon black is often used, which is an intense black used to pigment rubber. The pigments need to be able to absorbed by the oils and waxes.  Sometimes oil based actives are used to make claims.

Application

Fortunately, it’s easy to try out most eyeliner in shops so feel free to draw shapes on your hand and assess the payoff, ease of application and smudge proofness before you buy.  The key things you should be looking for when selecting a kohl pencil are: - pay off, texture, sharpening, shrinkage.  Smudgeproof and water resistant is key but also by nature of the product ie no water that should be easy to fulfull.  Most brands are very similar just variations of the same blend. the difference being the size of the pencil and packaging.  Each manufacturer produces for several brands from cheaper mass market  up to premium.

I’ve gone through my small collection of kohl pencil and tested them for pay-off and intensity.  NB Most are between 5-10 years old!

1.  £2.62 - Jungle Green, Rimmel Made in Italy – good pay-off and intense colour
2. Blue, Colour Trend Made in England (Constance Carroll – now closed) – not that intense
3. Charcoal Grey, Professional – can’t remember where I got this from
4.  £4.00 - Shade No. 10, Barry M (newest) – my favourite colour, but not good staying power
5.  Bronze, Swallowfield Made in England – best texture and payoff
6. £14.00 - Black, MAC- most expensive eyeliner and worst payoff and texture
7.   £2.89 - Enjoleuse, Bourjois – Made in Czech Republic – not very good payoff
8. £8.00 - White, Body Shop – Made in Germany – very good
9. £4.99 - Black, Max Factor – Made in Italy – very good, nice intense colour
10. £10.50 - Spice, MAC – Made in Germany – good

The cheapest one, Rimmel was better than the most expensive one – MAC – in fact the MAC black eyeliner is the worst I’ve every tried, however, I like their lip liner! TOP TIP:  Its always a good idea to sharpen your pencil prior to use, to reduce possible contamination. 

My advise, where possible support Made in UK, we have some brilliant brands and some excellent people working in the industry, so lets keep them here!

Thank you to Abigail Jones, Swallowfield for sharing some technical information with me.

Saving Face by the Beauty Parlour

This is a daily moisturiser with SPF 8 with Horse Chestnut and Cucumber in 50’s inspired kitsch packaging.  Obvious comparisons can be made to Soap & Glory with the bright colours, 50’s images and playful design.  I actually prefer this packaging; it’s not such a bright pink. and it looks better than the other S&G copycat – Along Came Betty sold in Tesco.

Key Ingredients

Octocrylene & Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane – organic sunscreens
Orange oil, patchouli oil, amyris oil – to give a citrus, exotic and woody natural fragrance
Cucumis Sativus Fruit extract – cucumber extract
Panax Ginseng – anti-oxidant and rejuvinatng benefits

The rest of the ingredients are standard for this type of formulation and its nice to see that petrolatum and paraffin liquidium havent’ been used to cheapen it.  There is synthetic perfume (parfum) at a higher percentage than the natural oils, but the fragrance is still quite nice and is quite unique smelling.

Where is the Horse Chestnut?

This product claims to contain Horse Chestnut but there is no mention of Aesculus hippocastanum on the ingredient label on the pack or the carton – which is a bit odd!  I’m sure it’s an oversight but a bit of an embarrassment for the manufacturers.

SPF 8

This is provided by organic sunscreens; - Octocrylene & Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, there are quite normal sunscreens.  SPF 8 doesn’t give a lot of protection from UV rays, probably enough for typical changeable UK weather, but not adequate for a hotter day.   I personally prefer a SPF 15 or SPF 20 – just to give cover any surprise heat waves in the UK. 

Rating

Value for money – £1.99 from Savers or £7.99 from Superdrug
Effectiveness – there is a bit too much playtime due to the silicone content, and gives the feeling that it sits on the skin, rather than sinking in, but it’s quite nice and will protect from UV rays
Pampering factor – I do like the fragrance which is part synthetic and part exotic oils
Recommended – if you pay £1.99 for a SPF 8 moisturiser than it’s a good deal,
USP – made in the UK – always try and support British manufacturing

Balance Me Discovery Set

I love Rose Otto fragrance and when I noticed that this brand had won awards in 2010 and 2011 I snapped up this trial pack of 4 in the handy 30ml and 55ml travel sizes.  The brand claims 98% and 99% “Natural Origin” and “Super Toning” so I thought I would investigate these claims too.

