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Have you ever watched someone’s boujee skincare routine and thought to yourself, “Man! Are all of these steps REALLY necessary?”
Chances are you probably have, especially in today’s social media environment.
Whether it’s Beyonce sharing her favorite products or the latest Insta influences doing a tutorial, there are so many questions about which skincare products are actually useful.
One item that definitely raises some eyebrows is this one: a toner!
What is a toner?
What does it do?
Does it actually do anything good to your skin?
Now, I’m not here to throw boring dermatology statistics at you about toners.
I’m going to be talking from personal experience as a skincare enthusiast who has used toners before.
I want to give you guys the real, raw answer to this question.
To keep it short and sweet, my answer is YES!
Toners do a lot for your skin as long as you are choosing the right one.
Can you live life without them? Technically, yes.
But I definitely don’t agree with those who say toner is pointless.
I’ve gone through periods of both not using and using toners, and I definitely found my own answer to this question.
So, you might be confused as to whether or not a toner is worth the effort.
That’s why I’m here to help.
I’m going to give you 5 reasons why toner is actually a beneficial part of your skincare routine.
Stay tuned until the end for my favorite toner recommendations!
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Without further ado, let’s get into it!
1. It removes the extra gunk
Just because you wash your face with a cleanser doesn’t mean your pores are automatically clean.
Yep…you heard me!
Whether or not you wear layers of makeup, a toner acts as another cleansing step to get all the extra gunk out of your pores.
I used to think, “Oh, toner is pointless. It’s just like rubbing water all over your skin with a cotton pad!”
Boy was I wrong!
As soon as I started using a toner, I’d notice extra light brown gunk coming out of my pores when I’d rub the cotton pad on my face.
All of that was still hibernating in my skin even AFTER I washed my face.
Ew!
Little did I know that all that excess nastiness was giving me extra acne and milia.
Once I switched to using a toner, I noticed a huge difference in my skin’s texture.
2. It’s an extra layer of moisture.
Using a moisturizing toner can be yet ANOTHER way to give your skin some hydration.
Supple skin is never a bad thing, my friends.
Other than using moisturizers, toners can and usually are your skin’s first dose of hydration post-cleanser.
It’s really important to make sure you aren’t dehydrating your face with all the products you’re using, so I always love choosing a softening and moisturizing toner.
Stick around until the end of this post for my favorite toner recommendations 😉.
3. It shrinks the pores.
Using a toner in your skincare routine can actually act as an astringent and make your pores smaller.
By reducing pore size, a toner will lessen the chance of your pores getting clogged.
I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a plus to me!
4. It can be an exfoliant.
If you choose a toner with acidic elements on the ingredient list, you can get that exfoliation effect too.
There are PLENTY of AHA and BHA toners out there that will reduce acne scars, brighten skin, and get rid of skin bumps.
These toner versions are not gimmicks. They actually work and are popular for a reason!
I used them. My friends use them. Thousands of others do too.
Instead of going for an abrasive physical exfoliant (like a scrub), toners are a great option.
5. It’s oil-absorbing.
If you’re an oil rig like me, you’ll want to use a toner to absorb any excess oil in your pores.
Yes, technically your cleanser should get rid of any extra oil.
But, it doesn’t hurt to have that added layer of help, especially when you’re as oily as I am.
I hate the feeling of slick, greasy skin.
Period.
So, using a toner day and night helps make sure my pores aren’t creating extra oil that is unwanted.
Alrighty! I’ve just given you 5 reasons why toners actually DO SOMETHING in your skincare routine.
There are lots of bloggers out there who insist that toners are pointless.
Maybe that’s true for them.
It’s not necessarily the case for the millions of people who do use toners every day.
You are going to have to try it out for yourself to get your own answer.
Who knows? Maybe you are missing out on the greatest product of your life.
I’m about to spill some of my favorite toners EVER! I have used all of these before and really loved them (still do!).
If that’s the case, here are my favorite toner recommendations to get you started!
- Fresh Rose Petal Moisturizing Toner
- Ole Henriksen Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner (Chemical Exfoliant)
- REN Glow Daily AHA Toner (Chemical Exfoliant)
- Ole Henriksen Oil Controlling Toner
- Thayer’s Witch Hazel Toner
Now that you know the best place to start, it’s time to get skincare-toner shopping!
Feel free to leave any questions or comments below about your skincare toner journey.
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