FACIAL TONER – WHAT DOES IT DO FOR MY SKIN?

ULRIKE KELLER-KNOBELSPIES,
SKIN EXPERT FOR 40 YEARS AND FOUNDER OF THE DAY FARM IN MUNICH

Face toner is a very extensive topic. Nevertheless, it is one of my favorite topics. This is partly because facial toner is so versatile and extremely effective.

WHAT IS A FACIAL TONER?

I know from my customers that the majority of them use creams, washing gels, masks and even serums almost every day - but what about facial toner? Unfortunately, hardly any of my customers mention this. But my opinion: a facial toner, also known as a tonic, is incredibly effective when it comes to balancing your skin.

Because facial toner…

• ... helps with very dry skin because it loosens the dead skin cells that would otherwise inhibit the penetration of the active ingredients. So ideal for dry or dull skin.

• … soothes the skin by neutralizing acids. How come? Because, depending on where you live, water is not particularly gentle on the skin. Not least because of the lime content in the water. The pH value of the skin can become unbalanced by cleansing - especially in combination with cleansing gel. You can see this in sensitive and reddened skin.

• … cleanses the skin. Depending on which facial toner you use, it contains neutralizing active ingredients or salicylic acid, which really cleanses the skin deep into the pores and thus ensures finer pores - just like in the advertising we all know.

First conclusion: a facial toner is particularly helpful against dry, pale skin and large pores.

A FACIAL TONER CAN DO THIS

• The upper, already loosened skin cells are loosened with special facial toners. Firstly, this makes the skin look fresher and secondly, active ingredients penetrate the skin much better - including your moisturizer.

• A facial toner refines the pores. On the one hand, through ingredients such as algae extracts or salicylic acid and, on the other hand, it usually contains a small amount of high-quality alcohol, which brings the pH value back into order.

• A facial toner removes the residues from your skin that get onto your skin via tap water when washing, such as lime.

SKIN TYPES – FACIAL TONS ARE AS DIFFERENT AS THE NEEDS ARE

A facial toner suits every skin type, of course. But every skin type has its own special needs and problems. The facial toner should also be selected accordingly. I would like to briefly address these problems here. The following applies to all skin types: a facial toner balances the pH value of the skin and neutralizes the residues from the water, such as aggressive limescale residues, which otherwise affect the delicate skin on your face. Not sure what skin type you have? Then watch our video on how to determine your skin type or use our free online skin consultation.

Facial toner for combination skin

If you have combination skin, then pore refinement with facial toner is certainly one of the most important goals for you. A facial toner for combination skin should contain a low but high-quality alcohol content so that the active ingredients can penetrate the skin. The following active ingredients should be contained in the facial toner for combination skin:

• Algae – in most good cosmetic institutes, algae extracts are used to refine the pores in the treatments. Algae also reduces sebum production. Both are ideal for dealing with pores that are too large.

• Fruit acid – Combination skin often has the problem that the pores are large. This is because there is sebum in the pores. You can remove this sebum with a mildly dosed fruit acid. For example with fruit acid from apples or sugar cane. This allows the sebum to flow out of the pores again.

Facial toner for impure skin

If you tend to have impure skin, then you should use a facial toner that helps dissolve impurities but also soothes the skin at the same time. Impure skin often results in pimples, a lot of sebum in the pores and even more inflamed impurities. A facial toner with the following properties should be used:

• Anti-inflammatory - this is best achieved with active ingredients such as chlorhexidine (very disinfectant), calendula, echinacea (echinacea) or chamomile.
• The sebum removal  works best with salicylic acid (for this I recommend reading the paragraph below on salicylic acid).

Facial toner for oily skin

For oily skin, a facial toner with alcohol content is particularly suitable, because the alcohol works against the fatty layer on the skin, which…

• …doesn't look particularly nice. In addition to the oily shine, the skin often appears pale.
• …prevents active ingredients from penetrating the skin. Sometimes oily skin still feels dry or under-supplied - precisely because the active ingredients cannot penetrate the skin deeply enough.

For skin types other than oily skin, you should use a facial toner with a low or no alcohol content.The facial toner has an antibacterial and sebum-dissolving effect - so it helps to clean the pores and prevent blockages. Active ingredients such as lemon and witch hazel in the tonic can help to significantly refine the pores.

Facial toner for dry skin

Skin prone to dryness should definitely be treated with a facial toner that does not contain alcohol. This is especially true for dry skin that is very rough or even has scales. Because the alcohol would only dry out the skin further. Instead, you should use a moisturizing toner with ingredients like:

• Aloe Vera (with its important amino acids, vitamins and minerals), panthenol, white tea but also rose water.
• Vitamin E, whose active ingredients further balance the skin.

Especially for skin with scales and rough areas. These active ingredients soothe the skin and moisturize at the same time. Relaxed skin opens up and becomes more receptive to the active ingredients of the subsequent care - otherwise the expensive creams wouldn't be worth it.

FACIAL TONER FOR PIMPLES

Facial toners are very important against pimples, because pimples are nothing more than inflammations of the skin that are actually quite easy to get under control. First of all, you should understand what actually happens under the surface of the skin when you find a pimple - or rather, what happened before: sebum initially forms in the pores. This is generally not a bad thing. However, if there is an excess of sebum, it cannot be removed. This sebum that is not removed is a breeding ground for bacteria that cause inflammation - and voilà, there is the annoying pimple.