What does Natural Origin Mean

It means a product either occurs in nature or is extracted from nature without any chemical modification.  So a product which is chemical, synthetic origin or has been processed with chemicals to make it something else cannot be called natural.

There are some products ie Potassium Sorbate that occurs in nature, but the only material supplied is synthetically manufactured from petrochemical ingredients.  Another ingredient; Cocamidoproyl betaine is made from coconut oil and petrochemicals.  So claim these two products are natural origin or are petrochemical free, is downright misleading.  There are a lot of skincare products out there claiming “petrochemical free”, containing ingredients where petrochemicals were used to produce it.   My advice is that if you see a product that has only Latin plants names on it, it’s safe to assume its 100% natural, if you see chemical names than look them up, if it’s important that you only use 100% natural products.  The Soil Association and Ecocert certifications are also good indications of very natural products. 

Super Moisturising Hand Cream 98.8% natural origin

Contains 3 ingredient of chemical/synthetic origin ie Sodium stearoyl lactylate, Potassium sorbate, Dehydroacetic acid

 

Super Toning Bodycream 99% natural origin

Contains 4 ingredients of chemical/synthetic origin ie Sodium stearoyl lactate, Hydrocystearic linolenic oleic polyglycerides, Potassium sorbate, Dehydroacetic acid

Both creams contain amount of vegetable oils & waxes, and essential oils to impart fragrance which is good, the body cream also contains a lot of extracts and I’m always a bit sceptical as extracts tend to be in low concentration in a water system and used in even small concentrations in the final product to actually offer any benefits.

Rose Otto Body Wash 99% natural origin

Contains 8 chemical/synthetic ingredients; - cocamidoproyl betaine, lauryl glucoside, disodium lauryl sulfosuccinate, Dehydroacetic acid, Potassium sorbate, Benzyl salicylate, benzyl benzoate & farnesol

Rose Otto Toning Body Wash 99% natural origin

Contains 5 chemical/synthetic ingredients: - cocamidoproyl betaine, lauryl glucoside, disodium lauryl sulfosuccinate, Dehydroacetic acid, Potassium sorbate

Comparing the two wash ingredient lists there is absolutely nothing to suggest what supports the Toning Claim, as with the exception of two essential oils it contains the same ingredients as Rose Otto Body Wash.

Rating

Value for money – £16.00 for 3x 55ml and 1 x 30ml products – if I brought full sizes I would have paid £55.00

Effectiveness – needed twice as much as my regular Lush Shower Gels

Pampering factor – nice Rose fragrance

Not Recommended – I think there are comparable naturally based products available that are better value for money that are not making false claims ie Neal’s Yard, Lush, Liz Earle to name a few

Spa Therapeutic Gel Bath – Revive Infused with Rosemary

This is a really unique bath product, completely different to other products.  I highly recommend everyone tries at least once, and it makes a very novel gift.

 Ingredients

Sodium Polyacrylate. Perfume, Rosemary oil and Red Colour

How It Works

There are 2 sachets inside the box.  Tip stage 1 into bath water and swirl and watch the bath water turn into gel.  The main ingredient – Sodium Polyacrylate – absorbs 200-300 times its own weight in water it’s a synthetic product and is used in nappies to absorb urine!   The manufacturer recommends only filling the bath half full to get the best effect.   When you add the 2^nd sachet or stage 2, you are adding salt which neutralised the sodium polyacrylate, breaks down its bond and releases the water.

Skin Affinity

The bath water takes on the appearance of loads of little beads, and Rosemary essential oil scent comes through.  You can feel resistance in the bath water, and it has a slight massaging effect on the body when you move around in it.  When you pick it up in your hands, it has a slight exfoliating effect on the skin, and it the water seems to stay hotter for longer.  Once you’ve added the salt, you can than experience the benefit of a detoxifying bath. 