Pimples usually appear in packs. This is because the skin in the area of ​​inflammation, i.e. the pimple, is out of balance. So when a pimple pops, a spread infection often occurs, causing many pimples to form in the surrounding skin region. This is where a disturbed skin barrier and an increased accumulation of bacteria come together - perfect conditions for pimples.

A facial toner against pimples has the following advantages:

• A facial toner inhibits inflammation and soothes the skin, e.g.b through active ingredients such as panthenol or calendula
• Antibacterial and disinfectant agents, such as chlorhexidine or alcohol, reduce the number of “pimple-causing bacteria”

When it comes to a pimple, the focus should be on reducing the inflammation. Don't put your hand on the pimple, but solve the problem by consistently using a facial toner. If the pimple is still open - because sometimes there is no consistency - then you should definitely use a cotton pad with a disinfectant facial toner so that the pimple cannot spread.

FACIAL TONER FOR MEN

Men with a beard should avoid the cotton pad and apply the toner to the face in the palms of their hands. My personal recommendation:

• Use a facial toner instead of aftershave after shaving your beard, because
• Shaving lotions often contain significantly fewer nourishing and protective active ingredients and are of lower quality
• They contain fragrances that can further irritate men's skin - it's better to use the scent on the neck or wrist instead of on the face
• A facial toner revitalizes and refreshes the skin just as well, but at the same time cares for it much better

Simply use the facial toner that suits your skin type. This means that an important part of the care is taken care of on the fly. I recommend these products to you: Atame Active Tonic Forte or Atame Skin Care Tonic Special. If the skin shows impurities or pimples, then the Gly Clean Tonic from MedBeauty or the AHA Tonic from Use ExpertsLine .

FACIAL TONER WITH SALICYLIC ACID

Salicylic acid is particularly found in products that intensively refine pores and eliminate impurities. There are actually two commonly used active ingredients, respectively. Acids in facial toner that you should know:

• AHA or fruit acid
• BHA or salicylic acid

While fruit acid penetrates a little deeper into the skin because the stratum corneum is properly “opened”, salicylic acid is particularly good when it comes to sebum in the upper layers of the skin. Salicylic acid softens the sebum and allows it to drain more easily. This removes the blockages that are mainly responsible for large pores and impurities.

SALICYLIC ACID CONCENTRATION

If you use a normal, over-the-counter facial toner with salicylic acid, then the concentration is selected so that the facial toner is suitable for daily use, unless otherwise stated on the product.However, there are also concentrates and serums that you should not use over large areas and permanently. These are used selectively or for a very limited time. Please let us advise you - because highly concentrated salicylic acid cosmetics can have a great effect on certain problems. For example, pimples that are far beneath the skin and are really hard and firm can be effectively solved.

ALCOHOL IN FACIAL TONER

Many facial toners contain a special form of alcohol. This so-called drinking alcohol is obtained from starchy biomass and is of great importance for the effect of the facial toner. Many e.g.b Herbal active ingredients are fat-soluble and cannot penetrate the skin, but are dissolved using alcohol and are thus absorbed by the skin. In the right dosage, this alcohol does not dry out the skin.

HOW SHOULD THE FACIAL TONER BE USED?

Use the facial toner AFTER cleansing your skin and BEFORE moisturizing! In order for a facial toner to have its full effect, these application steps should be followed:

1. Clean the face thoroughly.
2. Take the right facial toner for your skin type and put it on a cotton pad - it should be well moistened, but not dripping.
3. Then run the soaked cotton pad over your face until no residue can be seen. Don't forget the problem areas and T-zone in particular.
4. If the cotton pad still appears “dirty”, step three should be repeated with a fresh cotton pad.
5. Wait briefly until the facial toner has absorbed.
6. Finally, apply further care, such as facial cream or serums.

Even if the name doesn't immediately reveal it, you can also use the facial toner on your neck and décolleté. There, too, it optimally prepares your skin for the following care. Facial toner should ideally be used morning and evening before moisturizing. In the morning it revitalizes the skin and in the evening it helps to soothe it and remove the last residues of cleansing products and make-up. If you can only be really consistent with one care step, then I recommend using a facial toner. Because here the effect is extremely versatile and effective.

Specialist beautician Ms. Richter from the Tagesfarm Kosmetik SPA about the benefits of a facial toner:
“I explain facial toner to my customers like this: What happens to a vase if you just pour the water out and don't wash it out? After a short time you will see limescale edges. The same thing happens to your skin if you wash off cleansing with water and don't use facial toner. The limescale residues remain on the skin and prevent the active ingredients of your care product from penetrating, whether cream or serum.”

GOOD TO KNOW

Facial toner is made with distilled water and should not be washed off the skin after use. Normal tap water, on the other hand, often contains lime and would only contaminate cleansed skin again. Only with very special facial toners should the face be washed after use, but these also explicitly state this in their care instructions.

Do you want to save some money or just know exactly what is contained in your facial toner? Then read our article, in which we reveal how you can easily make facial toner yourself.