Rating

Value for money – £10.00 for a box which contains sachets for two baths – so a bit expensive for an everyday bath, however this is not an everyday bath experience – so probably worth it, and an very novel gift  for more info and where to buy here is the manufacturers website    http://www.gelicity.com/

Effectiveness – the information on the pack does promote it more as a therapeutic Spa effect, I wouldn’t go that far, but it is an interesting sensation and I ‘m sure it’s slightly beneficial

Pampering factor – I personally find this pampering, and I’ve used it on special occasions when I’ve had a stay at a luxury hotel

Definitely give it a try – it’s unique  

Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed Eye Cream

English Rose Cosmetics is a brand new skin care brand I’m currently developing.  I’ve spent time researching ingredients and developing formulations and am delighted to announce I will be going into production soon.  My website www.english-rose-cosmetics.com will go live by September 2012 hopefully. 

But first I’d like to share with you how I’ve formulated my first under Eye Cream

Why do we get dark circles and under eye bags?
Its a consequence of short nights, early wake-ups, stress and tiredness, but you knew that already.  Dark circles and under-eye bags are due to a slowing down of microcirculation causing blood to congregate in capillaries, making them more visible which is first sign of dark circles. Microcirculation is decreased because of a dilatation of blood capillaries, and weaknesses in capillaries. The membrane surrounding the capillaries is also weak and leads to blood leakage. Blood will accumulate in the extra-cellular matrix, and the degradation of hemoglobin (by oxidation) will create bilirubin, a blue-green pigment making the dark circles appear worse.  In addition, because of the slow down of blood and lymphatic microcirculation there will be water and lymph leakage thus causing the  appearance of bags under the eyes. Age is also a factor of bags, as the supporting tissues are less strong and fat will cluster in the under eye bags.

How Do We Prevent Dark Circles and Bags?
1.     Stimulate blood and lymphatic microcirculation
2.     Strengthen blood capillaries to prevent blood and water leakage
3.     Prevent hemoglobin degradation (which create bilirubin by oxidation)
4.     Get more sleep!

Cytobiol™ Lumin Eye at 5% 
There are a handful of actives that decrease dark circles and under eye bags, I found the evidence for Cytobiol the most impressive and have used it at 5% so it should bloody work!  It’s a synergistic blend of the following ingredients:-
1.        Esculin and fraxin from the bark of a European Ash tree (Fraxinus excelsior) these are clinically proven to reinforce capillaries, reduce blood leakage and elimate the pigments responsible for skin colorantion and erase signs of tiredness.
2.       Organic silicon is already present in collagen and elastic and helps reinforce the structure and elasticity of the vessels and makes the connective tissues stronger and more flexible. Organic silicon helps reinforce capillaries structure, completing the action of esculin and fraxin.
3.       Vitamin B3 also reinforces the structure of the blood vessels and helps to maintain or restore a normal blood flow in capillaries.

Additional actives used

1.      Sodium Hyaluronate – intense hydration and repair UV damage
2.      Tocopherol – anti-oxidant
3.      Allantoin – soothes skin and promotes cell regeneration
4.      Creatine – improve skin firmness by boosting collagen production

What to look for in an under eye cream
As the skin around the eyes is much thinner than elsewhere on your face and body, pick a product that sinks  in with virtually no rubbing in.  Dot a small amount under the eyes using the ring finger and massage in small circles on the outer corner of the eyes to help reduce fine lines.  Look for actives/ingredients that have been proven to work and are used at a high enough level to be effective, any good quality ingredient will have good evidence that can demonstrate how effective it is – don’t be afraid to do your own research, and don't just spend £60 or more under the assumption it has to be good.  I'm going to be selling mine for under £15 for 15ml and I've used a clinically proven active at 5% as well as other anti-ageing actives.

TOP TIP

If your using an anti-ageing day or night cream, and it sinks in nicely, you should be able to use this under your eye and thus save yourself a bit of money by not buying two separate ingredients.  If you want to do something about hiding the wrinkles than look for eye creams that contain optical blurring.  My second under eye cream will likely have ingredients proven to reduce fine lines and wrinkles as well as ingredients for giving a soft focus effect!

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.